“A Beautiful Month”: Muslims Prepare for End of the Great Fast of Ramadan

On the night of March 10, 2024, Ramadan began for some two billion believers across the Muslim world. The Islamic Holy Month is a time of spiritual renewal for all participants, including many who do not identify as Muslim. Each year, an increasing number of individuals beyond the Muslim world embark on the journey of fasting during this sacred time.

In California, where an estimated half a million Muslims live, accounting for about 1.3% of the state’s population, the faithful are gathering daily for prayers at the 246 mosques located across the Golden State.

This month of Ramadan benefits every human being, regardless of their belief, said Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad of the Nation of Islam during his March 24 address livestreamed from Mosque Maryam in Chicago.

“Did you know that fasting and prayer can help us hear God more clearly? Did you know that the principle and practice of prayer and fasting can help us make better choices,” Muhammad added.

On Tuesday, April 9, the holy month of fasting will come to an end.

Prayer, fasting and reflecting on Allah (God) gives one the power of discernment, he said. In addition, they strengthen faith and build self-discipline, which brings one closer to their Creator, he detailed.

The name Ramadan, said Muhammad, comes from the ninth month of the Lunar calendar and it means “intense heat.”

According to Islamic history, this is the month in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him) by the angel Jibril, and every year, during Ramadan, each day, 1/30th of the Holy Book is recited or read by those observing the fast.

Ramadan spans 30 days of fasting, study, recommitment, and heightened awareness of Allah (God). In Arabic, this is known as Taqwa, the state of being conscious and cognizant of God. But what is Ramadan, how does one observe Ramadan, and lastly, how did it come to be observed by over 25% of the world’s population?

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard against evil,” it reads in Chapter 2, verse 183. “So, whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein,” continues the Holy Qur’an.

“This is a beautiful month. Thanking Allah for His many blessings, His mercy, His protection, His favor, and we should praise Allah every day,” Muhammad stated.

Acts of fasting were performed by Moses and his community, Jesus and his followers, prophets such as David, Elijah and many other figures in the Torah and the Gospel.