Ramadan has just begun. In the Islamic world, Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting. This year it goes from August1-29.

During Ramadan participating Muslims don’t eat or drink in daylight hours. The idea is that Muslims learn about patience, spirituality, humility and devotion to God.

Adam Konda is Imam and religious leader of the Canberra Islamic Centre. He came into the studio to have a chat with Greg Bayliss.

Adam told Greg the month of Ramadan served many purposes, including reminding Muslims about the important things in life.

“Everything that is with me, it is not mine. Who is the real owner of my eyes, my ears, including the food that we eat? It is God almighty.”

“This is a time when we want to train ourselves to remember we are here to obey someone who created us. Ramadan reminds us of that reality,” Imam Adam said.

Imam Adam said fasting through Ramadan also served to remind us about those who were less fortunate than us who regularly went without food.

At the end of each day fasting Muslims break the fast with a meal called Iftar.

This should be a simple meal, Imam Adam said, because the idea is to exercise restraint during Ramadan and not waste food.

Iftar is a stark contrast to Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan. It’s a three-day Muslim holiday and usually involves a great deal of feasting.

“Eid means expressing your joy and happiness after achieving and doing something God asked you to do. It is a happiness of a victory. A victory of the soul over the body, the faith over the low desire,” he said.

Imam Adam said it was a time explained that children, the elderly, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, sick people and those that are travelling do not need to observe that fast.

Source : ABC Online