Differences Between Lenn And Lent

It is common for religions with sacred traditions and beliefs to sacrifice certain items for the purpose of pleasing their God or Gods. It is believed that such rituals and ceremonies are a key factor towards an individual’s salvation. Ramadan and Lent are two sacred rituals that are performed by two different religions. Within the Islamic religion, both Sunni and Shi’a Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan. Within the Christian religion, it is very common within Catholic traditions for members of the church to participate during the forty-day season of Lent. Although these religions have separate annual calendars and religious regulations, both people groups affiliated with these traditions were influenced by their religious leaders to
It is a way for Christians to fulfill the Penance sacrament through confessing their sinful nature of addiction, indulgence, etc. followed by repenting by giving these things up for a certain period of time. This is known as a time for spiritually self reflecting. According to the Christian Holy Bible, Jesus Christ, the son of God, wondered in the desert for forty-days without food or water. He turned to his Father during his weakness. Many Christians have interpreted this event as an opportunity for them to imitate his suffering and self control. Through giving something up to God on Ash Wednesday, Christians believe that they are purifying their hearts for the symbolic day of his resurrection on Easter Sunday (Wagnalls, 1). Although fasting is stricter in the East than it is in the West, all obligatory fasting was strict in the past. One meal a deal was allowed in the evening, meat, fish, wine, and eggs were forbidden (Britannica, 2). Lent and Easter Sunday always occurs during the Spring months. The Christian calendar places this Lent period in the middle of the year, during a transitional
As one of the “Five Pillars” of Islam, Sawm is a time of restriction for those who are healthy to abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk (Ansari, 2). During this Islamic tradition, no food or drink is consumed from sunrise until sundown. Many families rise before the sun does in order to prepare heavy meals to sustain them throughout the day. Many meals are prepared for the entire community as a charitable religious act (Beeman, 9). Ramadan is an act of worship for those who are participating to be thankful for the words of Allah that transcended from heaven. “The Qur’an states that fasting is an important part of religious life for people, since it was prescribed for Muslims as well as “for those before you,” in order “that you become pious” (2:183)” (Ansari, 1). The Islamic calendar is made up of twelve lunar months. Therefore, Ramadan does not occur seasonally. When Ramadan falls during the scorching summer months, it becomes an increasingly stretching fasting time for everyone (Schimmel, 2). [←