Muslims believe that Ramadan was first introduced by Allah through the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia. But it is totally wrong. Before appearance of Islam Ramadan was practiced by the pagan Arabian. Muhammad also would practice it before he became Prophet. He adopted it in Islam. There are many proofs in Koran and Hadith. There are details in the following post written by Taslima Nasrin.
Ramadan was a non-Muslim pagan Arab festival by Taslima on 21.07.12 ( goggle+ )
The difference between pre-Islamic Ramadan and Islamic Ramadan is, pre-Islamic Ramadan was practised by pagan tribe in Arabia,and Islamic Ramadan is practised by Muslims all over the world.
During Ramadan, pagan Arabs used to abstain from taking food,water,sextual contact etc. Muslims practice the same pagan Ramadan rituals. It is well known fact that Islam adapted the pagan practice of fasting. There is a Hadith in Shahih Bukhari that mentions the rituals.Bukheri 5:58:172-Narrated Aisha, "Ashura was a day on which the tribal of Quraish used to fast in the pre-Islamic perod of ignorance. The Prophet also used to fast on this day. So when he migrated to Medina, he fasted on it and ordered (the Muslims) to fast on it. When the fasting of Ramadan enjoined , it became optional for the people to fast on the day oy Ashura."
The fasting for Ashura (10th, Muharram) originated from the Quraish pagan practice. Ramadan fasting came later from Sabian tradition. Sabians are mentioned in severalverses of the Quran (2:262,22:17,5:69) along with Christan and Jewish.Sabians, a non-Muslim Iraqi tribe, believed in montheism, observed fasting 30days a year, and prayed 5 times a day.
Not only Ramadan fasting, other pagan rituals were also Islamized.The Ka'aba in the Mecca was in a centre of idol-worship. 360 idols were kept in the Ka'aba. According to Hadith Bukheri 3:43:658 .Narrated Abdullah bin Msood:The Prophet entered into Mecca and (at that time) there were 360 idols around the Ka'aba. He started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting : 'The truith (Islam) has come and falsehood(disbelief) was vanished.'
The black-stone or al-Dajar-alaswad of the Ka'aba became the central shrine object in Islam. It was one of the many stones and idols venerated by pre-Islamic pagan worship. Muhammed did not completely abolish idol worship, he made the Black-stone stay and allowed people to continue the practice of kissing the stone. It is the same pre-Islamic pagan stone that Muslims kiss today during theHajj and Urah. The Islamic historian believe that the black stone was a pagan diety called 'AI-LAT' one of the three daughters of Allah, the pagan moon-god. She was once venerated as a cubic rock at Taif in Arabia. Hisam ibn Al-Kalbi (819) in his "The book of idols" wrota that 'AL-LAT' stood in al-Taif and more recent than Manah. She was a cubic rock beside which a certain
Jew used to prepare barley porridge (sawiq). Her custody was in the hands of the banu 'Attab-ibn-Malik' of the Thayif, who had built an edifice over. (...) She is the which god mentioned when he said , "Have you seen al-lat and al-uzza ?" (sura-53:19)
Muslims in 21st century believe that the black stone fell from the heaven during the era of Adam and Eve. They also believe that the stone was originally white, but it turned black because of absorbing human sins. Pre-Islamic pagans pray 5times a day facing Mecca. Persian Zoroastrain prayed 5times a day too, in the direction of the Sun or fire temple. Before prayers,Zoroastrain cleaned themselves or practiced ablution. Ablution and the prayers for 5 times are not something Islam invented. The Hadith (Shahih Bukhari Book-b, no-345) tells us that when Muhammed met Allahin heaven, Allah demanded 50 prayers perday. But with help of Moses Muhammed burgained with Allah and finally he was successfull to reduce 50 prayers per day to 5 prayers a day. Even the Quran says (4:28) 'god wished to lighten your burden, for the human being is created weak.'
During Hajj,Muslims walk between two mountains seven times. It is also apre-Islamic practice. Let us see what the Quran and the Hadith say about the special mountain walk. Hadith Bukheri,vol-2, Book-26, no-710: Narrated ASIM; I asked Anas bin Malik, "Did you dislike to perform Tawef between mountain Al-Safa and mountain Al-Marwa ?" He said, "yes, as it was one of the ceremonies of the days of the pre-islamic periodof ignorance, till Allah revealed 'veryly al-safa and al-Marwa are among the rites (symbols) of Allah. It therefore no sin for himwho perform the pilgrimage to tha Ka'aba, or perform Umrah to perform Tawaf between them.(quran-2:158).
Many non-Muslims pagan rituals are now known as Islamik rituals. Pagan cresent moon : the symbol of the moon god, circumambulation, Ihram etc. were taken or stolen by Islam. Muslims now begin their Ramadan fasting after seeing a crescent moon in the sky. Ramadan is a kind of month long food festival for Muslims.It is supposed to be a month of sacrifice and Muslims are expected to eat less. But in reality Muslims eat more in Ramadan than any other month.Some people call Ramadan the holy month of feasting instead of fasting. They make sense.
There are some unscientific, nonsense verses in the Quran about Ramadan. Quran sura 2:187, "Eat and drink untilwhite of dawn appears to you and then complete your fast till the night appears. "Quran sura 18:83-86, "Zulkarin reached setting place of the Sun. He saw that it set in a poolof black muddy water." Quran,sura 67 (37?):3-9:, "We created 7 heaven one above the other and decorated lowest heaven with lamps-the stars. We made some lamps as missiles to drive away satan, who try to listen the conversation of the higher group i,e. the conversation between Allah and his angels.
There many Hadith on Ramadan too. The most interesting ones are the ones about Muhammed kissing his wives and the way he permitted old men to embrace their young wives but prevent young men from embracing their wives. Needless to say,Muhammed was old.
Hadith Bukheri; vol-3:149; narrated Aisha, "Muhammed used to kiss and embrace his wives while he was fasting and he had more power to control his desires than any of you." Hadith Bukheri, vol- 3:151:Narrated Zainab (daughter of Umme Salma) : that her mother said,The Prophet and I used to make a bath from one water pot and he used to kiss me while he was fasting."
Hadith,Book-13, no-238 : Narrated Abu Hurayra : A man asked Muhammed whether one who was fasting could embrace his wife and he gave him permission, but when another man came to him, and asked,he forbade him. The one to whom he gave permission was an old and one whom he forbade was a youth. Hadith, Book-13, no-2380 : Narrated Aisha, Prophet Muhammed used to kiss and suck her tongue, while he was fasting. (end)
