Good Morning, This is Hasan again from International Center. Todays topic will be month of Ramadan.
Ramadan is the 9th month of lunar Islamic Calendar which last 29 or 30 days according to visual sighting of the crescent moon. It is the Muslim holy month of fasting, in which muslim refrain dawn until sunset from eating, drinking and the sexual relations.
The month of Ramadan is the which the Quran(Turkish; Kuran) was sent down. Muslims start fasting when they reach puberty(almost teenage level) and as long as they are healthy,sane and no disabilities or illnesses. It also exempt are pregnant women if they believe it would be harmful to them or the unborn baby.
Purity of both thoughts and actions is important. Its purpose being to cleanse the soul and free it from harmful impurities. Ramadan also teaches Muslims to practice self-discipline, self control, sacrifice and empathy those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity.
Fasting does not pose any medical risk to healthy individuals. In fact the body has the incredible ability to adapt.
At sunset, family will gather the fast breaking meal as know`` Iftar ``. Meal start with three dates or pure water. In Turkey, people gather as family or larger groups, sometimes outside break their fasting together.
Charity is very important in Islam, and even more so during Ramadan. Zakat, often translated as `` the poor-rate``, is obligatory as one of the pillars of Islam; a fixed percentage required to be given by those who are less fortunate. Muslims believe that all good deeds are more handsomely rewarded in Ramadan than in any other month of the year.
At the end there is a long Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan ( in Arabic `` Eid ul-Fitr, Turkish `` Ramazan Bayrami``).During 4 days of this holiday neighbors, relatives visit each other and visit graveyards. In the West, many Muslim households have taken to decorating the inside of their homes to make Ramadan a more special time for their children. Usually parents buy new clothes and toys for their children and give them money.
And the last, during this month sometimes streets and sometimes the mosques decorated with colorfuｌ lights.
I`ve been practicing Ramadan I believe since I was 14 and everytime I do its always hard for the first day but once you pass the first day and rest of the month much easier. I feel always good, healthy and my body and brain feels so pure. And this month also remind me that how fortunate I am in this world having perfect health, happy family and live the life happily every other day.
Thank you very much and sorry for the long blog.
おはようございます！国際交流会館からハサンです。今日のトピックは、ラマダンについてです。
ラマダンは、ルナイスラム暦の第9月で、三日月の形に従って、29日か30日間続き、夜明けから日没までの間、一切の飲食などを自制します。いわゆる断食を行います。イスラム教徒は、思春期の10代から断食を始めますが、健康かつ健全で、障がいや病気のない子どもに限ります。考え方や行動が純粋であることは、重要なことです。それは魂を浄化したり、有害なものから逃れるという目的があります。断食は、決して体に悪いことではありません。実際に、人の体は驚くべき適応性を持っています。
日没時、家族が集まって、ラフターと呼ばれる食事を取ります。3つのデーツと呼ばれるフルーツか、純水から食事がスタートします。
チャリティーもラマダンの時にはより一層重要な意味を持ちます。ザカット(救貧税)と言われるイスラムの教えに、一定の割合の資産を貧しい人々に分け与えるというものがあります。イスラム教徒は、ラマダン中に行われる良い行いが、他のいずれの月よりも一際賞賛されると信じています。
ラマダンの終わりには、長い休み(4日～10日間)があり、家族や親戚、近所の人々はお墓参りをしたり、西側に住んでいる多くのイスラム教徒は、家の中をデコレーションして、ラマダンが特別な時期だという雰囲気を作り出します。たいてい親は子どもに新しい服やおもちゃ、お金などをあげます。
私は14歳からラマダンを受けていますが、初日はとても苦しいです。しかし、その日を過ぎれば慣れていきます。断食などをすることによって、精神的にも肉体的にも良い状態になれますし、この期間がくる度に、自分が元気に生かされていることに喜びを感じています。