how to preparing your hotel for the ramadhan season - 2nd edition

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Preparing your Hotel for the Month of Ramadhan Edition 02 2 | P a g e www.crescentrating.com |Halal Friendly Travel

Preparing Your Hotel for the Month of Ramadhan 2nd Edition

About Crescentrating Crescentrating Pte Ltd. is a Singapore based company focused on the development of the Halal Friendly Travel market segment worldwide. Establishments are Crescentrated on a scale of one to seven based on the services and facilities they provide to Muslim travelers. The Board of Directors and Board of Advisers of Crescentrating Pte Ltd. come from diverse backgrounds, bringing unique skills and knowledge from the Islamic Banking Industry, Halal Food Industry, Research and Consultancy, Islamic Scholarship and Corporate experience. All of them are well-established individuals with International and pioneering experience in their chosen fields.

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Table of Contents Page 4 The Month of Ramadhan Page 4 Fasting During the Month of Ramadhan Page 4 Fasting in Islam Page 4 The Timing and Definitions of Dawn and Dusk Page 5 Ifthar and Suhour Meals Page 5 Halal Meals Page 5 Prayer Facilities Page 6 Tharaweeh Prayers Special Prayers during the month of Ramadhan Page 6 Friday Prayers Page 6 Eid-ul-Fitr (Festival) and Prayers Page 7 General Facilities and Services Page 8 Glossary


The month of fasting, Ramadan, is one of the most important months of the

year for Muslims. Due to the specific needs of the Muslims during this month, the Muslim

Travelers will require a some services and facilities at Hotels to make their stay a comfortable

one. This guide will help Hotels to understand their needs and cater to them during this month.

The Month of Ramadan

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar. The Islamic calendar, which is based on the lunar system, has a 12 month cycle, revolving around 355 days; this is around 10 days less than the Gregorian calendar, which is why the Islamic months, including the month of Ramadan, vary each year. Yearly, the month of Ramadan advances by 10 days compared to the Gregorian calendar.

Fasting During the Month of Ramadan

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a compulsory form of worship for all Muslim adults. Although there are some exemptions for Muslims not to fast while traveling, most Muslim travelers nowadays opt to fast anyway due to the comfortable facilities available while traveling.

Fasting in Islam

Fasting, in the Islamic sense, requires one to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and intimacy from dawn to dusk. While fasting, Muslims will continue with their normal day-to-day activities; however, they will also allocate additional time and effort towards other religious activities such as reciting the Quran, frequenting the mosque for prayers, doing charitable work, etc.

The Timing and Definitions of Dawn and Dusk (In the Islamic Sense)

The time fasting period begins (dawn) and ends (dusk), on any given day, is calculated very precisely based on the time of sunrise and sunset. These times vary, depending mainly, on the geographical location and the day of the year (lunar year). The time to commence fasting coincides with the time of the first of the five daily prayers a Muslim has to perform, referred to as Fajr prayers. The conclusion of the fasting period of the day corresponds with the 4th of the five daily prayers, called Maghrib. The timings of the five daily prayers for any given location can be found on crescentrating.com website here. Prayer time tables can also be obtained from a nearby mosque.


Iftar and Suhour Meals

The morning meal taken before the beginning of the fasting period is called Suhour, and the meal taken at the breaking of a fast when the fasting period ends is called Iftar. These are very important meals for Muslims. It is best to take Suhour as near as possible to the start of the fasting period, and Iftar should be taken as soon as the fasting period ends.

At the time of Iftar, dates and water are generally consumed to break a fast. It will be a good gesture to offer complimentary dates and water to Muslim guests and visitors during the month of fasting.

Halal Meals

If a hotel has a Halal-certified kitchen or restaurant, then serving Iftar and Suhour becomes very easy. If a hotel currently does not have a Halal-certified or Halal-assured restaurant or kitchen, then the following options can be considered:

Convert one of the hotels kitchens to a Halal-assured kitchen temporarily during the month of Ramadan.

Consider outsourcing Iftar and Suhour meals for the month. Basics include dates, a drink, rice porridge and short-eats.

If it is not possible to do any of the above, then the guests should be at least provided with a list of nearby restaurants that do serve Halal meals. This is not a very practical solution for Suhour meals since it may be difficult for guests to travel to a restaurant at such a time.

Many hotels with sizable Muslim guests offer buffets for Iftar during Ramadan, and some offer buffets for Suhour as well. If there is no Suhour buffet, Muslim guests could be provided an option which allows them to order room service during the time of Suhour. Hotels must take greater care when it comes to providing room service for Suhour - the meals must be prepared and delivered on time otherwise it will prove difficult for your guests to fast appropriately.

Prayer Facilities

Praying five times a day is also one of the obligatory pillars of Islam. A Muslim will be much more conscious of this obligation during the month of Ramadan and as such, providing the information, services and facilities to perform prayers will make the guests even more comfortable.


This requires the Hotel to consider providing the following:

Placing of a prayer time table in the rooms.

Having prayer mats that are placed in the rooms or provided upon request.

