Ramadan Articles
Dua’ (Prayers) when breaking fast in Ramadan
Dua (Prayer) at the End of the Fast
Here are three beautiful duas from the sunnah, that you can use when breaking your fast in Ramadan. You can say only one dua at iftar time, or you can say two or all three.
You can also make dua for whatever is in your heart. The time just before iftar is highly blessed and is a wonderful time for dua.
Please share this article with friends and on social media, jazakum Allah khayr.
Dua 1:
Transliteration: Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu wa alayka tawakkaltu wa ala rizq-ika-aftartu
Meaning: O Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You and I put my trust in You and I break my fast with Your sustenance. (Abu Dawud).
Dua 2:
ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَ ابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ، وَ ثَبَتَ الأجْرُ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ
Transliteration: dhahabadh-dhama’u wab-tallatil ‘urūūqi, wa thabatal arju inshaAllah
Meaning: The thirst is gone, the veins are moistened and the reward is confirmed, is Allah wills. (Abu Dawud 2:306)
Dua 3:
Transliteration: Allahumma innee as’aluka bi-rahmatikal-latee wasi’ath kulla shai’in an taghfira lee.
Meaning: O Allaah, I ask You by Your mercy which envelops all things, that You forgive me. (Ibn Majah 1/557)
Ramadan Announcement 1442 AH / 2021
Ramadan Announcement by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA):
First day of Ramadan will be Tuesday, April 13, 2021.
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.” Qur’an 2:183
The Fiqh Council of North America recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’i method for determining the beginning of Lunar months including the months of Ramadan and Shawwal. FCNA uses the criteria of European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR), which are that somewhere on the earth, at the sunset, the elongation should be at least 8 degrees and moon should be at least 5 degrees above horizon. If these conditions are met, the new crescent will be visible somewhere on earth. Hence the new lunar month will start the next day, otherwise it will start on the day following next.
On the basis of this method the dates of Ramadan and Eidul Fitr for the year 1442 AH are established as follows:
Ramadan 1442 AH:
The Astronomical New Moon is on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 2:33 Universal Time. On that day, everywhere in North and South America at sunset the elongation is at least 8 degrees and moon is at least 5 degrees above the sun. Therefore, first day of Ramadan 1442 is on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, insha’Allah. Tarawih prayer will start on Monday night April 12.
Eidul-Fitr 1442 AH:
The Astronomical New Moon is on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 19:02 Universal Time. On that day there is no place on earth where at sunset the elongation is 8 degrees and moon is 5 degrees above the sun. Therefore Shawwal 1442 cannot start the next day. Hence first day of Shawwal is on Thursday, May 13, 2021, insha’Allah. Eid-ul-Fitr will be on Thursday May 13, 2021.
May Allah (SWT) keep us on the right path, and accept our fasting and prayers. Ameen.
15 Beautiful Ramadan Photos 2017 / 1438 AH
It is the holy month of Ramadan, and Muslims all over the world are fasting, sacrificing, praying,
and striving for Allah’s pleasure. Here’s a selection of lovely photos of Muslims all over the world in Ramadan:
The Power of Fasting – BBC News
Michael Mosley
Reprinted from BBC News online
Scientists are uncovering evidence that short periods of fasting, if properly controlled, could achieve a number of health benefits, as well as potentially helping the overweight, as Michael Mosley discovered.
(In other words, what Muslims have been doing all along in Ramadan. – Editor)
I’d always thought of fasting as something unpleasant, with no obvious long term benefits. So when I was asked to make a documentary that would involve me going without food, I was not keen as I was sure I would not enjoy it.
But the Horizon editor assured me there was great new science and that I might see some dramatic improvements to my body. So, of course, I said, “yes”.
I am not strong-willed enough to diet over the long term, but I am extremely interested in the reasons why eating less might lead to increased life span, particularly as scientists think it may be possible to get the benefits without the pain.
How you age is powerfully shaped by your genes. But there’s not much you can do about that.
Calorie restriction, eating well but not much, is one of the few things that has been shown to extend life expectancy, at least in animals. We’ve known since the 1930s that mice put on a low-calorie, nutrient-rich diet live far longer. There is mounting evidence that the same is true in monkeys.
Growth hormone
The world record for extending life expectancy in a mammal is held by a new type of mouse which can expect to live an extra 40%, equivalent to a human living to 120 or even longer.
It has been genetically engineered so its body produces very low levels of a growth hormone called IGF-1, high levels of which seem to lead to accelerated ageing and age-related diseases, while low levels are protective.
A similar, but natural, genetic mutation has been found in humans with Laron syndrome, a rare condition that affects fewer than 350 people worldwide. The very low levels of IGF-1 their bodies produce means they are short, but this also seems to protect them against cancer and diabetes, two common age-related diseases.
