Ramazan on the web

FOR millions of Muslims around the world the holy month of Ramazan signifies a total rescheduling of our daily routine as we start paying more attention to our spiritual endeavours. Ninth month of the lunar year, the month is significant in many aspects: fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, is ordained in this month, each good deed carries extra rewards, the Taraweeh prayers are held and most importantly, there is the Night of Power (Lailat-ul-Qadr) during which the first revelation of the Quran was sent down upon Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). And you can know all about it though some really comprehensive web sites around.

One web site which is definitely worth starting off with is http://www.ramadan.co.uk/. This place is totally dedicated to the month; you can not only read about the significance of Ramazan, but you can also pore through the articles on how to prepare for it and how to ensure that you don’t miss out on doing the smallest good deed.

There is an extensive audio section where you can listen to the recitation of the Quran, various supplications and Islamic songs. For children, there is an interesting collection of stories and activities related to Ramazan. Plus, the Salaam E-Cards section is there for you to wish a blessed Ramazan to your friends and relatives across the globe. Finally, if you can’t think of what to prepare for iftari, there is a whole Ramadan Recipes section featuring dishes from the cuisines of different countries. For more Ramazan special recipes you can access http://www.paknet.com.pk/recipies/ramadan.php. And for a more vast collection of e-cards, the Ramazan e-cards section on http://www.eidmubarak.com and http://www.eidmubarak.net will definitely suffice.

To find out more about Ramazan, the online Ramazan information centre at http://www.islamicity.com/ramadan/ is a very extensive web site. Here, you can listen to Quranic recitation with translation as well as memorize verses and learn Quranic Arabic. An interesting section Ramadan Around the World will detail you on how Muslims in different countries carry out the obligatory fast. Also available are some valuable references of the Quran and Hadith regarding fasting, health aspects of Ramazan, guidelines on how to develop one’s character during Ramazan and the merits of the Night of Power.

Some more details on the different aspects of fasting are discussed in the e-book 70 Matters Related to Fasting available online at http://www.islam-qa.com/Books/seyam/english.shtml. This book explains in detail the definition, benefits and virtues of fasting. It also delves on the proper etiquette of fasting, like having sehri, not delaying iftar, refraining from verbal vices while fasting, ensuring that the time during which we are fasting is spent in constructive activities etc. There are various rulings given here too, pertaining to the fast of the travellers, the sick and the elderly. There is also a detailed list of things which can break the fast. All in all, it’s a very helpful and informative e-book available for immediate reference.

Where fasting is concerned, there are many questions related to fiqh that spring to mind. If someone moves to a different country during Ramazan and there is a difference of dates, then what? What is the right age to start fasting regularly? Can one brush teeth while fasting? All these questions and loads more are answered on http://www.islam-qa.com/cgi-local/view-sub?/5|Jurisprudence_and_Islamic_Rulings(Fiqh)/Sawm_(_Fasting_). If you don’t find the answer to your question, you can check out the timings at which the web site accepts questions from the readers and then submit your own.

Health factor is extremely important where Ramazan is concerned. To ensure that you’re fit enough to fast and pray extensively during Ramazan, keep checking out http://www.muhajabah.com/ramadan-health.htm. This web site is a pretty informative health guide detailing which kinds of foods to avoid and the causes and remedies of common ailments which may strike during Ramazan. The address also explains the medical benefits of fasting as well as taraweeh prayers.

Speaking of taraweeh, listening to the taraweeh prayers broadcast from Makkah and Madina are a treat for many. And if you’re one of those people, then you can listen to the prayers at the site http://www.saudiembassy.net/Media/SaudiTV.asp. The people here claim the site will “provide a live feed of Saudi Television wherever possible.” All you need is Real Player and a sound card. If you don’t have the former, the web site has a link which you can follow to download it.

Finally, any web sites’ collection of Ramazan would be incomplete without a reference to http://www.soundvision.com/info/ramadan/. One of the most comprehensive web sites on the subject, this one not only talks about the usual aspects of fasting but also encourages you to do something for the community as a whole. If you’re a teacher, then there many Ramazan-related school projects which you can check out. If you’re a parent, there are some tips to familiarize your children with Ramazan. There are guidelines on sharing Ramazan with your neighbours and colleagues. There is also a collection of duas which you choose from to recite on the Night of Power. To follow some of the instructions on this web site, you can download, print and distribute a very good brochure from http://www.youngmuslims.ca/publications/ramadan.pdf

I hope this collection of web sites will be of help to all of you.