Having female prayer dresses available for those who may need them.

Taraweeh Prayers

During the month of Ramadan, most Muslims will also pray an additional congregational prayer called the Taraweeh prayer. The timing of the Taraweeh prayer is after the last of the five prayers of the day, known as the Ishaa prayers. The following services could be considered for guests who are keen on performing these prayers:

Provide a Prayer Room in the hotel which is partitioned for males and females. This can be done with a curtain, etc. Make sure to identify the prayer direction (Qiblah) in the room. If the room is large enough to accommodate many, consider having the rows marked on the floor so that it may be easier for individuals to position themselves for prayer.

Wudu, also known as ablution, is the cleansing ritual Muslims undergo before each prayer. This can be done in the bathroom facilities of their hotel room, but it will be convenient if a restroom is available near the provided congregational prayer room.

Identify the mosques in your surrounding area and compile a list of the mosques, their locations and directions, and the language in which sermons are given. These lists can be provided to Muslim guests of the hotel.

Identify a mosque near your hotel that offers sermons in English, Arabic and other languages and consider providing transportation from the hotel to the mosque during the specific Taraweeh prayer times.

Friday Prayers

Friday prayers, also known as Jumuah prayers, are obligatory congregational prayers for Muslim males. It will be a good gesture to consider providing transportation to the nearest mosque for these prayers.

Eid-ul-Fitr and Prayers

The end of the fasting month (Ramadan) is celebrated on the 1st day of the month of Shawwaal. This festival is called Eid-ul-Fitr. Muslims will greet each other with the words Eid Mubarak on this day, which is a traditional greeting that translates to May you enjoy a blessed festival. The day will start with a congregational prayer at a mosque; the timings of these prayers will vary from place to place but it is generally always in the early morning. This information can be obtained from the local mosque in advance to notify the Muslim guests.


It will be a good gesture to consider providing transport for the guests to a nearby mosque for this prayer.

General Facilities and Services

Other services and facilities that can be provided to make the guest feel at home during the month of Ramadan include:

Offering Wake up/ Alert services to guests who request them.

Providing Islamic TV channels to the guests. Providing any of these services during Ramadan will increase the appeal of the hotel to Muslim travelers immensely. Many of the changes listed, would not affect the overall characteristic of the hotel nor will it cost a lot to implement, but the reaction from the Muslim guest due to these services and facilities will be monumental. If you have any questions or would like any assistance in your efforts to increase your establishments appeal to Muslim travelers during Ramadan, please feel free to contact a Crescentrating representative at [email protected].


Glossary

Term Definition

Asr The daily afternoon prayer performed by Muslims. The 3rd of the five

daily prayers Dates The fruit from the Date Palm tree. Traditionally used during Iftar to

break a fast Eid Mubarak A traditional Arabic greeting that translates to May you enjoy a blessed

Festival Eid-ul-Fitr The day of Festival Day. The day of celebration after a month of fasting Fajr The daily prayer performed at dawn by Muslims. The 1st of the five daily

prayers Five Pillars of Islam The five obligatory acts in Islam which are (i) the acceptance and belief

that there is none worthy of worship accept the one God, and that Muhammed (peace be upon him) is the true messenger of God (ii) the performance of five daily prayers (iii) fasting in the month of Ramadan (iv) Zakat, which is giving in charity a portion of ones wealth every year (v) performing the pilgrimage to Makkah once in your lifetime.

Halal An act, product or service permissible to Muslims. Halal-assured Assurance of a service or a product to be Halal. Halal-certified When a service or a product is categorized as Halal by a valid certifying

body who deems the service/product Halal based on Islamic law. Iftar The meal taken at the breaking of a fast, at dusk. Ishaa The daily evening prayer performed by Muslims. The 5th of the five daily

prayers. Islamic Calendar The calendar utilized by Muslims, which is based on the lunar system

and has a 12 month cycle within 355 days. This is 10 days less than the Gregorian calendar.

Jumuah The congregational prayer held every Friday that is obligatory for Muslim males.

Maghrib The daily prayer performed by Muslims just after sunset. The 4th of the five daily prayers.

Masjid / Maasajid The proper term for a mosque. The place of worship for followers of Islam. Masaajid is the plural form of Masjid

Prayer Mats A mat that is used to ensure that the area used for prayer is clean. Prayer mats usually come in a standard size and have symbolic embroidered designs.

Qiblah The direction a Muslim faces when praying. The direction of Kaba in Makkah. Kaaba is considered to be the first mosque built on this world. First built by Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him)

Quran Also spelled as Koran, this is the religious text of Islam. Considered by Muslims to be divine and revealed to Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him)

Ramadan The 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is spent fasting. Salat The name of the Islamic form of prayer.


Suhour The meal taken at the beginning of a fasting period, at dawn Taraweeh An additional congregational prayer held during the month of Ramadan Wudu The Islamic ablution (cleansing) ritual done before each prayer. Duhr The daily prayer performed by Muslims just after noon. The 2nd of the

five daily prayers.

how to preparing your hotel for the ramadhan season - 2nd edition

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