麻豆约拍

Good morning. The beginning of the holy month of Ramadan is established by the sighting of the new moon and so it begins at different times every year. Here in the UK cloudy skies make it difficult to sight the crescent so we rely on information from other countries. Different UK Muslim communities turn to different countries so it is not unusual to have two different start dates for Ramadan and also two different end dates when we celebrate 鈥業d al-Fitr.
The fast begins at dawn so my wife and I along with our two adult sons will have a very early breakfast 鈥� at 1am to be precise. Then we will eat and drink nothing until sunset some twenty hours later. After the prayer at two in the morning we鈥檒l go to sleep and we will all be up in time to go to work and get the two younger ones ready for school. We鈥檒l break our fast at sunset at around 9:30. Then we鈥檒l be at the mosque for the late night prayers from 10:30 until midnight returning home in time for breakfast 鈥� and the cycle begins all over again. So what is the point of such dramatic changes to our lives? It is to help us change our lives and build our character by learning to be patient, to make sacrifices and to persevere. Ramadan is a time to give up evil deeds and repent. The Messenger Muhammad (pbuh) said, 鈥淲hoever does not give up lying and acting upon them, and evil actions, then God is not in need of their giving up food and drink.鈥�

Dear God, help us all to transform our lives and be better human beings, amin.