February 2025 - Secrets of the Moon
The Secret of the Moon
A concise historical overview into aspects of the sacred month of
Ramadan.
Our Guest Speaker on February 18th was Ms Emna Esseghir from Tunisia.
Emna is a Malaysian Cultural Group member who lectures at both the Museum Negara and Islamic Arts Museum, Kuala Lumpur. She has lived in Malaysia for seven years.
At the end of the morning Emna graciously invited us to try delicious almond and date Ramadan snacks from her country.
The interesting talk was divided into four parts, and accompanied by vivid and informative video footage from various islamic countries including Indonesia, Eygypt, Tunisia, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
Part 1 A Brief History of Islam:
The prophet Muhammad was born in 570 CE. His mother died when he was 4years old and he was bought up by his grandfather and uncle.
At the age of 40 he received revelations from God, via an angel, in the cave of Hira on Jabal an-Noor a mountain near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. These revelations were the beginning of what would be known as the Quran.
In 627 CE he moved to Yathrib ( now Medina) after persecution from Meccan elites. He returned to Mecca in 632 CE, and died there after a brief illness.
Islam spread rapidly after Muhammad’s death. It spread through military expeditions, trade and commerce. It had a major impact on the culture of the Middle East and North Africa during the Middle Ages.
Part 2. Understanding Ramadan:
The five pillars of Islam are:
- Shahada: The declaration of faith
- Salah: Prayer
- Zakat: Almsgiving
- Sawm: Fasting
- Haji: Pilgrimage
Ramadan falls in the 9th month of the Islamic calendar
As Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and spiritual reflection for Muslims approaches mosques are cleaned,, streets and houses are decorated, and people are busy shopping.
The Islamic calender is based on the lunar cycle, this means Ramadan dates are different each year.
The sighting of the crescent moon, known as Hilal in Malaysia, marks the beginning and end of Ramadan.
The first day of Ramadan is when the new crescent moon is first seen in the night sky.
Ramadan ends when the moon wanes to the other side. If the moon is not visible
due to bad weather, the following day is considered the last day of the month.
How to spot the new crescent moon ? Find a clear view of the western horizon, and look for the new moon near the sunset.
Crescent moon sighting is practised by astronomers and religious scolars world wide. In countries such as Turkey Ramadan is determined based on advanced technology and scientific calculations. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan prefer the naked eye.
A month of fasting is expected to be observed by all Muslims in resonably good health . Those exempt include children before puberty, breast feeding mothers, the very old and those in poor health.
It is a month long spiritual journey of fasting ,praying, charity giving and self reflection.
Sawm or fasting lasts from dawn to dusk , all food , drink and other physical needs are abstained from at this time.
In times past, and still in some kampong areas, one person male or female was chosen ( or volunteered) to wake the village pre dawn. Drums or other musical instruments were used for the purpose.Video footage was shown.
Fasting can be ordinary or perfect. Perfect fasting comes from the heart the goal is to worship Allah,and improve Taqwa( God recognition)
Participants wake predawn to prepare and consume suhoor or breakfast, this is followed by daily prayers and Quran recital, then daily life as usual and can include attending circles of prayer at the mosque.Many mosques offer additional prayers and sermons during the month of Ramadan. The fasting day finishes at dusk with Iftar the evening meal,often eaten together with friends or family, and usually preceded by a sweet drink and dates to break the fast. The time for Iftar is at Magrib when the first chords of the Adhan are sounded.
We were shown an interesting video of Adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, recorded in different countries including Indonesia, Egypt and Tunisia. Although the words, all in Arabic, were the same, the style, rythym and intensity were very different in each country.
Evenings are a time for celebration: attending night markets selling special Ramadan food and clothes, listening to music and prayers. Following the amazing Ramadan spirit of charity some stalls offer free food for all, and many .stall holders are extra generous with their portions.
art 3. Journey through Eid al Fitr
The sighting of the crescent moon on the 29th or 30th day signals the start of Eid al Fitr, one of the two big Muslim festivals. This is a time of celebration, with feasting, charity, gift giving, and socialising with family and friends.
Eid al Fitr is a wonderful time for children who receive new clothes, toys and money envelopes.
One of the main traditions of Eid al Fitr is ‘ balik kampong’ which means returning to your home town or village ( or country) to celebrate with family members if possible. Ideally special home cooked food is prepared and shared together.
Another tradition is ‘beraya’ which means visiting relatives and friends.On the first day of Eid al Fitr the mosque is visited for special prayers, and then the cemetery to pray for departed loved ones. Then visits to parents and elders to seek forgiveness and express gratitude. After that joy and happiness is shared with friends and neighbours. During beraya guests are treated to a variety of delicious food such as ketupat ( rice cakes wrapped in palm leaves) and rendang ( spicy meat stew).
Part 4.Impact and Universalities:
We were shown a video of the old city of Tunis, with celebrations at the Al Zavatoun mosque. The same Ramadan, the same Islam.
The month of Ramadan is a time of spiritual renewal and community building for Muslims around the world. It’s a time to focus on faith, family and charity and to refect on the values that are at the heart of Islam.
Most of all it is a time of joy!
Many thanks to Emna for a wonderful talk and to Joni and Corinne for photos.
