 Okay, before any of you take off on a criticism of the title of this video, allow me a second to explain a thing or two. Ramadan, the holy month of Islam, is inherently a great and positive aspect of the Islamic faith. So overall, amazing. The bad that is mentioned in the title targets a discussion on the behavioral aspects that Muslims have developed over time, during this holy month. As for the dot dot dot, well, that last part of the title, you'll have to wait and see till the end of the video. Many of you know loads about Ramadan, but to the benefit of those who are not so savvy about the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, the holy month, is a time for overall intensification of the practice of the Muslim faith, that is characterized by a month-long daily fast restricting the consumption of anything, food, water, beverages, smoking, medicine, as well as the prohibition of sexual intercourse, the usage of profanity, and any general sinful thoughts or acts that one might commit. This fast starts at the break of dawn and is considered complete at the full setting of the sun. Unlike the fixed Christian holy events of Lent and Easter, Ramadan floats along on the Gregorian calendar. Since the Muslim calendar follows a 12 month lunar cycle calendar, the lunar year advances by 11 days for each Gregorian year, and being a lunar month, Ramadan lasts for either 29 or 30 days. And for Ramadan to take place on an identical date, it would require the passage of 33 years. Why is this important to explain? Well, it's about understanding the diversity of the experiences and challenges the fast presents with each oncoming year. Ramadan in summer can be exponentially more difficult with hotter weather and longer days when compared to the winter season. Something called som in Arabic during the holy month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, in addition to the shahada, which is the profession of faith, the salat, the daily prayers, the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the zakat, which are the alms. Ramadan although considered a tough experience by many, is also not imposed on those that are either medically unable, those who are during their menstruating or pregnancy cycles or those who are traveling on long journeys. These days can then be made up in due time during the lunar year. This reflects how the Islamic faith is filled with the practical measures allowing for flexibility and understanding. Ramadan's importance as the holy month is further increased by the fact that it was during this month, the Laylat Al-Qadr, the night of destiny took place within its final ten days. Laylat Al-Qadr is the moment when Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. As a side note, it is believed by Muslims that all Abrahamic scripture was revealed during the same month, including the scrolls of Abraham, the Torah, Psalms, and the Gospel. This is because fasting for Islam was not an innovation of any monotheism, but a practice present in preceding religious systems of antiquity. Now let's go back to what really happens at Ramadan from a spiritual side. So when I say intensification, I mean that of prayer, self-reflection, tolerance, kindness, charity, and community, and in turn the rewards of the expanded practices are consequently intensified. Prayers are multiplied in quantity and in length. For example, an addition to the usual five daily prayers is tacked on deep into the evening of a typical Ramadan day. The Tarawih, loosely meaning a night prayer, incorporates approximately an additional 50% of prayer cycles on top of the five daily prayers. Beyond the heightened devotion and worship of Allah, Muslims are expected to take the month of Ramadan as an opportunity to cleanse the soul from both physical and mental perspectives, to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate, hence leading to an increase of the distribution of zakat, the annual charity, and other common practice that is encouraged greatly during the holy month is to complete a full recitation of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is uncoincidentally split into the 30 ejzat, meaning 30 sections, hence allowing for the easy allocation and completion of one section per day. Let's go over some significant historical events that took place during the month of Ramadan. 13 years after the first revelation of the Qur'an in 610 CE, Islam was still in its infancy, and as of yet, the revelation of the Qur'an had yet to be fully completed. But in the holy month in the year 623 CE, the concept of the Adhan, the vocal call to prayer, was formalized by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as the preferred method in which believers would be notified of prayer times throughout the day. The battle was between the underdog and undermanned early Muslims versus the Meccan Quraish tribe that resulted in the capture of a major Quraish caravan, inclusive of its substantial booty. This battle would turn around the perception that the early Muslims were a weak and disorganized group, but actually had become a force that had the full support of God, as certain early prophetic claims made by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, were realized. This event was virtually a bloodless battle where the Prophet and his followers ended the rule of the arch-enemy clan of Quraish in Mecca, subsequently followed by the destruction of all idols within the Ka'bah. This event marks the beginning of Mecca as being one of the three holy shrines of Islam and accelerates the spread of the monotheistic faith across the Arabian Peninsula. This event is considered the first exploit of Islam into Europe, and it came with the invasion of the Muslims led by the general Targh bin Ziyad, resulting in the defeat of the Visigothic Kingdom of Talir, which was located in the heart of the Iberian lands. This conquest kick-starts the establishment of the Islamic Andalusian civilization that would go on to become a vital part of the Golden Age of Islam. Founded by the Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo, Egypt, and completed the 972 CE after two years of construction, the Al-Azhar becomes a center for Islamic learning in both scripture and law. The Al-Azhar would go on to become one of the first public universities in the world and later in modernity, a major center for Arabic literature. Over the last several centuries, Muslim societies have developed their own behavioral phenomena during Ramadan. Everything shifts later in the day. The best way to explain it would be by using the reasoning behind daylight savings time, but in reverse, thereby avoiding the daylight as much as possible. This is not to suggest that clocks and times are changed, no. What takes place is that everything opens and shuts later in the day. Governments and private sector all agree to push working hours two to three hours later. Life during Ramadan shifts towards a more active lifestyle post-sunset due to the practicing of added worship and henceforth the enjoyment of communal festivities of the month, people sleep later, and more importantly, enjoy the final meal of the day, the sahur, the pre-dawn meal. In some Muslim societies, there are specific individuals who make it their job to assist the populations of any city or town to arise for this meal, called Misaharatis in Egypt, Saharkhans in India, Munadis in Pakistan, and Nafarz and Tabbaz in Morocco. So this behavioral phenomenon has also had a negative impact on the behavior of Muslims. The first example is the type of commercialization of any religious event that is like prevalent, for example in Christianity with Christmas and Easter. But in Ramadan, there are also decorations and the production of the various Ramadan-ish paraphernalia that are all intended for exaggerated consumption. Waste has become abundant, unfortunately, during this holy season. A second example is where one of the foundational elements of the holy month is to be kind and not to allow the fasting to impact one's tolerance and temperament during the month. But that unfortunately doesn't seem to be practiced by many. The numbers are quick, energy is low, efficiency is lacking, and attitudes are left wanting. The final element of the bad, and one that is quite unfortunate, is when observing the behavior of Muslims towards food during Ramadan. A certain level of gluttony has established itself. Ramadan is about understanding that there are those around the world who struggle with the basic needs for survival, like food. Modern Ramadan behavior post-breaking of the fast has launched Muslims into seriously dealing with the worsening of their health due to the abnormal eating habits that contradict the restricted consumerism of the holy month. Ramadan is a beautiful month, a wonderful opportunity to get closer to God, to Allah, to reinvigorate the humility and humanity that at times eludes us. But how can we extract more from Ramadan? And this is where the final element of the title comes into play, the unknown factor. Well, it's not really an unknown factor, but it's about a slight and intangible shift in our personal perceptions. And it all starts with one question. Are we who practice during the holy month of Ramadan a better version of ourselves? If the answer to the question is yes, then why wouldn't we want to fully adopt and mold into that version of ourselves? To be more devout, to be more disciplined, more kind and less judgmental for the rest of your life. Through the reconditioning of new habits and behavior over the duration of the four weeks of the month, we can entrench a new state of being that is ultimately more Muslim. And for those who are not Muslim and still watching, my bit of advice is to experience this holy month in your own way. And then decide, imagine having one month to discipline your mind, to feel more humane, to recalibrate your body and detoxify your systems for the rest of your life. In either case, Muslim or not, that sounds amazing to me. Thank you. 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