Ramadan al-Moazzam — The Sacred Month

Why Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri calendar and the most blessed month of the year. Allah ﷻ says in Surah al-Baqarah (2:185):

“The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed — a guidance for mankind and clear proofs of guidance and the Criterion.”

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained.” (Bukhari)

The Five Pillars of the Ramadan Fast

The Dawoodi Bohra tradition follows the Fatimi fiqh in matters of fasting:

1. Niyyat (Intention)

The intention (niyyat) for each day’s fast must be made before Fajr — either at Sehri or the night before.

Niyyat for Roza:

نَوَيْتُ صَوْمَ غَدٍ عَنْ أَدَاءِ فَرِيضَةِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى

Nawaitu ṣawma ghadin ʿan adāʾi farīḍati shahri Ramaḍāna hādhihis-sanati lillāhi taʿālā

2. Imsak (Restraint)

Fasting means abstaining from: eating, drinking, smoking, and marital relations from the true Fajr until sunset.

3. What Breaks the Fast

A fast is broken (and must be made up) by: eating or drinking intentionally, vomiting intentionally, marital relations. Inadvertent acts (forgetting, non-nutritive inhalation) do not break it.

4. Who is Excused

• The sick (make up later)
• Travellers (make up later)
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women (make up later or pay fidya)
• The elderly who cannot fast (pay fidya)

5. Fidya and Kaffarah

Fidya: Feeding one poor person for each missed day. Kaffarah (expiation for intentionally breaking a fast): feeding 60 poor people, or fasting 60 consecutive days.

Daily Ramadan Schedule

Sehri (Pre-Dawn Meal)

Sehri is sunnah — the Prophet said: “Take sehri, for in sehri there is a blessing.” (Bukhari)

End sehri before the Imsak time (some schools say this is 10 minutes before Fajr; the Bohra tradition follows the Fajr time itself). When uncertain, stop eating at the Fajr adhan.

Iftaar — Breaking the Fast

Iftaar dua:

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ

Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa ʿalā rizqika afṭartu “O Allah, for You I fasted and upon Your provision I break my fast.”

Break the fast with:

1. Dates (tamr) — sunnah
2. Water
3. Then the iftaar meal

The du’a at iftaar time is among the most accepted duas — the Prophet said: “The fasting person’s du’a at iftaar is never rejected.”

Laylat al-Qadr — Night of Power

The Night of Power falls in the last ten nights of Ramadan, most likely on an odd night — the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th. The 27th Ramadan is most emphasized in Bohra tradition.

Its value: Allah says:

“Laylat al-Qadr is better than a thousand months” (97:3)

The dua of Laylat al-Qadr (taught by the Prophet to Syedatona Aisha (AS)):

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

Allāhumma innaka ʿafuwwun karīmun tuḥibbul-ʿafwa faʿfu ʿannī “O Allah, You are Most Pardoning and Generous, and You love to pardon, so pardon me.”

The Bohra Community in Ramadan

In the Dawoodi Bohra community, Ramadan is observed with special communal character:

• Iftar Jama’at: Community iftaar gatherings at the masjid, often provided by individual families
• Taraweeh: Night prayers performed in congregation
• Khutba Ramadan: Special sermons by the Aamil on themes of taqwa, generosity, and preparation for Qadr nights
• I’tikaf: Spiritual retreat in the masjid during the last 10 days
• Eid preparations: The sighting of the Shawwal moon is announced by the Dawat; Eid al-Fitr follows

The Stages of Ramadan

The Prophet (SAW) described Ramadan in three stages:

• First 10 days: Rahma — Mercy
• Middle 10 days: Maghfirah — Forgiveness
• Last 10 days: ʿItq min al-nār — Freedom from the Fire

Use each stage intentionally: build your ibadat in the first ten, seek deep forgiveness in the middle, and intensify everything in the last ten with the hope of catching Laylat al-Qadr.