Post | home

Food is recognized as one of the 4 requisites for humans, however, Muslims from all around the world usually abstain from eating or drinking from sunrise until sunset during the holy month of Ramadan or the “Fasting Festival” that takes place annually. Abstaining from food and drink for 29-30 consecutive days thus seems to be quite challenging. Here and now, we would love to provide you with an interesting fact about the sacred month of Ramadan and the story of “Dates”, the sacred fruit from God according to Muslim belief.

>>Shop Ramadan Food Products<<

History of “The Fasting Festival”

Based on the Muslim belief, “Ramadan’ is the ninth month of the Hijri Calendar or the Islamic lunar calendar. The month is considered one of the sacred months for the Muslims because they believe that the Quran (The Word of God) was primarily revealed from Allah to Muhammad, the prophet of Islam during this month. Then, the messages were proclaimed and the Muslims were guided by the Word of God. And so, during Ramadan, the Muslims are required to perform their duties strictly, continue the practice of morals, and abstain from doing the unethical behaviors that are against the commands of God as listed below.

1. The hand: Abstain from doing harm to others or stealing.

2. The feet: Abstain from making a visit to any forbidden area or the allurements that lead to ruin.

3. The eyes: Abstain from watching pornography or indecent acts.

4. The mouth: Abstain from gossiping, backbiting, or telling lies.

5. The ears: Abstain from listening to anything nonsensical or gossip.

In Thailand, The Sheikhul Islam has announced Tuesday 13th of April, 2021 the first day of the Ramadan Calendar for the 1422 Year Islamic Hijri. The Muslims begin fasting and practicing in accordance with the 5 Pillars of Islam. The last 10 nights of Ramadan are highly blessed and the Muslims are encouraged to elevate their spirits as well as go to the mosque to practice “Itikaf”. When the last day of Ramadan has finally arrived, the Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar after Ramadan month which symbolizes a happy new beginning.

The purpose of fasting

Fasting is a mission that the Muslims shall practice during Ramadan in order to remind themselves of hardship, obstacles, and difficulties in living life. This way, the Muslims are trained to be patient and learn to restrain from hunger and passions. However, not all Muslims are obligated to fast. Young people begin to fast once they reach puberty (usually the age of 15 for boys and for girls once the menstruation begins).

The Muslims who can exempt from fasting are the elderly, patients diagnosed with chronic illness, pregnant women, adults who have health problems, and laborers who do arduous jobs such as coolie because fasting might harm their health. It is obvious that fasting requires a person to be both mentally and physically ready. Apart from fasting, the Muslims shall worship no other god except Allah and Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. They also have to practice charitable giving (Zakat), spend time praying and make an annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as Hajj.

Foods for Fasting

Food for the Muslims during the Fasting Festival is “Halal Food” or the foods that have been approved according to the Islamic Law. Meanwhile, they have to abstain from “Haram Food” or the foods that are explicitly forbidden according to Islamic Law. During Ramadan, the 2 main meals are:

Suhoor: The pre-fast meal before sunrise should be high in carbohydrates and protein such as Mataba to keep the Muslims full all day long. They should also drink sufficient water to keep themselves hydrated.
Iftar: Iftar is the meal after sunset, so the foods should be fluid-rich and easy to digest to prevent the stomach from working hard. Some Muslims eat dates and drink plain water before performing Maghrib prayer after the sunset.

Dates, the sacred fruit during Ramadan

Dates is a plant species in the palm families. The date tree is quite tall and tolerant to drought. The tree can grow in the desert area or semi-desert climate, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. It has long feather-like leaves, long spine with bunches of cylindrical-oval shape fruits. Raw dates are green in color while ripe dates appear to be red, orange, or dark brown depending on their varieties.

Usually, the golden yellowish dates taste sugary sweet or sometimes slightly astringent. Dried dates deliver a sweet flavor naturally. They contain fructose, glucose, and sucrose to keep you up and alive when you eat. People name dates “Tree of Life” because the date trees survive even in extremely dry conditions.

Dates have long been a part of human civilization for over 5,000 years and appear in many different religious beliefs. The Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad introduced dates to their ancestors and said that “When one of you is fasting, he should break his fast with dates; but if he cannot get any, then (he should break his fast) with water, for water is purifying.” Dates exist in the Quran and “Hadith” (Word of Prophet) as the sacred fruit given to humans as a gift from Allah as staple food so that human beings could survive and benefit from the fruit.

Getting to know “The King of Dates”

Both fresh and dried dates are edible, but the most popular date variety is the golden yellowish “Barhi” dates. The sugary sweet dried dates offering a naturally sweet flavor are also popular. Among all dried dates, the “Medjoul” variety is renowned as “The King of Dates”. The dark brown semi-dry Medjoul dates offer a soft-chewy texture and an extraordinary sweet flavor. They are rich in food fiber, natural sugar, carbohydrates, and a great number of essential minerals. However, for those who need to keep their blood sugar under control, they should consume a moderate amount.

Dried Medjoul dates are large and offer more flesh compared to other varieties. So, Medjoul dates can be a perfect snack or gift for all. At Tops, the Medjoul dates grown in the Arabah Valley and in the area around the Dead Sea are carefully selected with GMP certification to guarantee the quality. You can rest assured that you will get high-quality and chemical-free dates with extraordinary taste.

Moreover, dates can be transformed into a variety of delectable dishes, desserts, or even super refreshing drinks! We would like to encourage you to try new and enticing homemade recipes and make something delicious out of this incredible fruit of paradises such as crunchy date cookies, date ice cream, date smoothie, and rice with dates. These are just some creative yet super tasty ideas you can try out at home during the month of Ramadan.

As now you enter the world of Muslims and learn more about the Fasting Festival during Ramadan and the history of “Dates”, the sacred fruit from God, we hope that this nutrient-dense fruit interest you more. If you are looking for high-quality dried dates, you can buy the fruits at the nearest Tops store or shop via Tops Online website or Application 24 hours.