JD: Ramadan it is a month long Muslim fast. What does the word Ramadan mean? How would you translate that into English?
SH: The actual significance of the word Ramadan is predominantly because of the revelation of the Quran. It’s a time of fasting. Basically the word itself means to be on fire to basically be someone who is from the air of Ramada which means to be hot or on fire for in this case for the belief system of Islam. They believe that this is the month according to the Quran that the Quran was revealed to Mohammad. But it is the holiest month for Muslims because of the revelation of the Quran and of course the call of fasting during the month from sun up to sun down.
JD: I understand the Quran was actually given by the angel Gabriel, the archangel to Mohammad himself.
SH: Well its interesting Dr. DeYoung, Muslims will say that and that is the later interpretation is according to the account of Aisha one of Mohammad’s wives in the Hadith Mohammad initially when he had this visitation in this cave believed he was possessed. He believed he was visited by a evil sprit and he was actually going to go commit suicide and then they say the angel Gabriel showed up to Mohammed and said no no no you are not possessed this is me and that’s the revelation. If Muslims are honest that the belief that Mohammed was actually visited by this spirit that tormented him and now the tradition post that Hadith is that this was the angel Gabriel that gave him the revelations.