The IGF-1 hormone (insulin-like growth factor) is one of the drivers which keep our bodies in go-go mode, with cells driven to reproduce. This is fine when you are growing, but not so good later in life.
There is now evidence suggesting that IGF-1 levels can be lowered by what you eat. Studies on calorie restrictors suggest that eating less helps, but it is not enough
As well as cutting calories you have to cut your protein intake. Not entirely – that would be a very bad idea. It’s about sticking to recommended guidelines, something most of us fail to do.
The reason seems to be that when our bodies no longer have access to food they switch from “growth mode” to “repair mode”.
As levels of the IGF-1 hormone drop, a number of repair genes appear to get switched on according to ongoing research by Professor Valter Longo of the University of Southern California.
Intermittent fasting
One area of current research into diet is Alternate Day fasting (ADF), involving eating what you want one day, then a very restricted diet (fewer than 600 calories) the next, and most surprisingly, it does not seem to matter that much what you eat on non-fast days.
Dr Krista Varady of the University of Illinois at Chicago carried out an eight-week trial comparing two groups of overweight patients on ADF.
“If you were sticking to your fast days, then in terms of cardiovascular disease risk, it didn’t seem to matter if you were eating a high-fat or low-fat diet on your feed (non-fast) days,” she said.
I decided I couldn’t manage ADF, it was just too impractical. Instead I did an easier version, the so-called 5:2 diet. As the name implies you eat normally 5 days a week, then two days a week you eat 500 calories if you are a woman, or 600 calories, if you are a man.
There are no firm rules because so far there have been few proper human trials. I found that I could get through my fast days best if I had a light breakfast (scrambled eggs, thin slice of ham, lots of black tea, adding up to about 300 calories), lots of water and herbal tea during the day, then a light dinner (grilled fish with lots of vegetables) at night.
On my feed days I ate what I normally do and felt no need to gorge.
I stuck to this diet for 5 weeks, during which time I lost nearly a stone and my blood markers, like IGF-1, glucose and cholesterol, improved. If I can sustain that, it will greatly reduce my risk of contracting age-related diseases like cancer and diabetes.
Current medical opinion is that the benefits of fasting are unproven and until there are more human studies it’s better to eat at least 2000 calories a day. If you really want to fast then you should do it in a proper clinic or under medical supervision, because there are many people, such as pregnant women or diabetics on medication, for whom it could be dangerous.
I was closely monitored throughout and found the 5:2 surprisingly easy. I will almost certainly continue doing it, albeit less often. Fasting, like eating, is best done in moderation.
Michael Mosley presents Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer on BBC Two at 21:00 BST on Monday 6 August. Watch online afterwards via iPlayer (UK only) or browse Horizon clips at the above link.
Ramadan Announcement 1436 AH / 2015
Ramadan Announcement by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA):
First day of Ramadan will be Thursday, June 18, 2015.
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.” Qur’an 2:183
The Fiqh Council recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’i method for determining the beginning of lunar months including the months of Ramadan and Shawwal. FCNA uses Makkah al-Mukarrama as a conventional point and takes the position that the conjunction must take place before sunset in Makkah and moon must set after sunset in Makkah.
On the basis of this method the dates of Ramadan and Eidul Fitr for the year 1434 AH are established as follows:
1st of Ramadan will be on Thursday, June 18, 2015
1st of Shawwal will be on Friday, July 17, 2015
Ramadan in China – 24 Photos
Did you know that Islam has been in China for 1,400 years? Muslims are found in every province of China and make up 2% of China’s population, or more than 20 million people.
Half of China’s Muslims are Hui people, who are ethnically and linguistically similar to Han Chinese.
The remainder of China’s Muslims belong to minority ethnic groups in the western part of the country, called the Quran Belt. These minorities have been persecuted by the Communist government over the decades, and have fought for independence at times.
In fact, the BBC recently reported that the Chinese government has banned Muslim officials, teachers and youth in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) from fasting in Ramadan, and has limited visits to mosques.
New Muslims fast for the first time in Ramadan
REDA HAMMAD
Friday 5 July 2013
The first Ramadan fast is exciting. The experience is much more exciting for men and women who have just converted to Islam and are beginning their first fasting experience in their 40’s.
What do new Muslims say about Islam and Ramadan? How did they perceive Ramadan before their conversion to Islam? What are their feelings now that they have become Muslims?
“I used to make fun of Ramadan” says Ahmed Moamen
I USED to make fun of Ramadan and the notion of Islamic fasting. I used to ridicule those Muslims who torture their bodies by fasting,” said Marcos-now-turned-Ahmed Moamen, a Filipino.
“I lived in the UAE for nine years as a traditional Christian who irregularly goes to Church. For me and my colleagues, Ramadan was a nightmare. It was a month in which we were all confined to our homes as all bars remain shut,” he recalled.
