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My Ramadan Book 3 Introduction 4 Ramadan History 5 Ramadan rules 6-7 Colour in Activity 8 A Day of fasting 8 Ramadan Food 9-10 Ramadan word search 11 Ramadan story 12 Games and Activities 13-14 Ramadan worship 15 Activities 16-24 Latlatul Qadr 25 Eidul Fitr 27-28 2
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Oh you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn piety and righteousness [2:183] Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar. The Islamic calendar, like the solar calendar has twelve months. The Islamic calendar is based on the moon (Lunar), while the solar calendar is based on the sun (Solar). The solar calendar months are made of 30 or 31 days except for February. The Lunar calendar months are made of 29 or 30 days. Ramadan is sometimes 29 days and sometimes 30 days. When a full moon is sighted, this will indicate the beginning and ending of Ramadan. In this month, Muslims will fast during the daylight hours and avoid doing any wrong actions. This means they will not be able to eat or drink and must observe the Islamic rules of behaviour. Every Muslim who is able and old enough will take part in fasting, this will be the case for all Muslims across the world at the same time. At the end of Ramadan when the new moon is sighted, Muslims will celebrate the festival of Eid ul Fitr. This is a joyous occasion where the Muslim community get together, share food, exchange gifts and greetings and also dress up in new clothes. Special prayers also take place in the mosques and charity is given as a way of remembering the poor. A Ramadan Poem The holy month of Ramadan For the Muslims has begun Praising God through the day From dawn to dusk we fast and pray We pay zakat (charity) for those in need Trying our best to do good deeds When the sun has set and day is done I ll break this chain, but only one By the end of Ramadan, this whole chain will Be all gone! It s time to celebrate and share in the fun! 4
The month of Ramadan got its name because it fell in the hot season. Some of the hottest days were during this month. The Arabic word means dry or scorched due to much heat. Ramadan is special to Muslims because a very important and life changing event happened to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in one of the nights during this month. The Prophet usually went to a cave called Hira where he would remain for several nights in a row, having taken along with him enough food to last for that time. He used to spend his time worshipping and praying and reflecting on life and the problems that he saw in his home city of Makkah. During one of his retreats to the cave, at the age of forty, while Muhammad (pbuh) was alone, he heard a voice calling him. As he looked up he saw an angel telling him to read!. Muhammad (pbuh) responded by saying I cannot read, as he had not been to school, so was unable to read or write. But the angel, who was called Jibrail, would not accept this and continued to tell the Prophet to read. Finally, the angel held the Prophet and miraculously, the Prophet began to read: Read in the name of your Lord Who created, created man of a blood clot. Read and your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the Pen, taught man what he did not know. [96:1-5] These words that the prophet had read were to become the first verses of the Holy Qur an, the book for Muslims. It was on this night, in the month of Ramadan that Muhammad became a prophet of God and the Qur an was first revealed. The Prophet was now on a mission to spread the words of God and call the people to worship only One God. Ramadan has since been a month of blessings and remembrance of God. It is the month in which the Qur an was revealed and Muslims try their best to complete it during the month. It marked the beginning of prophethood for Muhammad (pbuh) and the start of the call to believe and worship One God, Allah. 5
From dusk till dawn, Muslims who are fasting have to observe certain rules. They are not allowed to eat or drink, not even water, and their actions have to be correct according to Islamic rules of behaviour. This means they cannot lie, swear, cheat or even get angry and get into an argument. The fast begins at dawn, which is usually an hour before sunrise and ends at dusk, when the sun is setting. All Muslims are expected to fast during Ramadan, unless they have a valid reason why they cannot. The following people are allowed not to fast: 1. People who are too sick to fast, until they recover 2. A traveller journeying for more than 48 miles until his journey is over 3. A woman who is pregnant if it affects the health of the unborn child or the mother 4. A woman during her cycle 5. Children below