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Local Muslims celebrate Ramadan
By Jamie Larson
While many may be unaware of the meaning and traditions of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, Hudson’s sizable Muslim community, mostly of Bangladeshi descent has been celebrating the month-long holiday since Aug. 21, with day-time fasting, night-time feasting and special prayer services.
Ramadan follows the Muslim lunar calendar and falls on different dates each year. Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and is used as a time to refrain from indulgence from dawn until sunset. The practice is meant to teach patience, modesty, and heightened spiritual connectedness. It is even common for worshipers to refrain from drinking water during daylight hours.
Ramadan has correlations with the Jewish fasting Holiday of Yom Kippur, as Muslims pray for guidance and forgiveness for past sins. It is also customary to donate food and money to the poor during the month as alms giving is one of the five pillars of the Muslim faith.
This year Muslims will observe the holy month until Sept. 19, when they will break their fasting and celebrate the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr. “It is our biggest holiday,” Hudson Alderman Abdus Miah, D-2nd Ward, said. “Everyone is together. We have a special prayer, everyone is dressed nice and we eat. It is like our Christmas.”
When Ramadan ends observers are encouraged to fast for an additional six days and children are given presents.
The holiest day of the Muslim faith also falls during Ramadan, traditionally towards the end of the month the day is called Laylat al-Qadr. Though the exact day is sometimes disputed, Laylat al-Qadr marks the night Muslims believe the Qur’an, Muslims holy scripture, was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.
Miah said Muslims from around Columbia and Greene counties come to Ramadan services at the Hudson Islamic center. He said the small house of worship can sometimes get so full that they have to do prayer services in shifts. It is Muslim tradition to pray five times a day, but during the holy month there is even more time set aside for the activity.
Miah said that Ramadan is about coming together in recognition and celebration of their faith. This togetherness is demonstrated by the interdenominational aspect of Ramadan in Hudson. Because of the tight community in Hudson Sunni and Shiite Muslims observe the holiday together. “We have the same purpose,” Miah said, “we are all Muslim.”
There is also a misconception that all of the Hudson Muslim community is Bangladeshi, Miah said, and that is exemplified on Ramadan when Muslims with heritage from around the Middle East and elsewhere congregate in Hudson for worship together.
Miah said Ramadan pulls the whole Muslim community in the area together in a reaffirmation of faith and family.
To reach reporter Jamie Larson call 518-828-1616, ext. 2269, or e-mail jlarson@registerstar.com.
Ramadan follows the Muslim lunar calendar and falls on different dates each year. Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and is used as a time to refrain from indulgence from dawn until sunset. The practice is meant to teach patience, modesty, and heightened spiritual connectedness. It is even common for worshipers to refrain from drinking water during daylight hours.
Ramadan has correlations with the Jewish fasting Holiday of Yom Kippur, as Muslims pray for guidance and forgiveness for past sins. It is also customary to donate food and money to the poor during the month as alms giving is one of the five pillars of the Muslim faith.
This year Muslims will observe the holy month until Sept. 19, when they will break their fasting and celebrate the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr. “It is our biggest holiday,” Hudson Alderman Abdus Miah, D-2nd Ward, said. “Everyone is together. We have a special prayer, everyone is dressed nice and we eat. It is like our Christmas.”
When Ramadan ends observers are encouraged to fast for an additional six days and children are given presents.
The holiest day of the Muslim faith also falls during Ramadan, traditionally towards the end of the month the day is called Laylat al-Qadr. Though the exact day is sometimes disputed, Laylat al-Qadr marks the night Muslims believe the Qur’an, Muslims holy scripture, was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.
Miah said Muslims from around Columbia and Greene counties come to Ramadan services at the Hudson Islamic center. He said the small house of worship can sometimes get so full that they have to do prayer services in shifts. It is Muslim tradition to pray five times a day, but during the holy month there is even more time set aside for the activity.
Miah said that Ramadan is about coming together in recognition and celebration of their faith. This togetherness is demonstrated by the interdenominational aspect of Ramadan in Hudson. Because of the tight community in Hudson Sunni and Shiite Muslims observe the holiday together. “We have the same purpose,” Miah said, “we are all Muslim.”
There is also a misconception that all of the Hudson Muslim community is Bangladeshi, Miah said, and that is exemplified on Ramadan when Muslims with heritage from around the Middle East and elsewhere congregate in Hudson for worship together.
Miah said Ramadan pulls the whole Muslim community in the area together in a reaffirmation of faith and family.
To reach reporter Jamie Larson call 518-828-1616, ext. 2269, or e-mail jlarson@registerstar.com.
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