Ali (PBUH) came into the Great Mosque of Kufa, people stood behind him in serried ranks, and the prayer began. Standing in the front row was Abdur Rahman bin Muljam. He was carrying a sword burnished and poisoned. Just when Ali (PBUH) touched the ground with his forehead for sajda, Abdur Rahman bin Muljam stepped out, and crept into the alcove. And just when Ali (PBUH) lifted his head from the ground, ibn Muljam struck the fatal blow at his forehead with such deadly force that it split open.

Between now and your next meal, a new word will be put into the dictionary. During the course of the year, almost 4,000 new words are added! So, the next time you try to catch the attention of the dissertation committee, try adding some new words to your project.

The Noble Qur'an describes it as being greater in blessedness and spiritual virtue than a thousand months, which in turn means that it is more valuable than eighty three years and four months. Fortunate indeed is that person who attains the full blessings of this night by spending it in the worship of Allah, because he has then attained the reward of 'Ibaadah' (worship) for eighty three years, four months and even more.

The Martyrdom of Imam Ali, observed on the 21st day of Ramadan, commemorates the death of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. This year, it takes place on April 12. Did you know that he is one of the important personalities in Islam? Yes, he was considered to be the first Imam by Shia Muslims and was also the first male to accept Islam — this also makes him the first Muslim.

Medieval manuscripts reveal that some of the oldest words in English are “I,” “we,” “two,” and “three.” This makes “I” one of the shortest and oldest words in the English language. It is also the most commonly used word in English conversations.

Staying hydrated is important during Ramadan, especially since Muslims are not allowed to drink anything during the daylight hours. It is important to drink at least 2L of water daily and other fluids during Suhoor and Iftar to ensure that the body stays hydrated (ADG, 2013). This can be especially hard to achieve, so carry a bottle of water to Taraweeh and have a glass or with your Iftar this Ramadan.

Believe it or not, there are some words that appeared in the dictionary because of printing errors. The nonexistent word “dord” appeared in the dictionary for eight years in the mid-20th century. It became known as a “ghost word.”

The nights of Ramadhan are a time for worshipping Allah, for praying to Allah and seeking His forgiveness. Allah knows that human beings are likely to sin, and need of an opportunity to repent and reform themselves. Hence the month of Ramadhan, a season of Du'a and Istighfar whereby Muslims can relieve themselves of the burden of sins.

A large body of evidence now supports the benefits of fasting, though the most notable data has been recorded in studies with animals. Even so, these findings are promising for humans. Essentially, fasting cleanses our body of toxins and forces cells into processes that are not usually stimulated when a steady stream of fuel from food is always present. When we fast, the body does not have its usual access to glucose, forcing the cells to resort to other means and materials to produce energy.

Compared to other languages, English may seem simple, but that is probably because most people don’t realize it is full of crazy inventions, misinterpretations, mistakes, strange words, and needless words!

Iftar, also known as futoor (the Arabic word for breakfast), is a meal held every day during Ramadan at sunset. Fasting is one of the main pillars of Ramadan, and those observing the holiday do not consume any food or drink between sunrise and sunset. After evening prayer and sunset, Muslims break their fast with Iftar.

Did you know that enneacontakaienneagon is actually a word in the English language? (And you thought pronouncing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was difficult?). In fact, the meaning of the word is just as bizarre as the word itself: it’s a shape with ninety-nine sides.