Information On Ramadan

Suggested Questions About Ramadan

After reading the information provided, the following discussion questions can be used for a written or oral activity. (Appropriate answers are indicated in parentheses)

1. What is the month of Ramadan?
   (the Islamic lunar month of fasting)
2. Why is this month important for Muslims?
   (because it is believed by Muslims to be the month in which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to Prophet Muhammad)
3. What does fasting mean?
   (to abstain from food and drink during the daylight hours)
4. At what age does fasting become a requirement for Muslims?
   (puberty)
5. Explain the terms SAWM, SUHOOR, IFTAR.
   (Sawm = fasting, Suhoor = pre-dawn breakfast meal, Iftar = meal at the end of the daily fast)
6. What are the benefits of fasting?
   (to feel compassion for the poor and underprivileged, to build a sense of self-control, and to purify the body and the soul)
7. How does fasting enable one to feel compassion for those who are less fortunate and underprivileged?
8. How can fasting help to deal with peer pressure?
9. What marks the end of Ramadan?
   (Eid al-Fitr holiday)
10. If you were to fast for one day, what would you miss the most? Why? Is it possible to change one’s habits by fasting? (Example: eating junk food)
11. How would you have to change your schedule to accomodate fasting? What dietary changes do you think you would have to make? Include the pre-dawn meal of Suhoor in your schedule.
12. How do Muslims finish off the month of Ramadan?
13. After reading, “A Day in the Life of Hasan,” what do you think of Hasan’s lifestyle, especially during Ramadan?