the age of puberty Fasting in Ramadan is not easy, especially if the days are long. It is designed to test Muslims in their faith and character by pushing them to their limits and building discipline to avoid temptations. Sometimes it seems as if the day will never end, but it s worth it when you sit to have the iftar meal! Scenarios: Abdul was sitting with his friends at break, when Jack offered him some of his crisps. Abdul politely accepted as this was normal. When Abdul put the crisps in his mouth and started biting, he realised that he was fasting. Abdul quickly spat out the crisps in a nearby bin as he had made a mistake. Did Abdul break his fast? Ayesha is 3 months pregnant with her first child. She is very happy that she is expecting, but has had a hard time with her pregnancy. She is usually very tired and feels unwell and she needs to eat regularly to keep up her energy levels in case she faints. Does Ayesha have to fast? 6
Ahmed was fasting during the summer months when it was really hot. One day he felt very thirsty and hungry as he had forgotten to eat Suhoor in the morning. He couldn t bare the pain and decided to drink some water to help him through the day until iftar time. Is Ahmed s fast valid? Amina is 7 years old and is very eager to fast in Ramadan just like her older brother, sister and parents are. She doesn t want to feel left out, but her parents don t think she can cope with fasting the whole day. Does Amina have to fast? What are her options? Ali and Anisa are going on a school trip that is 25 miles away. They will be on the school trip the whole day and will have to make a journey. Are they allowed to not fast? Put the actions into the right columns. Lying Swearing Eating Drinking Cheating Stealing Ignoring parents Arguing Fighting Think of some more yourself Normally allowed to do Not allowed during fasting Never allowed to do 1. Why do you think it is easier to behave better during Ramadan? 2. Do you think it is fair that some people don t have to fast during Ramadan? Why do you think they get this treatment? 3. What do you think people can do to pass the time when the days of fasting are long? 7
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Even though Ramadan is the month when Muslims give up food, it s also the month when Muslims eat special meals together as a family. Two important meals are during times called suhoor and iftar. Suhoor is the time when Muslims wake up early in the morning when it is still dark so that they can eat a meal to last them during the day when they will be fasting. Iftar is the special time at sunset when those who are fasting can break their fast and are allowed to eat. It is very important to eat the right food at these times because it helps you to keep your fast and stay healthy. At suhoor it would be better to eat foods that give you energy and breakdown slowly like cereals, bread, fruit, juice and yoghurt, and of course plenty of water! This way you won t feel heavy but will have the energy to keep you going throughout the day. At iftar, it is very tempting to stuff your mouth full of food, but eating too much can make you feel sick and bloated. It is better to eat food that is healthy and not too oily as your stomach will have a lot of acid in it from being empty in the day. Foods like soups, bread, salads, fruit and of course dates and water are a good idea. Here are some healthy and tasty meals to try at home: Moroccan Soup Ingredients: 1 lb. lamb, cut into small cubes 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ginger 2 Tablespoons butter 3/4 cup chopped celery and leaves 2 onions, chopped 1/2 cup parsley and cilantro, chopped 1 2-lb. can of tomatoes, chopped salt 3/4 cup lentils 1 cup chickpeas (canned are fine) Directions: Put the lamb, spices, butter, celery, onion, and parsley/cilantro in a large soup pot and stir over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomato pieces, and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes. Salt lightly. Add the juice from the tomatoes, 7 cups of water, and the lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 2 hours. When ready to serve, add the chickpeas and noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Then, with the soup at a steady simmer, stir the lemony eggs into the stock with a long wooden spoon. Continue stirring slowly, to create long egg 10 strands and to thicken the soup. Season to taste. Ladle into bowls and dust with
