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A HOLY MONTH
Ramadan is the 9th month of the lunar calendar and is considered the holiest month of the year in Islam. Because the lunar calendar is shorter than the Gregorian calendar, Ramadan arrives 11 to 12 days earlier each year, coming full circle every 36 years.
Ramadan commemorates the revelation of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. It is a time of fasting, charity and increased prayer. All Muslims are required to abstain from all food and drink from sunup to sundown with the exception of young children, unhealthy adults, long-distance travelers and pregnant and nursing women.
In addition Muslims also seek to refrain from such negative behaviors as foul language, vain talk and hurtful actions during this time.
Ramadan ends with the festival Eid-ul-Fitr, a day of celebration and gratitude.
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Prayer and fasting
Naperville family finds joy in Ramadan practices
October 4, 2007
By KATHY MILLEN Staff Writer
Contact Kathy Millen at kmillen@scn1.com or 630-416-5204
Sometimes fasting is not as much deprivation as it is the impetus to live a better life.
During the 30 days of Ramadan, members of the Muslim community abstain from food and drink, including water, during the daylight hours to help them focus on becoming more compassionate, disciplined and charitable human beings.
The goal is to make that month a blueprint for the entire year.
"It's all a part of fasting," said Shoaib Khadri, 43, of Naperville. "You're not only fasting the body, you're fasting the soul as well, so to speak. You are making a conscious attempt not to lie, cheat, backbite or any of the things you typically tend to ignore."
Shoaib, his wife, Yasmin, 36, and their three children are among some
800 Muslim families living in the Naperville area who are observing Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 and will run through Oct. 12. One of the five pillars of Islam, Ramadan is a time of repentance, kindness, charity, patience, forgiveness and coming closer to God. It's a month of extra prayers and reading the Quran (the holy book of Islam) in its entirety. It is the time when many Muslims make their annual mandated contribution of 2.5 percent of their savings to charitable causes.
"It is said that at this time, at this month, the angels are lower," said Yasmin Khadri last week before serving the meal that would break the day's fast. "They're closer. They're watching over us and the demons and the devil are tied up in chains. So there's nothing bad going on. It's always only the good going. So we cannot be tempted to do anything bad."
Originally from Madras, India, the Khadris have lived in Naperville for the last seven years. An independent IT consultant, Shoaib also owns a business that supplies linens to healthcare facilities and hospitals. They are a visible presence in the local Muslim community. Shoaib is a volunteer at the Islamic Center of Naperville and is active in local diversity and interfaith activities. Yasmen is a volunteer at the center's school.
They look forward to Ramadan each year and eagerly embrace its mandate to fast. That means waking up each morning in the pre-dawn hours so they may eat their first meal before sunrise. Shoaib, Yasmin and their oldest child, Sana, 12, observe the fast. Because of their young ages, daughter Huda, 7, and son Adil, 5, are exempt, although Huda is easing into the practice this year by fasting on weekends only.
In the evening, they break their fast which, depending on the time of year Ramadan falls, can last from 12 to 17 hours. That meal is called the Iftar. For the Khadris, it is food from their native India, such as a rice, lentil and lamb soup; lamb patties; samosas, fruit, water and juice. But first, the fast must be broken by the traditional eating of dates.
Following dinner, the Khadris gather for evening prayers in the family room. They stand facing northeast toward Makkah. Shoaib and Adil are side-by-side in front. Yasmin, Sana and Huda, their hair covered by the traditional hijab, stand a few feet behind. Following prayers, they go to the mosque to pray and listen to the reading of the Quran.
One of the Khadris' own house rules is to pull the plug on their TV during Ramadan. While not a mandated part of the observance, eliminating outside entertainment allows more time for prayer, reading of the Quran and other creative pursuits.
Shoaib and Yasmin said these practices impact of both adults and children beyond the month of Ramadan.
"That was one of the reasons why fasting was mandatory," Yasmin said. "It's because we should all feel the pain. Not everybody's always well-fed.
"This is a time when you feel hunger. You feel thirsty and you realize there are people who cannot afford, cannot have this. You feel the pain," Yasmin said.
Like their parents, Muslim children appreciate these traditions. Sana said fasting and doing without TV for a month is not difficult for her. Her Muslim friends at school also fast. During Ramadan, they are allowed to spend lunchtime together in the school library.
"It's peer pressure," her father said. "It's positive peer pressure, I think. All Muslim kids fast and if you don't fast, the kids start feeling left out. They feel they should be with the group."
As Ramadan nears its conclusion, the Muslim community prepares for Eid-ul-Fitr, a day of celebration held the first day after the end of the holy month. On this day families get together, dress up, attend prayer services, share meals and exchange small gifts. They donate money so that area Muslims in need may be able to afford their own Eid celebration.
It's also a day of gratitude for answered prayers.
"We have been rewarded much more than we asked for," Yasmin said. "We are really fortunate. We have beautiful intelligent children, a happy family, this community, good friends, a good mosque, a good congregation. Everybody loves us. We're respected. What more could you want?"