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Bismillah Rahman Raheem
http://www.TodayIslam.com/ramadhan1st.htm
by Sheik Yusuf Estes
National Institutional Chaplain for WAMY
World Assembly of Muslim Youth

As an EX-Christian preacher who came to Islam 10 years ago, I have to tell you that Ramadhan was one of my concerns as regards becoming a Muslim. Initially it was not a big issue. After all, Christians understand fasting to some degree. There is the fasting mentioned in the Bible. John the Baptist (Yahya, peace be upon him) lives in the desert eating only honey and locusts (I refuse to eat bugs -- sorry!). It is also mentioned that to get rid of demons (shayton) who have entered into someone, that it takes prayer and fasting.

Fasting? No food or drink? For a month? - As the kids say today: "Gimme a break!"

We all agree that feasts and celebrations are important to all the people of the earth. A person needs to get together with others of his or her community to share and be a part of festivities. It is normal and it is natural. We all need to do it~!

The Christians have Christmas and Easter. The Jews have Hanukkah and Yom Kippur. But what does a person have to look forward to when they come to Islam?

Ramadhan to most Muslims is a most familiar and common annual event which comes and goes once a year. There are of course many wonderful and challenging things which come along with this Blessed month in the Muslim (Hijrah) Calander. The most important of course, is that the Holy Quran of Islam was sent down by Allah through Archangel Jibreel (Gabriel) to the last and final prophet of Allah, peace be upon him. Allah orders the believers to fast this month in order to attain 'Taqwah' (piety) and reminds them that those who received revelation (Bible) had also been ordered to fast.

Throughout the last 1,400 years Muslims have observed this most important requirement in Islam all over the globe in many ways. Most of the things which are associated with the fasting come from the Prophet, peace be upon him, himself. But not everything. Something's have been added or modified by the righteous successors and still other things have been added or modified that actually are not authentic practices of the early Muslims. A few wonderful things about Ramadhan include: Remembering Allah more often; Praying more (especially Taraweeh Prayers in the mosque); Reading Quran more; Abstaining from vices (especially back biting and lying); Going to the mosque more; Visiting Muslims; Sharing food and drink together; Families reuniting and whole communities coming together to worship the One True God, Allah.

But how is Ramadhan perceived by Non-Muslims? Good question.

Before entering into Islam there were a number of issues that my friend Mohamed Abel Rehman discussed with me at great lengths. Most of our three months together he talked about the beliefs and understandings of faith (Aqeedah). The purity of the Unity of God was the most attractive part of Islam to me. I quickly identified the God of Islam (Allah) with the God the Old Testament (Jehovah). Both stories fall so much in line with common sense and reasoning. So, this was really no problem. It is an essential point and the fundamental "Pillar" of Islam to acknowledge the Oneness (Tawheed) of God.

But then there comes the issue of the other "4 Pillars" of Islam, not the least of which is fasting the entire month of Ramadhan (one of 12 months on the Lunar calendar). I really didn't think too much about the fasting of Ramadhan when I came into Islam, because it had already passed for that year and there seemed to be so much time to get ready for and ask all my questions about it later. You know how it is when we think that will "get around to it sometime." There was the thing of praying five times a day (salat) and making the ablution (wudu). Then there was the Friday service around noon time every week (Salatul Jummah). So, who has time to worry about that fasting thing?

All of a sudden I heard someone say; "Well, it looks like Ramadhan is going to start next week!" --
(Oh no. What happened to all that time? Where was I? What do I do now?) I had to face facts. Ramadhan had slipped up on me and I needed to find a solution to this problem. I had a lot of questions about this fasting business:
* Is it like 'No meats' or 'Fish only?' NO FOOD.
* No food at all? NO FOOD.
* Not even 'healthy' food? NO FOOD.
* No drinks? NO DRINKS.
* Even plain water? NO WATER.
* How about just a few sips once in a while? NO SIPS.

No meat? No vegetables? No fruit? No pastry?
No candy? No cokes? No juices? No water? Nothing?
NOTHING FOR 29 OR 30 DAYS!
30 DAYS FASTING!

How can you do this for 30 days? Your body dry up and blow away. You'll suffer and possibly get brain damage or scurvy or some other disease. Nobody can go without food and water.
THEY DO IT.
Thirty Days? No food or water? I'd die. NOT 30 DAYS & NIGHTS. ONLY THE DAYTIME!
Daytime only? DAYLIGHT HOURS ONLY.
OK. Yeah. I knew that. Just in the daytime.
And then at night? EAT ALL YOU WANT.
Right. RIGHT. ONLY IN THE DAYTIME.
So, then I can do what I want at night time, right? RIGHT.

EAT. DRINK. AND MAKE LOVE TO YOUR SPOUSE.
Huh? Why do you say that? NO SEX DURING RAMADHAM.
Not at all? NO SEX.
Are you serious? SERIOUS.
What has that to do with fasting? NO SEX. - IN THE DAY. ONLY AT NIGHT.
OK. At least this sounds possible anyway. I can live with it, inshallah (God Willing).

So that is how it began for me.