Ramadan, One Of the beautiful names of Allah, the Almighty! It’s also one of the twelve months in the Islamic calendar or Muslims worldwide since 1400 years. 

While most of the people around the world know about this very sacred month in Islamic religion, very few are actually aware of the message behind this month of fasting and worshipping. Most of the muslims and non muslims assume this month to be that of fasting and it being the only month the muslims should worship which actually is quite a big misconception in itself. Here, I have tried to point out some of those misconceptions about Ramadan and it’s sacred meaning and beholding in Islamic religion.

Very firstly, the name people often refer to this month is Ramazan, which actually beholds no meaning to it. It’s precisely known and pronounced as Ramadan. It’s called as the month of the almighty as all that worshipping that’s done in this month, is being rewarded by the Almighty himself.  It starts with sighting the moon on the last evening of sha’ban and ends when we sight another moon for the month of Shawwal after 29 or 30 days of consecutive fasting. 

While most people think it’s the month when muslims eat and feast loads, in reality it’s the month of giving up those feastings and exotic food and only concentrating on worshipping the Almighty more than we actually worship on other days. The reason or concept behind those fasts is going without food and water from before the sunrise till sunset so that you get a control on your nafs or your inner self that arouses you to do certain things that should be otherwise avoided and you get a better capacity to worship your Lord. It also makes people realise the feeling through which each of their fellow humans go through who couldn’t afford the basic food for daily life while they enjoy those delicious meals. It helps in softening our hearts towards those underprivileged fellow humans and thus motivates us to help them or atleast don’t waste the food we have.

It’s a common misconception that muslims pray only during the month of Ramadan . Which actually is absolutely wrong. The prayers ot offerings to be done by a muslim is the same throughout the year except those very  few tasks that are to be performed only in a specific period of time. For example a muslim can perform Haj only during the starting days of Zil Haj, or the fasts of the entire month of Ramadan, that’s a compulsion for every healthy, adult muslim. But due to the devil being caged during this month and the rewards being increased of all the offerings you do, muslims are asked to worship more so that they can get closer to thier Lord with all these worshipping.

Some also presume that muslims offer Zakat or charity only in this month. It actually it’s an annual offering of 2.5% of the total wealth that’s above the nisab value, it being more than what’s permitted in Islam as your basic usage of wealth. It’s a way through which you purify your surplus existing wealth by donating them to the needy and it’s a compulsion for each able muslim. It can be given in any muslim month as soon as your year ends or is about to end, but Ramadan is preffered for it because as I said above, the reward of your each good deed gets doubled in this month and zakat is counted to be a noble deed too.

These are some of the common misconceptions I have been asked about Ramadan which I tried to clear. There may be more as there are for any other religion or sacred months too. Do let me know in the comment box below. I’ll try my best to clear those but just to be precise, Ramadan is a holy month which holds a special position is each muslims life, where in people lovingly fast for around 18/19 hours (or more of less too depending on the sunsets and sunrise) and are NOT FORCED by anyone for doing so.  The message of love, helping, charity and doing good deeds given in this month is actually to be carried out even during the other eleven months. Thus, making our whole year and  gradually whole life beautiful!