Beef Meatballs Directions: Mix ingredients in given order one by one. After completely mixed by hand, let stand for at least 20 minutes. Form into meatballs (golf ball size) and fry slowly until golden brown. Do not turn until completely done on one side and do not crowd pan. If not using teflon pan, cook in 2 tablespoons oil. Ingredients: 1/2 lb ground beef 1/4 teaspoon oregano 2 tablespoons grated Italian cheese (Parmesan and/or Romano) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 egg 1/4 cup cool milk 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs To make it taste really mouth watering, dunk it in rich tomato sauce. Here is the Tomato Sauce Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup grated cheese 1 cup mushrooms, sliced No 2-1/2 can Italian Tomatoes 2 6 oz cans tomato paste 1-1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon oregano Directions: Saute onion and garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Crush tomatoes into medium pieces. Add all ingredients except baking soda, mushrooms, and meat balls. Simmer in covered saucepan for one hour. Stir sauce often and keep heat low. Add browned meatballs and simmer 30 minutes. During last 15 minutes add mushrooms. During last 10 minutes add baking soda. If sauce is too thick, add water. If sauce is too thin, cook uncovered for 15 minutes. 11
Wordsearch Find 15 words related to Ramadan and write them down at the bottom of the word search. R I T Y F T A R I A I G E L E Q A T H I H E I R B C N P O I S A E R I E L O E I T I O A D E N N R D R F E A F D T L C O G H N O D E C J L W A S I A R S A D O O A R E I E U A W A N N X F T A M Q U L F A F D R A I G Y I E E T L I F T A A R I A H G T F T T T U N T U A I D R E T I I O O F A T H A N N A J M R R H R O I H C A E M D O N M F O O U A D A S I L L E A A Q R A R T T H D T M E Y O E X U M O N R O N C A A M I A I R R N A A I R H A T O C O R L H A L W L R R O O H U S I E N G N R K I Z I E E T O E E N S G 1 7 13 2 8 14 3 9 15 4 10 5 11 12
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ACTIVITY Ramadan is a month when Muslims try harder to do the right things. It is also known to be a month which has many blessings and even a night that is better than a thousand months. It is the month when the Qur an was first revealed and Muslims try their best to complete reading the whole Qur an in this month. Special prayers take place in mosques every night in order to help complete the reading of the Qur an together. Muslims try to do as many good deeds as possible as the rewards for doing them are greater during this month. Usually people are more kind and helpful to each other and welcome them into their homes. Charity is also given more as fasting helps to remind people of those who are poor and unable to eat on a daily basis. Think of as many good deeds or forms of worship that you could do in a week during Ramadan: e.g extra prayers, giving charity, going to the mosque, helping your mum etc AM MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY PM 16
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Design your own menu for an iftar gathering for your friends and family: My Iftar Gathering Guest List Menu 1. Starter 2. Main Course 3. 4. Dessert 5. Give reasons for why you chose your guests and your menu. Design a week s worth of healthy and energy sustainable meals for suhoor that will last the long days of fasting. 25
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When the new moon is sighted, this marks the end of the month of Ramadan and the beginning of the month of Shawwal. The end of Ramadan is celebrated through the festival of Eid ul Fitr. This is a very joyous occasion for all Muslims as they have ended a month of fasting and great reflection. The whole community are involved in the celebrations and in Muslim countries, this is an official holiday. The word fitr means to break fast and this is exactly what happens. Lots of special food is cooked and eaten as fasting is not allowed on this day. Friends and family get together and celebrate by giving gifts, buying new clothes, visiting each other and eating lots of food. There are even special prayers that take place in the mosques known as Eid Prayers. This happens in the morning, so usually the first thing that Muslims do on Eid day is to go to the mosque for prayers. This is also a time to see other Muslims and to send everyone Eid greetings. The poor are also remembered on this day as a special charity is given called sadaqah tul Fitr. This is given by all Muslim families before the Eid prayer and is meant to help the poor to also take part in the celebrations of Eid. Ramadan Mosque maze Making Eid cards- www.123greetings.com Make invites to your Eid party. You will need a guest list and food menu. Have a list of shopping you need to do, like clothes to buy for the occasion and gift ideas for your friends and family. Write a letter to your school explaining why your are requesting or planning to take a day off school for Eid. 28
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