Common Arabic terms heard during Ramadan and Eid

Times Now

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

From Asr to Zuhr, there are a number of words and phrases that you may hear during one of the holy month of Ramadan.

Some of the commonly used terms and their meanings are mentioned below.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Hilal is the new moon or crescent that confirms the start of a new Islamic month.

Ramadan Mubarak is a greeting extended during the Ramadan month. It means congratulations on the arrival of the holy month.

Other greetings used during this period are Ramadan Kareem which literally means “Generous Ramadan”.

If you want to pass on your best wishes during Eid (the festival of breaking the fast, pronounced “Eed”) use Eid Mubarak, which literally means “have a blessed celebration.

When somebody wishes you Eid Mubarak, it is polite to respond by saying Khair Mubarak, to wish goodness on the person who has greeted you.

Sawm is the Arabic word for fasting and is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Fidya is the compensation for missing a fast.

Kaffara is a penalty for those who deliberately breaks his or her fast due to whatever reason.

Usually, this consists of fasting for 60 continuous days, or if one is unable to do so, one has to feed 60 needy people of or donating the equivalent amount of money to charity.

Suhoor or Sahri is the meal consumed at dawn before the start of the fast. Iftar or Iftari is the mean consumed at sunset to end the day’s fast.

Zakat or alms-giving is one of the pillars of Islam which requires all adult believers to pay 2.5% of their wealth and assets to the poor or needy.

Zakat Al Fitr (also known as Fitrana) is a special form of charity that believers are required to offer before the end of Ramadan.

Salah or prayer is another pillar of Islam. Fajr is the first prayer done at dawn. Zuhr is the prayer done at noon.

Asr is the mid-afternoon prayer. Maghrib is the prayer done at sunset. Isha is the nighttime prayer.

Tarawih are special congregational prayers that are held every evening during the month of Ramadan.

Lailatul Qadr, or the Night of Power, is the night that the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Mohammad.

The exact date is unknown, but it may fall on any of the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th day of the month of Ramadan).

Itikaaf is the practice of spiritual retreat or isolation that some believers carry out during the last ten days of Ramadan.

Taqwa is piety or achieving God-consciousness. It is a state of being where a believer strives for spiritual satisfaction.