Originally published in The Oshkosh Northwestern
The Islamic month of Ramadan started last week. Ramadan is the month of fasting. Fasting is when you don’t eat or drink from dawn to sunset. Sick people, traveling people, and kids are allowed to skip fasting to a time when they are able to. If one cannot fast at all, then at least one should arrange food for a poor and needy person during the fasting period.
The main benefit of fasting is to win God’s pleasure, however other benefits include, self-discipline, physical and moral strength, and human sympathy. Many doctors recommend some sort of fasting for better health. It is also part of many other faiths.
Ramadan peaks during the last ten days when many Muslims opt to cut off from the rest of the world and spend day and night in remembering God. The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid-ul-Fitr, the celebration. Special foods are prepared and gifts are shared. Kids look forward to the Eid day, the whole year round.
All readers are welcome to visit Masjid Qamar Oshkosh to be part of Ramadan.
-Bilal Mian
