Tomorrow is the first day of the holy month of Ramadan رمـضــان . Ramadan is the time when Muslims all over the world fast. The fasting of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Since Ramadan is a special month in the Muslim calendar, it is celebrated in so many different ways. Parents buy their children أطفال special lights called فــانــوس /fanoos/ some days before the months starts. Children go out into the streets playing with these lights and singing Ramadan songs.
Streets الشوارع , houses المنازل and mosques المساجد are decorated and lightened with bright and colored lights أنوار that are similar to Christmas lights. Markets الأسواق become busy in Ramadan as the act of buying الشراء and selling البيع increase. Congratulations التهاني are heard everywhere regardless whether people do know each other or not. People keep smiling يبتسمون at each others and offences الإهانات are minimized. If it happens and we heard someone insulting يشتم another, the expected reply would be, “Forgive me Allah, I am fasting أستغفر الله , أنا صائم “.
Different and special kinds of foods and drinks are prepared, bought or sold. Konafa الكــُــنــافــة is a special dessert حلوى for Ramadan. Dried dates البلح المجفف and dried grapes الزبيب are also preferred in Ramadan.
Mosques get crowded with people doing different prayers and the Taraweeh prayer صلاة التراويح is unique to Ramadan. Qur’an القرآن is recited a lot. People give away food and money to the poor الفقراء as people feel he hunger alike, so the sense of sharing does increase in Ramadan.
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Peace ســـلام /Salam/
