Islamic calendar that is followed by most of the Gulf countries and Muslims elsewhere for festival purpose is also known as Hijra Calendar. The Meccan descent is from Abraham through Ismail. The Kabbah was built by Abraham, assisted by Ismail, for the worship of one God. In course of time, large number of idols was installed inside Kabbah. However, a small section was disguised at the ideology and longed for the religion of Abraham. They tried to find out the noble teachings. Such details of truth were known as ‘Hunafa’, a word originally meaning those who turn away. They were agnostic of their day, they sought the truth at the light of their inner consciousness. Mohamed the prophet was one among them. It was his practice to retire for a month every year, to a cave near Mecca, known as ‘Hira’, for meditation. It was there, one night, the revelation came to him through the angel Gabriel, in the month of ‘Ramadan’. In a trance, he heard a voice saying “Read.” He said, “I cannot read.” The voice commanded, “Read in the name of the Lord, who created man from a clot. Read and it is thy Lord, the most bountiful, who teacheth man by the pen he does not know.” Later, Mohamed came out of the cave and heard the same voice saying, “Oh! Mohamed, you are Allah’s messenger and I am Gabriel.” Then Mohamed raised his eyes and saw the angel Gabriel in the lightness of a man.
That was the beginning of the prophet hood of Mohamed and the revelations of Quran. The Muslims were enjoined to observe fast during the month of Ramadan, to commemorate the first revelation of Quran, which intends proper guidance of the human race. Ramadan also reminds us the relevance of total silence and the importance of being in communion with the Highest.
