Having observed the new moon of the ninth month of 1440 AH of the Islamic calendar on the evening of May 5, the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that Ramadan this year was to begin the following day, on May 6, and continue through to June 4.
Ramadan — the ninth month of the Islamic calendar — is the holiest month of Islam. Muslims believe that in the ninth month of 610 AD, the Koran was first revealed by Allah to Mohammed, the Islamic prophet. When Ramadan begins depends on when the new moon appears within the month.
During Ramadan, the month of fasting, Muslims abstain from food, drink and sex between sunrise and sunset. This abstinence, helps people understand the suffering of the poor, cherish what they have and exercise self-discipline.
Photo: CNA
照片：中央社
Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, these being declaration of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting and pilgrimage (to Mecca). The Five Pillars are mandatory activities for Muslims to participate in during their lifetime.
Muslims worship five times a day. During Ramadan, in addition to the evening prayer, they include the tarawih prayer between 7 to 9pm. By reading the Koran and increasing the number of prayers said during the day, Muslims can get closer to Allah.
Muslims are restricted to two meals a day during Ramadan. In Indonesia, the mosque performs the call to prayer just before dawn, at about 4:20am. Muslims are expected to have finished their sahur (pre-dawn meal) before their fast continues. After that, they abstain from eating and drinking for about 13 hours until the call to prayer at about 5:45pm, when they can have their iftar (the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset).
Photo: CNA
照片：中央社
Dates are an essential part of the meal for breaking the fast. These are rich in nutrients and easy to digest, suppress hunger and avoid the temptation to overeat. In addition to dates, the meal also includes boiled water, fruit, rice and various side dishes. Although basic, it is a welcome meal for those breaking their fast.
Ramadan ends with the Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast), an occasion in which Muslims get together with relatives and friends. Large numbers of people return home for this occasion.
There are about 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. Of Indonesia’s population of 267 million, around 90 percent are Muslim, making Indonesian the largest Muslim country.
Photo: CNA
照片：中央社
(Translated by Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)
印尼宗教部本月五日傍晚觀測到伊斯蘭曆一四四○年九月的新月後，宣布齋戒月自五月六日開始至六月四日。
伊斯蘭曆的九月是齋戒月，也是伊斯蘭教最聖潔的一個月，穆斯林相信真主阿拉在西元六一○年九月首度將可蘭經揭示給先知穆罕默德。齋戒月開始的時間取決於九月的新月何時出現。
穆斯林在齋戒月期間，每天日出到日落間不可進食、飲水或有親密行為，希望由體會飢餓與口渴，來理解窮人的痛苦，以珍惜所有、自我克制。
齋戒是伊斯蘭教的「五功」之一，五功是唸、禮、課、齋、朝，分別是唸清真言、謹守禮拜、固定捐獻、齋戒、一生至少到麥加朝聖一次。五功是穆斯林在生活中必須參與的重大事件。
平日穆斯林每天禮拜五次，齋戒月期間，穆斯林於晚間禱告後，在夜晚七時至九時之間需進行額外的「泰拉威」祈禱，藉由讀可蘭經與增加祈禱次數，更接近真主。
穆斯林在齋戒月每天僅吃兩餐。在印尼，清真寺在破曉前、約四時二十分播放宣禮，在這之前穆斯林須用完封齋飯，之後約十三小時期間不得進食或喝水，直到傍晚約五時四十五分日落的宣禮後才能吃開齋飯（iftar）。
開齋的必備食物是甜度很高的椰棗，椰棗營養豐富，易消化，也可減低飢餓感，避免因飢餓而一下子暴飲暴食。除了椰棗，還有開水、水果、白飯和配菜，雖然簡單，但對在齋戒月戒食的民眾來說，卻是很美味的。
齋戒月結束後的開齋節是穆斯林與親友團聚的假期，屆時將出現大批返鄉潮。
全球估計有十六億穆斯林，印尼人口約兩億六千七百萬，約九成是穆斯林，是穆斯林人口最多的國家。
(中央社)
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