prayers(daily & occasional)

ramadan

before going to sleep: isha prayer, reciting ayat-al-kursi, reflect and thank god for everything I have in life

reciting a specific Aya before traveling

ro2ya

calling my family on a regular basis

drink tea on the couch with my family in the evenings

goodbye ritual

travel ritual

bed time ritual

ramadan ritual

What is a ritual?

What are my rituals?

What would I like to have a ritual for?

A ritual is a way of behaving or a series of actions which people regularly carry out in a particular situation, because it is their custom [religion or tradition] to do so.

definition from Collin's dictionary

Wikipedia.org/wiki/ramadan

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm), prayer, reflection and community. A commemoration of the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad, the annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one visual sighting of the crescent moon to the next.

The word Ramadan derives from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ ("scorching heat" or "dryness"). Fasting is fard (obligatory) for adult Muslims, except those who are ill, travelling, elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, chronically ill, or menstruating. Although fatwas have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca, the more commonly accepted opinion is that they should instead follow the timetable of the closest country to them in which night can be distinguished from day.

While fasting from dawn until sunset, believers refrain from food, drink, smoking, sexual relations, and sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, striving to purify themselves and increase their taqwa (good deeds and God-consciousness). The predawn meal is referred to as suhoor, while the nightly feasts to break the fast is called iftar. Spiritual rewards (thawab) for fasting are believed to be multiplied during the month of Ramadan, when believers devote themselves to salat (prayer), recitation of the Quran and the performance of charitable deeds.

what I associate with Ramadan:

First Ritual Ideas

something like an advent calendar but throughout the 30 days of ramadan until Eid, using lanterns (fanoos) instead

Write something on a lantern everyday, stating what you are grateful for/what you have learned the day and make them go up in the sky every night. If more people do it, it would show where all the community members are

use flying wish paper for the same idea instead because the flying lanterns are illegal in Germany, but that means the connection to the fanoos is lost


Reflection: what do I want the ritual to be for? how is it healing?

context: lack of community and ramadan spirit in The Netherlands
I always think I wish I had a community and the spirit here but I forget the essence of ramadan which is the faith and strengthening your relationship with God

My ritual will be to write down on a Fanous everyday what I'm thankful for and what I want to learn/reflect on for the next day to keep myself reminded of my religion & gratitude and to also focus on happiness from within.

tool: my own fanous or a Helal (moon)
moon phases of ramadan and write on those instead
you can always see the moon so even throughput the year you can remind yourself of the "true" ramadan spirit.

The Holy Month of Ramadan

Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان) or Ramadhan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran was revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. According to Islam, the Quran was sent down to the lowest heaven during this month, thus being prepared for gradual revelation by Jibreel (Gabriel) to Muhammad. Therefore, Muhammad told his followers that the gates of Heaven would be open for the entire month and the gates of Hell (Jahannam) would be closed. The first day of the next month, Shawwal, is spent in celebration and is observed as the "Festival of Breaking Fast" or Eid al-Fitr.

The calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 10 to 11 days shorter than the solar year and contains no intercalation, Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons. The Islamic day starts after sunset. The estimated start and end dates for Ramadan, based on the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia, are:

AH First day (CE / AD) Last day (CE / AD)
1437 6 June 2016 5 July 2016
1438 27 May 2017 24 June 2017
1439 17 May 2018 14 June 2018
1440 6 May 2019 3 June 2019
1441 24 April 2020 23 May 2020
1442 13 April 2021 12 May 2021
Ramadan dates between 2016 and 2021

Many Muslims insist on the local physical sighting of the moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan, but others use the calculated time of the new moon or the Saudi Arabian declaration to determine the start of the month. Since the new moon is not in the same state at the same time globally, the beginning and ending dates of Ramadan depend on what lunar sightings are received in each respective location. As a result, Ramadan dates vary in different countries, but usually only by a day. This is due to the cycle of the moon. The moon travels the same path all year round and when the moon is seen in the east, it is then seen traveling towards the west. All the countries around the world see the moon within a 24-hour period once spotted by one country in the east.


Laylat al-Qadr is observed during one of the last ten days of the month (typically the odd nights). Muslims believe that this night which is also known as "The Night of Power" is better than a thousand months. This is often interpreted as praying throughout this night is rewarded equally with praying for a thousand months (just over 83 years i.e., a lifetime). Many Muslims spend the entire night in prayer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan_(calendar_month)

credits: 1. Ramadan dining table in Upper Egypt by Mahmoud Ahmed Hawary via Everyday Egypt 2. Group Iftar in Matareya by Roger Anis via Everyday Egypt 3. Fanoos by Ibrahim ID via Wikimedia commons 4. Ramadan decorations in the street by Egyptian Streets 5. Atayef by Diana Alshakhanbeh via Little Sunny Kitchen 6. Kaaba by Sarawat Printers & Designers via British Museum Blog 7. Ramadan Fabric, unknown source 8.Konafa by Noha Serageldin via Matters of the Belly

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