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Article: Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr: Highlights of the Islamic Year
- Article from:
- The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
- Article date:
- March 31, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright American Educational Trust Mar 31, 1996. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr: Highlights of the Islamic Year
By Fathia El-Bakry
On Jan. 21 over one billion Muslims around the world began a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, which is the main feature of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar. The fasting Muslims associate with the holy month involves complete abstinence from food, drink, smoking and sexual relations during daylight hours.
It was in Ramadan that Muhammad started receiving the first revelation of the holy scripture of Islam--the Qur'an. The injunction laid down in the Holy Qur'an relating to fasting in the month of Ramadan reads as follows: "The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur'an was ...