Merry Ramadan and a happy new Eid.

Do not fast until you see the crescent, and do not break the fast until you have seen the crescent, but if the sky is overcast then enumerate for it. (Bukhari)

You know, I think this is the first Ramadan I’ve really ‘got’ the whole moonsighting thing.  About eight months ago I listened to a Zaytuna podcast on moonsighting and I was convinced of the role of physically sighting of the moon from a shari`i perspective.  But this year in creating the calendar and going to moonsighting.com to figure out the start and close of each month, reading the announcements etc. meant that by the time the end of Sha`ban rocked around I had half a clue.  I knew that astronomically it would be impossible for the moon to be sighted physically on the Tuesday after sunset and that it was possible for it to be sighted in Australia on Wednesday, which would make Ramadan probably start on Thursday.  But on Wednesday night it was cloudy and no-one managed to see the moon, which means we count out the rest of Sha`ban to make a full thirty days for that month, and start Ramadan on Thursday sunset, fasting on Friday.

I have to say I do feel more in ‘rhythm’ with the physical world, even for one who lives in surburban Melbourne.

Hands up who is getting excited for Ramadan?  I tried to explain the concept to Yasmin and she said she wanted to fast too, but at 3 and a half, I had to explain that she could maybe try giving up chocolate or something, rather than all her meals because her little body needs them to grow.

Why do Muslims fast? by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Traditions (hadith) about Ramadan
Fasting in Ramadan according to the Maliki madhhab
Fasting in Ramadan according to the Hanafi madhhab
Basics of Fasting according to the Shafi`i madhhab
Fasting in Ramdan according to the five Islamic madhhahib
Zaytuna Ramadan Resources (including podcasts)
Ramadan at Sunniforum
Duas (prayers) to say during Ramadan
Heaps of Ramadan Resources at Jannah.Org
Diet guidelines for Ramadan
Health guidelines and rules for Ramadan
Health guidelines for fasting during Ramadan
Taqwa in Ramadan by Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Tarawih prayers (Islamicity multimedia) from previous years
Ramadan Resources at Play & Learn

Update: don’t forget Craft Projects for Ramadan and Ramadan for kids

I’ve created a Word file that has a calendar for 1428 hijri (592 KB) - approx 2007 of the common calendar - that you can mark off prayers, fasting and zakat.  This is especially useful if you have to make-up prayers.  When I get a chance I’ll try and do some previous years too.  If you have any comments/suggestions on how to make it better, please do leave a comment.  Jazakallahu khayran.

Al-Ghazzali Centre is establishing a continuing free service for Muslim Australians, to be notified by SMS of the commencement of the month of Ramadhan (hence fasting), as well as for ‘Eid. To receive the SMS, register your mobile number at http://www.alghazzali.org/display/sms or go to our website at http://alghazzali.org.

The SMS notification will be sent to you after crescent sighting efforts on the 29th, and may be sent late that night after verification from Perth is received. The notification will inform you of the correct date to commence fasting, as well as ‘Eid ul-Fitr and ‘Eid ul Adha.

Al-Ghazzali Centre verifies that your personal details will not be sold or shared to any other party.