Come Ramazan and the city of lights switches to top gear. With religious fervour and frenzy visible all around the days get dull, while the starry cool nights present a festive look. The month brings even the most non-religious to life, springing them to mosques and asking the Almighty for forgiveness and repentance. Eid shopping brings smiles all around and from there, till the first of Shawwal, there’s no turning back.
Ramazan has its own set of aura and festivity. The bustling food stalls, the hot crispy pakoras, the sweetest of jaleebis and mouth watering dahi baras are the norms of Iftar. Streets are illuminated with the brightest of lights while every nook and corner is converted into a cricket field. After all we Karachiites have seldom something to cheer about; Ramazan simply acts as a catalyst.
Ramadan or Ramadhan, as it is usually referred to in the West, has a considerable presence on the Internet. Numerous web sites have something to offer, ranging from details and history of the Holy month, to the dos and don’ts of Fasting. After scourging through the web, we come across some pretty interesting sites that had loads of information on the Holy Month. One such web site http://www.moonsighting.com/ramadan.html is a must see address. The site clears the confusion of specific date’s regarding the sighting of the moon, the world over. Correct dates of moon sightings with detailed maps; make it pretty easy in determining the right date of the start of the month. Each of the four continents are separately divided into different time zones and the onset of Ramazan can be easily gauged from the map shown, so before predicting on which date Eid is expected, do check out this wonderful web site.
As we move on we come across an electronic book, perhaps one of the finest on Ramazan. http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/fasting/tajuddin/fast_1.html has a complete guide on the rules of Fasting and this place can surely boast of being as the most comprehensive study on Ramazan. A novice or a new Muslim can highly benefit from this web site as it has everything one needs to know about the month. Things like the merits of Fasting, orders for the old and feeble and people in transit, this is indeed a one-stop place for brushing up your knowledge on the month of Fasting. http://www.submission.org/ramadan.html has some more on historical, explanation of what the Holy Quran says about Ramazan. A rather interesting section that explains with an in-depth article about Fasting in Christianity, is a must read. This address offers pretty much with stuff like prayer timings in five million cities of the world, health benefits earned while Fasting, mouth-watering Iftar recipes, greeting cards and Ayaats from the Holy Quran regarding Fasting. A comprehensive web site, with something for everyone from teenagers to adults.
Now something for the kids, at http://www.factmonster.com/spot/ramadan1.html. Children are relatively fast learners, and should be taught about the basics of religion at an early age. This web site promises to have everything kids would need to know. Log on and let the kids surf with ease, they will definitely learn something from the loads of information available. http://www.duas.org/ramadhan.htm is a collection of wonderful Duas, meant for Ramazan. Detailed and precise information on all the Duas starting from the first till the end of the month. Don’t know Arabic? No need to worry since the complete collection is also available in English and easy to categorize. A good web site, which is a must see.
While Fasting one comes across certain anatomical problems, that can be difficult to understand. This web site http://www.crescentlife.com/spirituality/health_guidelines_for_ramadhan.htm explains in detail some of the problems associated with Fasting. A list of food and drinks that should make it to the items for Fasting in Ramazan is also available. Not many sites offer this kind of stuff, so better that you visit this web site.
Not everyone has detailed information about the do’s and don’ts of Fasting. Numerous questions arise in our minds, which at times don’t have an exact or complete answer. Some issues that are considered taboo in our part of the society can be answered at http://www.islam.tc/cgi-bin/askimam/cat.pl?c=Ramadhan. A wonderful collection of questions and answers are available to browse from. Very informative, precise and to the point make this web site stand out among the rest. http://www.islamonline.net/english/ramadan/1424/index.shtml has more than you ever wanted to learn on the basics of the Holy Month. From welcoming Ramazan to the end of the month, this site promises to have just about everything related to the Ramazan. Live Fatwa sessions, Ask the scholar, natural nutrition therapy in Ramazan, Umrah counsels and problems related to Zakat and Fitra during the month make it a pretty interesting web site to visit. http://www.islamicity. com/ ramadan/ is another web site where Ramazan is explained in easy terms. Even if you know all about it, you can still learn something from this site. Live broadcast of Taraweeh prayers from Makkah, prayer timings, comprehensive details on Laylat-ul-Qadr and the glorious names of Allah all make it to this address.
The month of Ramazan comes once in a year, we never know if we’ll live to see another Holy Month. So, lets make the most of it, ask for forgiveness from the Almighty, correct our mistakes and commit ourselves to the path of enlightenment.
Come Ramazan and the city of lights switches to top gear. With religious fervour and frenzy visible all around the days get dull, while the starry cool nights present a festive look. The month brings even the most non-religious to life, springing them to mosques and asking the Almighty for forgiveness and repentance. Eid shopping brings smiles all around and from there, till the first of Shawwal, there’s no turning back.
