The Falsehood of Moon Sighting

God never commanded that the moon be sighted with the naked eyes to know the beginning of the new month. Quran is very clear that any method of calculation is acceptable. A search for Meton in any search engine or encyclopedia will demonstrate that man knew the birth of new moon by calculation since 5th century B.C. Certainly this information was available at the time of Muhammad and even Abraham, to whom all religious duties were revealed.

The sighting of the new moon is a fabrication of the scholars. The observer of Ramadan in the last few years can easily spot the abuse and lies used by some of the so called Islamic countries of the sighting method. Politics and personal desires replaced science and accurate calculations in determining the first day of Ramadan. Thank God Almighty, we can have our calendar as accurate as an atomic clock for the next several hundred years. For more information see our file Islamic Calendar.

Quran Verses about Ramadan & Fasting

2:183-187. Like all duties in Submission, fasting was decreed through Abraham (22:78). Prior to revelation of the Quran, sexual intercourse was prohibited throughout the fasting period. This rule is modified in 2:187 to allow intercourse during the nights of Ramadan.

The Meaning of Ramadan

Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims.

The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam (submission in English), fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Quran, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds. For Muslims (Submitters), Ramadan is an opportunity to gain by giving up, to prosper by going without and to grow stronger by enduring weakness.

As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.

Who Fasts in Ramadan?

Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory on those who can do it. . Sick people and some travelers in certain conditions are exempted from the fast but must make it up as they are able.

From Dawn to Sunset

The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun. In between -- that is, during the dawn and daylight hours -- Muslims (Submitters) totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sex. The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor) before dawn and a post-fast meal (iftar) after sunset.

The Islamic lunar calendar, being 11 to 12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, migrates throughout the seasons. Thus, if Ramadan begins on January 20 one year, next year it will begin on January 9. In this way, the length of the day, and thus the fasting period, varies in length from place to place over the years. Every Muslim, no matter where he or she lives, will see an average Ramadan day of approximately 13.5 hours.

Expressing our appreciation

The last ten days of Ramadan are believed to be a time of special spiritual power as everyone tries to come closer to God through devotions and good deeds. Some spend the last ten days of Ramadan in a mosque devoting the whole ten days for worshipping God:

The night on which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet, known as the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), is traditionally taken to be the 27th night of the month. Quran states that this night was better than a thousand months. God has decreed for us fasting during the blessed month of Ramadan when Quran was revealed. This is the rite decreed by God in Quran to purify our souls and express our appreciation for the light He had sent down to us: