During Ramadan you need to increase the number of good deeds: rules of the holy month

— We live according to the lunar calendar. We also have 12 months, but we focus on the Moon. That is, with the birth of the new Moon, a new month begins. As a result, every year the beginning of the month of Ramadan shifts by about ten days, this time it fell to the period from March 10 to April 10. Ramadan is a holy month for Muslim believers, in which the Almighty has prescribed fasting for people. During Lent, we abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. And plus they must give up everything bad, that is, from foul language, from some empty speeches, from gossip, from bad deeds. But on the contrary, at this time you need to increase the number of good deeds – helping those in need, donating, doing something good, creating, reading more of the Holy Scripture, the Koran, following it. In general, replace everything bad with everything good. At the end of the month we should become a different person. At this time, we have collective night prayers, in which many believers participate. I think all the time and then come to the idea that the Almighty, with such rituals and rituals, simply takes believers, unites them and creates an ecosystem for people where believers can be on the same team.

— Tell me, how strict is the fast? Can I drink the water?

– Absolutely nothing. For the last two years, our fast coincides with the Orthodox one. But the restrictions are different. Orthodox Christians are not allowed to eat certain types of foods during Lent. And with us, everything that is permitted—halal—is possible, but not during the daytime. It turns out that from dawn to sunset absolutely nothing is allowed – no water, no fruit, nothing.

— The Orthodox Lent is very different. For example, church ministers and religious people adhere to stricter rules. Concessions for someone who begins to delve into this topic. Do you have, so to speak, “discounts”?

— No, we don’t have discounts. In our country, this is mandatory upon reaching adulthood, but there are concessions only for children. They are taught gradually so that there is no stress. From the life of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, we know that they taught them half a day at first, until the evening, not until sunset, distracted them with toys and something else. There are concessions for children, but not for adults. But here we need to consider what concessions there may be? There is a verse in the Koran that says that there are two categories of people for whom fasting is not obligatory – if a person is sick and when a person is on a journey. And also those who participate in battles. This is also relevant today. Pregnant and lactating women may not fast. For the Almighty, human health is above all.

— But after dark, can you afford everything or should the food be more restrained, not with huge feasts?

– Absolutely anything is possible. The person himself will understand that he is not allowed. Based on considerations of proper nutrition. If a person immediately leans heavily on food after sunset, he will put stress on the body. Secondly, it will quickly fill its stomach and then will not be able to eat anything, and the next day it will starve. Therefore, experienced fasters carefully start with light foods, with light food, then gradually begin what takes longer to digest and what is more nutritious. Therefore, they conserve energy throughout the day.

– There is such a concept – breaking the fast. There is such a feeling of lightness in the body, I don’t know when it comes, after the end of the Holy month or in the first days, because the way of life changes greatly. Tell me what it is? Maybe even to yourself, when do you start to feel it and how long does it last after the holiday is over?

— I had my first post at the age of 16. It was in autumn. When I was 16 years old, the month of Ramadan fell in September or October, then there were only sensations. And then, when you get older, you begin to look at the world completely differently. There is a Hadith: a fasting person has two joys. The first is when iftar is the daily breaking of the fast in the evening. And the second joy is when a person meets his Lord. A fasting person is a joyful person both in this world and in the future. If a person sees the Almighty and he rejoices, then this is a hint that his reckoning on Judgment Day will be easy and even joyful. If at first you think only about yourself, let’s say you fasted all day, but if it happens in the summer months, when the daylight hours are long, then it is very difficult, a very strong test for the body – 20 hours without food. As you get older, you realize that it’s much harder for some people. Let’s say you look at some African countries where, unfortunately, people essentially fast 24/7. Or where there is fighting, people there also cannot afford to eat. Therefore, during the evening fast, you already take a philosophical approach to food consumption. And after the end of the month of Ramadan, when it is not necessary to fast, thoughts often begin to occur to you: I can afford to eat well, but some cannot. And, on the one hand, my conscience begins to torment me. On the other hand, you begin to appreciate life. You begin to thank the Almighty for the fact that you live in such a good, wonderful country. It is very important. Because not in all places, not in all countries, people can afford this. In some places there is not even electricity; they cannot even wash themselves properly. And in some places they cannot drink ordinary water. And we have it all.

There is definitely physical ease. During fasting, you are not only fasting from food. There, as I understand, the hormonal levels change greatly. It’s just that when we eat, we release joy hormones, endorphins. And when you sit in company, drink tea, snack on some tasty treats, your mood lifts. And it’s not even the food itself, but the state, the surge of hormones that keeps a person in a good mood. And during fasting, discipline is greatly improved, you understand in your head that you need to do this and that, but your body refuses to do it, because you are not in the mood, you have no strength, but you must, overcoming everything, do the amount of work that you are obliged to do. do. And you still can’t swear. This also greatly improves discipline. After the month of Ramadan, this state persists, so such lightness is also present in the post-Ramadan state of mind. You sit, think, reflect.

— Tell us a little about the final, final day of fasting—Uraza Bayram. What happens on this day? Is the holiday celebrated in a special way?

– Of course, in a special way. In general, there are two religious holidays in Islam – Eid al-Adha and Kurban Bayram. After the month of Ramadan ends, Eid al-Adha is celebrated. And then the second holiday – Kurban Bayram. In principle, Kurban Bayram is celebrated for four days, and Eid al-Adha is celebrated for one day according to religious principles. According to Russian law, in Muslim regions these days are considered holidays. How do we celebrate? In the morning we have morning holiday prayer, where believers gather. And people who have not fasted, but consider themselves believers, can also come and attend this event. It does not last long, about 30-40 minutes along with the sermon. On this day, which is noteworthy, before going to the holiday, we must pay zakat – the alms of this breaking of fast. Payments must be made to needy, disadvantaged families. One of the conditions for accepting fasting, not necessarily, but preferably, is to pay or deliver food to disadvantaged and low-income families on time, before morning prayer. For what? In order for them to also feel the holiday atmosphere, that is, absolutely everyone should celebrate these days and everyone should be in a good mood. We leave for the holiday after drinking a little water and eating something, water and dates, indicating that we cannot fast on this day. We meet you in beautiful clothes. I see that in Moscow on holidays there are such dark clothes on the streets. The Prophet said, on the contrary, wear white clothes to create a festive mood. After the prayer, a celebration is held with the family. We need to congratulate the others too – may the Almighty accept from us and from you.

— Is it customary to give something?

– Yes, sure. Because our prophet directed us to give each other gifts. “Give each other gifts,” says the Prophet. “After all, this creates love between you.” I remember the Prophet Mohammed: when people give each other gifts, even symbolic ones, when you use this gift, you willy-nilly remember this person with good emotions. That’s why it’s such a good tool. Not necessarily big gifts, but better needed ones, everyday ones.

— I wanted to clarify about the children. You said that from the age of 18, from adulthood…

— No, we consider physiological adulthood to be 13-14 years old.

– Very young children, of course…

– No no. Very young children fast for one day a month, they test themselves.

“I heard that as a result of such abstinence, such strict fasting, the body becomes so accustomed both morally and physically to such a new order that after that you no longer want to eat the same way as before. Do you immediately return to your normal life or do you still want to adhere to more discipline and order?

— You know, at the beginning of the month we did an interview with a doctor, professor of medical sciences, about how people can eat properly. It’s just that many people, out of fear, begin to simply gorge themselves in the evening during the first day of fasting, and then they begin to have health problems. The month of Ramadan is such a holy month when you leave everything: your sports, your gym, and other things, you simply devote yourself to this month. After the month of Ramadan, in principle, the muscles and everything else return quite quickly. But the first week it is very difficult to take physical activity. Another thing you need to pay attention to is that without water, without proper, measured nutrition, the blood thickens very much. Therefore, we can go get tested and take blood-thinning medications that will prevent us from ruining our health. Therefore, we return to our normal rhythm within about a week and a half to two weeks. And some do not return at all, some simply remain in such a good rhythm of diet and proper nutrition.

– Last question. I don’t know, maybe it’s a myth, but I read that you shouldn’t even swallow saliva for the entire month. Not only drink water, but also swallow saliva. If this is a myth, then bust it.

– It is a myth. These myths were formed precisely in Soviet times among believers. When faith was prohibited, God-fearing people still somehow tried to adhere to the canons of Islam, the canons of faith. It was a difficult time for both Orthodox and Muslims. And during this period we received a lot of such fictitious religious rituals and laws. Saliva – whether we like it or not, it is a natural process. Nasal drops and anything that comes in through the mouth spoils the fast. If a person injects himself with a vitamin or puts on an IV, this spoils the fast. Therefore, there are a lot of subtleties here.

— You said that drops are not recommended?

– Nasal drops spoil the fast. I recommend to everyone who fasts before the beginning of the month of Ramadan to cure their teeth, check their health, nose, ears, throat and approach this matter responsibly.

— Are there people who, for example, observe everything correctly during this fast, but at the same time the person smokes and does not give it up? Or if you keep it, then keep it thoroughly from smoking to nutrition?

— If a person smokes and dies without his nicotine, then let him put on a nicotine sticker and break his addiction. And smoking itself spoils the fast. Because nicotine penetrates into the lungs in large volumes. Cigarettes, vapes, hookahs spoil the fast. Therefore, they cannot be consumed. It’s better, of course, not to consume it for the entire month. But we tell people: at least don’t smoke in the daytime, but when the sun sets, you’ll smoke. Well, where to go if there are such people? In general, we need to explain to people: people are not ideal, we are all not ideal, not a single preacher, not a single priest is ideal. This needs to be understood. Everyone has their own weakness. But there are periods in which we must all try: you, and we, and priests, and ordinary people. Once a person completes something difficult, especially something that involves discipline and patience, he ends up much stronger. This is an unambiguous fact. Therefore, religion is not a limitation; on the contrary, it is a discipline that opens this world to a person.