The holy month of Ramadan is upon us, and once the cresent moon is sighted, Muslims in South Africa observe one of the Five Pillars (duties) of Islam, that of fasting from dawn to dusk in celebration of the divine revelation of the Qu'ran to the Prophet Mohamed. While major holidays of other faiths have largely become commercialised events, Ramadan retains its intense spiritual meaning. It is a time for reflection, devotion to Allah, and focusing on purifying the soul through prayer and self-sacrifice. South Africa truly embraces the experience of Ramadan, and months in advance women are preparing tasty treats to feed their families. With a large number of Muslims from Egyptian and Indian origin, family dinner tables present a feast of traditional delicacies. Ramadan emphasises a community approach and since everyone eats at the same time, Muslims invite one another to share in the Iftar meal, showing charity by feeding needy members of the community. However, it is not all about food. It is a time of worship and contemplation. The fast of Ramadan truly unites the Islamic community. South Africa's Muslims, who form 1.5 per cent of the country's approximate 48million population, have always contributed abundantly both materially and spiritually to the less fortunate and to charitable causes. During Ramadan, the more than 500 mosques in South Africa are filled with the faithful coming to listen to the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur'an, one of the central activities of the month. Recitation of the Qur'an produces tranquility of heart and mind in the listener. Some Muslims perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by means of special prayers, which are held in mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an is recited and by the end of Ramadan the entire Qur'an has been recited. The last ten days of Ramadan are considered highly blessed, especially the 27th night when Muslims celebrate the “Night of Power”, or the “Night of Destiny”. It is believed that the Prophet Mohamed received the first revelation of the Qur'an on this night. According to the Qu'ran, this is when Allah determines the course of the world for the following year. In addition to the five daily prayers, during Ramadan Muslims recite a special prayer called the Night Prayer. The length of this prayer is usually 2-3 times as long as the daily prayers. For many Muslims, this period is marked by a highly spiritual intensity and they spend the entire night in prayer and reciting the Qur'an. The end of Ramadan, after 30 days of fasting, is observed with a day of celebration, called Eid-ul-Fitr which literally means the "Festival of Breaking the Fast". On this auspicious occasion, Muslims gather to offer a prayer of thanks. Traditional characteristics in South Africa as it is elsewhere is wearing new clothes, giving charity to those in need, celebrating with family and friends and patiently wait for the next year. The writer is a South African, who contributed this article to the Egyptian Mail
