Ramadhan

2:183. Hai orang-orang yang beriman, diwajibkan atas kamu berpuasa sebagaimana diwajibkan atas orang-orang sebelum kamu agar kamu bertakwa.

The London Central Mosque has announced that, the first month of Ramadhan is confirmed to be on the 1st September 2008.

Selamat menyambut Ramadhan Mubarak kepada semua.

Seperti kebiasaan, setiap tahun akan ada saja isu mula puasa tidak sama hari. Ini kerana ada negara guna falak, ada negara lihat anak bulan. Alangkan satu negara pun tidak sama jika berlainan area. Macam di UK, Egham where my home is, and Croydon (Khalil & Jai's homes) - puasa dan raya selang sehari last 2 years.

I am amazed that this phenomenon keeps popping up year in year out. Not unlike the terawih 8 rakaat vs 20 rakaat debate. Oh ya, by the way, terawih tu sembahyang sunat, meaning - tak buat pun tak dapat dosa. I suppose new technologies can pinpoint the day anak bulan will emerge, if not the second. So, on that score - actually its a non-issue if you use technology.

BTW, we have been so hard up on this precision of when to start and end Ramadhan all our life. However, looking at Al-Baqarah 2:183 (translation above) - it clearly says puasa is wajib "sebagaimana diwajibkan atas orang-orang sebelum kamu ". This means before me and you, there were people which fasting is ordained e.g. our parents, grandparents, forefathers .. etc. going back to Rasulullah. And since this ayat was first delivered to Rasulullah, it means before him, there were people ordained to fast too. Perhaps Nabi: Isa, Musa, Ibrahim, Noh .. all the way to Adam.

Fact:
1. All of believers (orang2 yg beriman) must puasa/siam (as in "kutiba alai kumussiam")
2. Puasa is in the month/period of Ramadhan (2:185)

The Islamic Calendar, which is based purely on lunar cycles, was first introduced in 638 by the close companion of Rasulullah cum the second Caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (592-644). He did it in an attempt to rationalize the various, at times conflicting, dating systems used during his time. Umar consulted with his advisors on the starting date of the new Muslim chronology. It was finally agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic calendar was the Hijrah. The actual starting date for the Calendar was chosen (on the basis of purely lunar years, counting backwards) to be the first day of the first month (1 Muharram) of the year of the Hijrah.

Fact:
3. Rasulullah - Nabi Muhammad (lifetime - circa: 570 Mekah – June 8, 632 Madinah)
4. Hijrah calendar created after his death by Saidina Umar Al-Khattab.

Therefore, how do "orang-orang sebelum kamu (Muhammad)" fast in Ramadhan, when Ramadhan was established - say, for Nabi Isa, about 638 years after his birth?

Interesting question innit?

So lets all not get too uptight about the timing of the month & events.

Ramadhan is time to:
1. Refresh our faith
2. Reflect on how Rasululah & his companions "puasa dunia" to achieve what we are enjoying today.
3. Reflect and find ways to improve the lives of the unfortunate ones among us.

Salam Ramadhan.