Ramadan Trivia


I think it is common knowledge that Ramadan is the holy month of Islam. This year it begins on April 12. To help get in the mood and hopefully learn something, here is some Ramadan trivia for you.

Questions

  1. Observing Ramadan is part of the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam, which concerns fasting. What are the other four Pillars?
  2. In which month of the Islamic calendar does Ramadan fall?
  3. What determines the exact dates Ramadan starts and ends?
  4. Fasting is a major point of Ramadan. What are the rules for when you supposed to fast during Ramadan?
  5. Traditionally, what is the first thing eaten after a daily fast?
  6. Besides observing the fast, what else should Muslims refrain from during Ramadan?
  7. Why might devout Muslims say “the month of Ramadan” instead of just Ramadan?
  8. If a Muslim lives in a place of near or total daylight during Ramadan, how is he supposed to observe fasting starting and ending times?
  9. If a Muslim is orbiting the earth (which is 16 times a day on the International Space Station) how would he observe fasting times?
  10. Giving extra to charity is encouraged during Ramadan. What are the general rules for the minimum amount of alms to give to the poor in Islam?
  11. What are exceptions from the fasting requirement of Ramadan?
  12. What else are Muslims encouraged to accomplish by the end of Ramadan?
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Image source: The Republic

Answers

  1. Profession of faith, prayer, giving alms to charity, and the Hajj (pilgrimage).
  2. The ninth.
  3. The first sighting of the crescent moon.
  4. From sunrise to sunset.
  5. Three dates.
  6. Tobacco, sexual relations, and sinful behavior.
  7. Besides referring to the month, Ramadan can also mean “scorching heat” and is also one of the names of god. Some feel it is sacrilegious to say the name of god, so they precede Ramadan with “the month of” for clarity.
  8. He is supposed to go by the sunrise and sunset times in Mecca, but some go by other places with closer to 12 hours of daylight.
  9. He would go by the time zone he departed the earth from. For example, if departing from Cape Canaveral, he would go by Florida time.
  10. 2.5% of one’s wealth above a certain threshold.
  11. Being ill, traveling, elderly, diabetic, breastfeeding, or menstruating.
  12. Reading the entire Koran, one part of it every day.

Source of answers: Wikipedia