Clouds Over The Mountain

This unusual photo illustrates the sunlit clouds over our mountain...yet you can see moisture in the air from an overhead cloud.

Today Begins Ramadan.  To understand the origins of Ramadan, it’s necessary to go back to the year 610 A.D., the year when the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have received the Quran—the Islamic holy book— from the archangel Gabriel (also Jibreel or Jibril). By receiving the Quran, the prophet became the messenger of Allah. The night it happened is known as Laylat Al Qadar—or the “Night of Power”— and is thought to have taken place during Ramadan, most likely during the last ten days of the month so these days are considered to be particularly blessed. Muslims also believe that the Night of Qadr is the night which Allah shows them mercy and that it is also the night in which their fate is decreed. As a way to commemorate the revelation of their holy book, Muslims fast, pray and ask for forgiveness during Ramadan, hoping to become spiritually closer to their God and religion.