Muslim holiday begins today

Thousands of people around the world will not eat or drink for the next 30 days. Ramadan, the holiest Islamic holiday, began at dawn today.\nIslam's holy book, the "Qur'an", says, "The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed and became a guidance for mankind, and clarifies right from wrong."\nFasting is the most prevalent act of celebration for this holiday.\nJunior Sohaib Sultan, president of the Muslim Student Union, said fasting is a symbol of sacrifice to God.\n"Ramadan is to celebrate the beginning of the Qur'an," Sultan said. "It is a month of learning and patience dedicated to sacrificing ourselves to the will of God."\nAccording to the Islamic Special Occasions Web site, the rules of fasting fall under four categories: obligatory, recommended, forbidden and undesirable. Each of the categories is broken down into sections of rules. Fasting means abstaining from all food and drink, with the exception of children who have not reached adolescence, pregnant women and those whose health would be threatened.\n"Fasting teaches Muslim that he can live with little things and there is no need to pay attention to material enjoyment for living. Islam culture is not the culture of enjoyment and consumption," according to the Web site.\nDuring the 30 days, Muslims are forbidden to eat, drink or have sexual relations. But, according to the Ramadan Web site, Muslims do not break the tradition if they accidentally break any rules of fasting.\nA different prayer accompanies each day of Ramadan. Each night of the holiday is considered holy, but the holiest of all nights is called Laylat al-Qadr, which can be translated into "Night of Power."\n"All nights of Ramadan are holy but Laylat al-Qadr is the holiest night of this holy month. People on this night are on several levels. No doubt we are on the lowest level, so we are hoping in this night to attain the honor and illumination granted in it," according to the Laylat al-Qadr Web site.\nRamadan is known as "charity month," according to the Islamic Special Occasions Web site. The site said the month allows rich men to know the hunger felt by poor men. \nSultan said Muslims are supposed to be on their best behavior this month, control their anger and practice patience. \nAccording to the Holy Ramadan Web site, Muhammad, the prophet of the Islamic religion, said, "It's Allah's own month. It is the chief of all months and the most glorious one."\nThe celebration and following of rules of Ramadan are obligatory for all Muslims and the holiday signifies the devotion and sacrifice followers have for Allah, according to the site.\n"Islam wants a Muslim to be healthy, clean, alert, agile, and energetic," according to the Holy Ramadan site.