Ramadan: A month cherished by Muslims around the world

It’s Ramadan from this week for Muslims in all parts of the globe as per the Islamic calendar.
  It is also the holy month, which is cherished by Muslims around the world who will focus on prayer, fasting, charity, and devotion to the Creator.  
The last third of Ramadan is particularly a holy period as it  commemorates the first day of the revelation of the Qur’an when its first verses were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Cave of Hira in Makkah.
  In Saudi Arabia, leader of the Islamic world, home to the two holy mosques of Makkah and Madinah, the month is respected and observed with dignity, piety and unlimited commitment toward the Almighty Allah, who will reward His followers with bountiful rewards and forgive the sins of man.
  It is also a festive month in the Kingdom. Mosques, public malls, parks, supermarkets are well-illuminated to attract Muslims to spend their leisure usefully following tharaweeh prayers.  
The supermarkets throughout the Kingdom will offer attractive prizes for shoppers.
These prizes include cars, electronic household items such as televisions, refrigerators, microwave ovens and other useful items that are necessary for the consumers.  
During this month, the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah would witness tens of thousands of local and foreign Umrah pilgrims coming from all parts of the globe.  
Last week, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, approved the emergency plan of  General Directorate of Civil defense for Ramadan in Makkah and Madinah, which aims to strengthen preventive measures related to the works of Civil Defense and maintain the safety of Umrah performers throughout the holy month of Ramadan.  
Preventive measures will also be taken to ward off any threats to the safety of pilgrims, visitors and others in the holy cities, said Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al-Amr, director general of Civil Defense.
Steps have been taken to ensure complete coordination between all the government agencies participating in emergency operations, Al-Amr said.
  He added that 19 government organizations and agencies will be involved in the emergency plan. Their representatives will be present in the Civil Defense operations room to ensure that their collective response is swift and in unison with other agencies, said the official.  
The Civil Defense has also issued directives to these organizations to make sure that the required material and equipment are available, said Al-Amr.
  Al-Amr also expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif for his support and follow-up to the efforts of Civil Defense to maintain the safety of Umrah performers and visitors of the Mosque of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the framework of the Kingdom’s efforts for the service of guests of Allah Almighty and its huge potentials to facilitate the Umrah rites for millions of Umrah performers throughout the holy month of Ramadan every year.
  The working hours in the private and public sectors are changed during the month. Public servants are expected to work from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on all week days, while the private sector establishments and the banks are operating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Some private companies have their own work schedule according to the nature of work. However, the employees are expected to work for six hours a day.  
Every Ramadan, the Ministry of Health conducts a phone-in program to receive public inquiries regarding various health problems they encounter during the holy month of Ramadan.  
“The program entitled ‘Your Health in Ramadan,’ focuses on ensuring Muslims maintain their health and a balanced lifestyle throughout Ramadan and is organized by the MoHs Media Information and Health Awareness Center.
  The service will be available on toll free number 8002494444.
It is operated in Arabic and is open for the public from 1 to 3 p.m. on week days.  
A panel of specialist doctors in various fields will answer live questions from 1 to 3 p.m. on all week days during the month and the physicians would also interact with the public through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Callers are ensured strict confidentiality of the information provided during their telephonic inquiries. Men and women suffering from chronic ailments such as diabetes and hypertension are free to ask questions about their dose of medicines and how they should consume their insulin during the holy month, while women could inquire about matters related to their health and their children’s.  
Radio and television channels have also lined up a series of interesting programs for the listeners and viewers throughout the night till the sohour time.
  Iftar parties are common during the month among friends, relations and companies.
Arrangements are also made to host the worshippers for iftar at the two holy mosques in Madinah and Makkah and mosques in all parts of the Kingdom.
Nights are turned into days during the month of the holy Ramadan in the industrial area where there is a large concentration of automobile workshops.  
The whole industrial areas are well illuminated during this month to attract the motorists who come here for repairs or paint their cars and to buy new accessories for their vehicles.   
These areas in the capital are found in the south of Batha, Ghuraibi Street, Al-Aruba old and new, near Takhasussi street.
Roads to these joints are fully congested with motor traffic because of the heavy rush of motorists who want to get their vehicles attended before the Eid holidays.  
During Ramadan, these workshops are open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. before the sohour meal.  In his sermon at a Jumma Mosque in Malaz in Riyadh on Friday, an imam described Ramadan as the month of charity and requested Muslims to help the needy alleviate poverty from the society.
“Helping the less fortunate is a must during the holy month,” he stressed.  
He urged the members of the congregation to cultivate the habit of fasting among their children during this holy month.
Such habits will go a long way in the children’s life since they are the future generation, he said.  
The month is an ideal opportunity for people to unlearn their bad habits and cultivate healthy behavioral patterns.
Quoting a saying from the religion, an imam at a mosque in Nasseriyah said: “A day of fasting during this holy month will keep a Muslim away from hell for 70 years.”  
The imam said: “You must mentally prepare yourselves to perform meritorious work during the holy month of Ramadan, which comes once a year.”
Emphasizing the importance of fasting, the imam said: “The fasting person seeks closeness to Allah by avoiding all desires, giving love of Allah precedence over the love for himself. In fasting there are advantages, benefits and attainment of rewards and proximity to the Creator.”
“ Exhorting Muslims to step up their pious and charitable acts and do deeds that strengthen social and filial ties in the month of Ramadan, he said that they should vie with each other in obeying the commands of God by doing virtuous deeds and helping others.

Ramadan: A month cherished by Muslims around the world