This is the most important time of the year for Muslims.
Monday March 11 (or Tuesday March 12) will mark the start of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and above all the most sacred.
For a month, Muslims in France and around the world are invited to abstain from drinking and eating from dawn until sunset to observe the fast of Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam. .
The goal is to purify your body and mind, while allowing you to feel close and understand the plight of the poorest.
Furthermore, “fasting expresses the gratitude of the believer towards his Creator”, indicates the Grand Mosque of Paris, which recalls that “the faithful thus demonstrates his gratitude through a test of endurance, deprivation and abstinence.
» Because if fasting appears to be the most important part of this sacred month, or at least the most visible, several other rules must be respected.
Who can be exempt from Ramadan?
It is important to note that fasting is obligatory for all Muslims who have reached puberty, with the exception of the sick, pregnant women, menstruating women, elderly people in failing health and people traveling for more than 84km.
“Each person wondering about the impossibility of fasting must seek religious advice and, if necessary, medical advice,” specifies the practical guide for young people from the Grand Mosque of Paris.
For missed fasting days, it is possible to make up for them later in the year.
“It is recommended to make up the days in a row but it is also permitted to separate them,” notes the Al Ihsan Institute, specializing in the practice and study of the foundations of the Muslim religion.
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In addition to not being allowed to drink and eat during the day, the faithful must also not have sexual intercourse.
Do not swallow anything other than saliva
The consumption of alcohol is obviously prohibited, like the rest of the year and that of cigarettes, drugs and any other addictive substance is also prohibited.
On the other hand, swallowing your saliva, showering, brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth are accepted, as long as you are careful not to swallow anything other than your saliva.
The practical guide of the Grand Mosque of Paris adds that vaccines, injections or transfusions (except food substitute), Ventolin, eye or ear drops, extraction of a tooth, tasting without swallowing a dish in preparing it, drinking or eating by mistake or even putting on a light perfume are permitted and do not cancel the fast.
During this month in which the faithful seek to grow spiritually and strengthen their relationship with Allah, Muslims must pray daily and recite the Quran, but they must also refrain from backbiting, lying, cheating, insulting and using violence.
Regarding the Quran, it is “only” recommended – and not obligatory – to read it completely.
Unlike breaking the fast or not praying, not reading the Quran is not a sin.
After the last day of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid-el-Fitr, a festival during which the faithful gather with their families to pray, eat or even exchange gifts.