Sawm: fasting during Ramadan

Starter: Make a list of

everything that you
have drank and eaten
since you woke up this
morning
Be honest!
Challenge: What do you think is
the best way to show that you are
fully committed to something?

Learning Objectives:
• To know the origins, duties, benefits and exceptions of fasting during Ramadan
• To understand why the Night of Power is important.
 Sawm: fasting during Ramadan

• To know the origins, duties, benefits and exceptions of fasting

during Ramadan
• To understand why the Night of Power is important.

I can describe I can explain I can clearly

origins, the explain why the
duties, importance of Night of Power
benefits and fasting to is important to
exceptions of Muslims. Muslims.
fasting.
Ramadan: the ninth month of the Muslim calendar,
during which Muslims have to fast from dawn to sunset.

Fasting: not eating or drinking for a certain length of

time, usually for a religious purpose.

The Night of Power: (1) the night when the first

revelation of the Qur’an was made to Muhammad (2)
the festival that marks the start of God’s revelation to
Muhammad.
 Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of

the Islamic calendar and for
Muslims the most important.
They believe that it was during
Ramadan that the Qur’an
started to be revealed to
Muhammad.
Ramadan 2017 began in the evening of Friday 26 May
and ended in the evening of Saturday 24 June

Note down key points from this clip, especially with https://www.truetube.co.uk/fi
reference to Sawm (fasting) lm/five-pillars-islam
 Fasting

Ramadan is known as the

month of fasting because
Muslims fast during daylight
hours for the whole month.
They get up everyday
before sunrise in order to
eat and drink enough to
keep them going until
sunset. Then the fast is
broken and Muslims are
allowed to eat until sunrise
The evening meal is often shared with family
the next day. and friends, then followed with extra prayers
and readings from the Qur’an.
 Sawm: Dos and Don’ts
During Ramadan, Muslims During Ramadan, Muslims should
should remember to: especially remember not to:

 Say their daily prayers Eat or drink during daylight

 Abstain from sexual activity hours
 Be kind and generous Gossip or be cruel to others
towards others Waste time doing things that
 Think of the poor and needy are not worshipful to Allah
when they feel hungry Lie, cheat, steal

Who should take part in the fast?

Some of those exempt from fasting are: very young
children, breastfeeding women, the elderly or sick
 What problems might people face when fasting?

Each group has a different scenario, read through the scenario and discuss
the questions.
Be prepared to feedback your answers to the rest of the class!

1. What difficulties
might the person
face?
2. Do you think they
should fast?
3. What advice would
you give them?
 Homework
• Research the Night of Power
• Revise topics in Christianity:
– Beliefs and teachings
– Practices
 The Night of Power
The Night of Power is an important festival that marks the beginning of God’s revelation to
Muhammad. The exact date this happened is not agreed on, but it is believed to be one of the
odd-number dates in the second half of Ramadan. It is normally remembered on one of the
last ten nights of Ramadan.

The first verses of the

Qur’an that were
revealed to
Muhammad on this
night (96:1-5) describe This quote shows that observing the
how the angel Jibril Night of Power gives Muslims the
instructed him to start benefits of worshipping for a
reading: thousand months. Due to this,
Muslims try to keep awake
throughout thee night on at least
one of the possible dates, devoting
themselves to prayers and studying
the Qur’an.
Why might it be easier to carry
out the fast in a Muslim
country?
 Exam Question
Bullet point a
plan for this
‘It is easier to observe answer. Focus on
the FRE ARE…
Ramadan in a Muslim country
than it is in the UK.’
Swap books and
add at least one
Evaluate this statement. In your answer point to the
you should: answer that has
been planned.
• refer to Muslim teachings
• give developed arguments to support
this statement
• give developed arguments to support Write out your
a different point of view concluding
paragraph in full.
• reach a justified conclusion.
 Sawm
Produce a booklet for
Muslim primary school
children, covering:
• The aims of sawm
• Those excused fasting
• Ramadan
• The meal at the end of
the fast (iftar)
Challenge: Can you give
religious teachings for each
point?