“This was not the only thing I detested about the Ramadan fast, but also this tough treatment of both body and soul. I used to believe the body has desires that should be met. Therefore, I only perceived of fasting as an unjustifiable and illogical torture,” Moamen said. “Those were the bad old days.”
“The Almighty Allah guided me to Islam,” Moamen continued. “I had a long time roommate, who once converted to Islam, tried hard to lure me into it. He used to discuss Islam and gave me some translated books about the faith until the Almighty finally opened up my heart. And here I am having my very first fasting experience in Ramadan,” Moamen said.
“After Allah guided me to Islam and after having fasted several days of Ramadan, I found out that all my previous ideas about the rights of one’s body were not true and that straightening our bodies once a year is of great wisdom. That is why Allah ordered us to fast one month of the year and not the whole year,” said Moamen of his new spiritual experience with Ramadan.
“It [fasting] brings the Muslim closer to Allah. I do not exaggerate if I say that I feel a serenity I have never before felt in my entire life,” Moamen concluded.
“Ramadan has its own sense of spirituality” says Abdul-Rahman Yousef
Abdul-Rahman Yousef, a Lebanese who was named Tony before embracing Islam also experienced his first Ramadan.
Sounding delighted about the new fasting experience, Yousef said he was overwhelmed by joy and that fasting helped him feel the serenity that only fasters enjoy.
“Ever since Allah guided me to Islam, I’ve become used to the habit of fasting every Monday and Thursday [following in the footstep of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to make up for my sins which I committed before Islam,” he said.
“But, fasting in Ramadan is a totally different experience because the holy month has its own sense of spirituality and serenity that is absent from other days and months,” Yousef asserted.
“Even prayers in Ramadan are different from the usual prayers,” he said, adding that Allah magnifies the good deeds of Muslims in Ramadan and spares them from Hell.
Yousef lamented having wronged Islam and Muslims in the past, especially during the civil war in Lebanon, and prayed to Allah the Almighty to forgive his previous bad deeds.
“When I read the Quran, I found answers” – Fatma
Carol Anoi was brought up in a Protestant Scottish family. She spent her childhood in the countryside which gave her a chance for contemplation and meditation.
After she finished school in London, she got a job in a UAE hotel and spent several years there until she got involved with an Arab Muslim.
“I loved him so much and he started talking to me about Islam. I began with him a search journey. We read most of the books on Islam in English,” said Carol-turned-Fatma Al-Zahra Mohammad (the name of one of Prophet Muhammad’s daughters).
“I realized that Islam is the right faith that dignified the human being and catered for the rights of man, woman and child,” she stressed. “I found it a religion in harmony with human nature,” Fatma said. “When I read the holy Qur’an, I found answers to all questions haunting my mind and soul. Eventually, I converted to Islam and we (she and her Arab Muslim friend) got married,” she recalled.
“As for Ramadan, I cannot describe to you how delighted I am to fast Ramadan this year. “Ramadan’s atmosphere makes us feel closer to Allah. And since it is a month of worship, we are keen on getting closer to the Almighty through prayers,” Fatma added.
“I cannot describe my happiness while performing Tarawih prayers with many other Muslim women,” she said, lamenting that in ordinary days one would not find so many worshipers in prayers.
Amnah found peace in the body movements of the prayers
Amnah Jordon, once Caroline Jordon, from South Africa said it was that unique peace reflected in the body movements during prayers that attracted her to Islam in the first place. “Fasting is a fine way of spiritual and psychological elevation and these were the things that guided my way into Islam,” said Amnah.
“Fasting and Ramadan are the most joyful religious rituals and the closest to my heart,” she added.
“I spent years of my life searching for a way for spiritual satiety. I adored contemplation sessions and read a lot in oriental philosophy but never reached satisfaction,” she underlined.
“I completed my study in the UAE and happened to live by some Muslim neighbors who always performed their prayers by the book.
“I used to sit and watch their Rukou’a [kneeling] and Sujoud [the position when a Muslim worshiper’s head touches the ground during prayers] and it was very touching because Rukou’a and Sujoud are magnificent body and spiritual sport,” Amnah said.
She recalled performing prayers and practicing Rukou’a and Sujoud even before converting to Islam.
“I felt a kind of serenity I have never experienced before, and since that very moment I began a quest to explore Islam until Allah guided me into becoming a Muslim and I was overwhelmed by spiritual peace,” Amnah concluded.
Reprinted from the Arab News
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Dua’ (Prayers) when breaking fast in Ramadan
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Ramadan Announcement 1442 AH / 2021
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Ramadan: the Greatest Opportunity
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15 Beautiful Ramadan Photos 2017 / 1438 AH
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The Power of Fasting – BBC News
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Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan 2016 / 1437
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Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan 1436 AH / 2015
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Ramadan Announcement 1436 AH / 2015
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Ramadan in China – 24 Photos
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Ramadan Mubarak from Zawaj.com!
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New Muslims fast for the first time in Ramadan