DAY 16 - RAMADAN: What happens if you eat?

Allah's message or providing food for Iftar during Ramadan — Allah's message on providing food for Iftar during Ramadan

One of the important traditions during Ramadan is the giving away of food. Ramadan is the most charitable month of the Islamic calendar and Muslims are expected to offer food to the hungry as well as their neighbors. All Muslims, who can afford it, are required to contribute a proportion of their wealth in the shape of Zakat - one of the five pillars of Islam - amounting to 2.5% of their income.

If you miss a day of fasting, you can either fast later in the year or provide a meal to needy people for each day you missed. I have been told that The Qur'an says if you break the fast, you can make up for it later or pay to feed 60 people per broken fast. In fact, The Prophet said it is better for a rich man to eat during Ramadan and provide meals for 1800 poor people (30 days x 60 people) poor people than to fast.

The point is to become aware that people are 'starving' every day. By putting ourselves in this self-imposed fast, we are supposed to be developing empathy for those who experience it daily. I have noticed that I am more aware of the people in my neighborhood who I know are homeless. The first night of Ramadan, I took a bunch of fruit to one of the guys I see on my street all the time. He never asks me for money, but I'm pretty sure he is homeless. He was very grateful for the fruit. Since then, I have given cookies to some of the 'guardians', as they are called here, in my neighborhood who watch over the buildings and parked cars. I think their jobs must be so boring, but I am grateful for their presence as they make me feel safe here. The least I can do is give them some cookies to make their day a little brighter. It feels nice to think about other people's needs. This is just one of the many benefits I have experienced during this month.