Ramadan: Month of Fasting

الصيامشهر : رمضان

ラマダン：断食月

Nur AhmadiTokyo Institute of Technology

Outline

• Introduction• Term & Activity• Across the World• Summary

What?• Ramadan is an Arabic word; its root “Ar-Ramad” means “dryness/heat”• Ninth month of the Hijri calendar (Lunar calendar)• Fasting means abstinence

Who?

• Every adult Muslim is obliged to fast during Ramadan• But, there are people who are exempted from fasting:

• Minor• Aged*• Sick**• Traveler**• Pregnant Women**• Suckling Women**• Menstruating Women**• Mentally Retarded

* Should donate a meal to the needy** Should fast an equivalent number of days afterwards

When?

• Islamic Calendar or the Hijri Calendar is based on the lunar year.• Ramadan – sacred month in the Islamic calendar• The Lunar calendar is 11-12 shorter than Gregorian calendar, therefore, Ramadan is

11-12 days earlier every year• The start of Ramadan is decided by Hisab (calculation) & Ru’yat (observation)

Muharram Safar Rabi al Awwal

Rabi at Thani Jumadi al Awwal Jumadi at Thani

Rajab Shaban Ramadan

Shawwal Dhu al Qaidah Dhu al Hijjah

Where?

• Muslim population in 2012: 2.1 billion (mostly in South & South East Asia)• Indonesia is the largest Muslim country (12.7% of world’s Muslims)• The duration for fasting in a day could be different among Muslim countries

Why?• The goal of fasting is to develop self-restraint.• Developing ethics through fasting: Social responsibility and Individual morality• Fasting is good for health

How?• Stop eating, drinking, sexual activity from dawn until dusk

Term & Activity

• Iftar• Sahoor• Taraweeh• Zakah• Qiraat• Celebration

Across the World

Casey Station, Antartica6:30 - 15:48 (9 hours 18 minutes)

Perth, West Australia5:42 - 17:41 (11 hours 59 minutes)

Jakarta, Indonesia4:52 - 17:55 (13 hours 3 minutes)

Mecca, Saudi Arabia4:31 - 19:01 (14 hours 30 minutes)

Across the World

Tokyo, Japan3:11 - 18:47 (15 hours 36 minutes)

New York, United States4:25 - 20:12 (15 hours 47 minutes)

London, England2:45 - 20:50 (18 hours 5 minutes)

Provideniya, Russia1:46 - 21:43 (19 hours 57 minutes)

Across the World

Muslims shop for Iftar, the sunset dinner that breaks the fast at Chalk Bazaar, the traditional Iftar market in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Pavel Rahman)

Across the World

Muslim community break their Ramadan fast in School of Indonesian Republic in Tokyo (left) and Tokyo Institute of Technology Ookayama Campus (right)

Across the World

A boy sells dates in Amman, Jordan on Saturday August 22 2009. (AP Photo/Mohammad abu Ghosh)

Across the World

The Al-Zaim family of Duxbury, Massachusetts sits, gathered together for their dinner after 7pm on September 14th, 2008, to break their Ramadan Fast. (Justine Hunt/Globe Staff Photo)

Summary

• Ramadan is a month of fasting, used to discipline/prepare Muslim to be self-restraint

• Fasting is stop from eating, drinking, and sexual activity

• The duration for fasting in a day could be different in many countries

• The type of activities during Ramadan are similiar across the world, but it could be different in the way they do.

Thank Youありがとう

شكرا