Ramadan, Islam’s holy month of fasting, has been observed and celebrated by Muslims around the world for more than 14 centuries. Here, Remona Aly considers its history and evolution across the world and discusses how have its practices changed over the centuries and how have the five pillars of Islam changed?
Ramadan means intense heat
Ramadan literally means ‘intense heat’, denoting the scorching summer month to which it is originally ascribed
- It formed part of the pre-Islamic Arab calendar well before Islam came to Mecca, the holy city in today’s Saudi Arabia, in the seventh century
- The very first revelation of the Quran occurred during Ramadan, when Muhammad retreated to a cave on Mount Hira on the outskirts of Mecca for secluded contemplation
- Moonsighting – the practice of spotting the new moon on the first night of Ramadan with the naked eye – is a tradition that has endured to this day
How did the practices of Ramadan begin?
The early Muslim community would awake for the pre-dawn meal, known as suhoor, and refrain from eating, drinking, and marital relations until sunset, when they broke their fast (iftar).
- As well as spiritual discipline and increased worship, fasting placed a strong focus on improving behavior, as Prophet Muhammad stated: “If a person does not avoid false talk and false conduct during the fast, then God does not care if he abstains from food and drink.”
How has the observation of Ramadan changed through history?
The spread of Islam over the globe gave texture and diversity to the global Ramadan experience.
- In Ottoman times, drummers in Turkey woke people for the pre-dawn meal, and similarly in Morocco, a nafar (town crier) dressed in traditional Moroccan robe and leather slippers roamed the streets rousing people to the sound of an instrument, like a horn, trumpet, or daff. These special Ramadan callers were also to be found in Syria, and future Tunisia and Algeria.
