helal of Ramadan
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1*What is Ramadan?
-IS the ninth month of the islamic calender,when the quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel,it’s the month of fasting , when all healthy adult muslims should fast from sunrise to sunset.
2*Meaning of fasting?
Fasting…means going without food partly or completely,it can be done for one period each year like “Ramadan month” the main month for fasting ,or for several periods,for example some muslims fast other extra days in other islamic months such as "Ragab,Shabaan ,Zu el-Qada,Zu el-Higga“ as a kind of voluntariness.
The idea of fasting started in ancient religions,including the ancient Egyptians ,Today ,fasting is an important part of most religions,examples,include Yom Kippur for jews,Lent for Christians and Ramadan for muslims.
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3*Sighting of the moon?
Like all Islamic months ,Ramadan starts when the new moon is seen,Or in another words :- we don't know what the pascific day Ramadan will start,we wait for the islamic vision which is watching the moon if it was half-moon (we called helal Ramadan) that means Ramadan will start and we have to start fasting,if we didn't see that helal we won't be able to do so,that's why sometimes saudi Arabia or other countries fast before Egypt cause they saw the helal before it appears in Egypt,it's so amazing to wait for this helal and be happy to spend the night waiting for it ,then on Tv our preascher comes up telling us that tomorrow will be the first of Ramadan…then we can prepare ourselves for fasting.
Nowdays,modern equipment can be used to calculate the date of the new moon (helal),but many muslims consider the human eye more suitable,if the new moon is seen on the 29 th day of Shabban(the month which proceed Ramadan),then Ramadan starts the next day.if not,then shabaan takes 30 days and Ramadan will start the day after.
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how they decorate the Egyptian street in Ramadan
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4*How they celebrated Ramadan in past &how in nowadays?
The sighting of the moon has always been an important occasion.In Cairo,from the 7th to 10th centuries,the chief judge used to walk in agreat procession to the Moqattam hills to view the new moon,later an observatory was built on the hills,where the air is clearer,in order to watch the moon.
During the fatimid period,religious buildings were always cleaned and repaired before Ramadan and lights&decorations were put up in the streets and lighten all Mosques with colored lights (still this tradition up till now).
Then the city’s judges inspected all the decorations,at the beginning of the month,caliph rode in a great procession around Cairo,he was dressed in a wonderful white cloth,embroidered with gold thread,his attendants carried a white sun-shade over him,5000 soldiers walked in front of him,and horsemen rode behind.(p.s :this tradition was just done in fatimid period).
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During the rest of the month,special breakfasts “iftar” (the meal we have after our fasting ended by sunset) and suppers “sohour” ( the meal we have before the dawn time ,which supports us enough for continuing our fasting in daytime)Were provided by the fatimids caliph and by the big mosques,anyone,Rich or poor,could eat these breakfasts for free (we call it nowadays as “Mawaed el Rahman”/”God’s tables” still up till now for free for everyone walking in street and haven’t the enough time to go home to have his own meal,or for poor people who can’t efford buying food).
In fatimid period the caliph led more processions on each Friday of Ramadan,after each,he went to one of the great mosques to give the Friday speech and to lead the prayers.after returning to the palace,the caliph threw gold coins to the people outside and gave them plates of sweets.
In The 13th century the kitchens of the Mamlouk sultans used to make food for the poor,servants carried trays of food around the city,followed by musicians,many prisoners were also set free each Ramadan(this last part is still on nowadays).
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5*Children fasting?
A muslim child starts to fast at the age of about seven,for the first year,the family will let the child fast for two or three hours a day only,the next year it may become half a day,by the age of 9 or 10 it’ll become a full day at weekends,and by the age of 12 the child will fast for a complete month .
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*Special symbols of Ramadan celebrations?
1-Fanous
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Fanous(lantern of Ramadan)
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Since the fatimid times,the streets of Egypt in Ramadan have always been decorated with lanterns,the lanterns (or Fanous) were an important part of the celebrations,they were used in past to light the procession which went to view the moon,and to announce the start and the end of each day’s fast.Today ,huge Lanterns are hung over the streets and in people’s houses,and children are given a small lantern to play with and sing “a Ramadan song”
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2-The Ramadan cannon:
the cannon announces the end of the fast each day at sunset,and the start of the new day’s fast at dawn,the biggest cannon in Egypt is kept at the citadel in Cairo.
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**the song of Ramadan**:
Wa-ha-wi , ya wa–ha-wi , Ee-yo-ha.
(No-one knows the meaning of this pharse)
We keman wa-ha-wi ,Ee-yo-ha.
Ruht ya shabaan (you have gone,O shabaan)
Geet ya Ramadan, (you have come ,O ramadan)
Ee-yo-ha.
Bent el-sultan labsa uftan,
(the sultan’s daughter is wearing a robe)
Ee-yo-ha.
Bil–ahmar , bil-asfar, bil akhdar
(of red,yellow and green)
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3- the Messaharati
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a man is parying to Allah
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3- the Messaharati :
the Messaharati ,a man used to go around the streets before dawn to remind people to eat their “sohour”,the Tradition started in Baghdad in the 8th century and then spread to most Islamic countries,“messaharati” usually beat a drum and calls out people’s names,at the end of Ramadan people pay him for his work,nowadays “messaharatis” are few and can be seen in villages more than cities.
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Ramadan is so important Islamic month ,which all muslims do much prayers and read more in Koran (holy book of muslims), all members of the family get all together around one table to have their Iftar(the first meal that muslim eats after a day's fasting at sunset),all relatives must visit each other,have good meal (after day's fasting)and make long talks,after having the Iftar,most of muslims go to mosques for special prayers then get their homes back to enjoy watchimg Tv (special progarms are prepared for this time of year,Series,songs..etc),then enjoying eating some oriental sweeties(Amareddin pudding,konafa..etc),we also can get out to have some fresh air in open air cafes and enjoy the oriental atmosphere,religious songs....we have a lovely saying about that month ,we say about it" Ramadan shaher el rahma wi el ghofran" that means " Ramadan is the month of mercy and forgiviness" when our god forgives our mistakes and gives his mercy....what do u think?
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------HAPPY RAMADAN------
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