Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a period of fasting, prayer, and reflection. The fast, called sawm, lasts from dawn (fajr) until sunset (maghrib). During daylight hours, adults refrain from eating and drinking, smoking, and intimate relations; exemptions are made for young children, travelers, the ill, pregnant or nursing women, and those whose health would be harmed. Some may delay or shorten fasts and provide fidya (expiation) in certain circumstances.

Each day begins with a pre-dawn meal called suhoor and ends with the sunset meal, iftar, often started with dates and water and followed by a larger meal. Ramadan is also a time for intensified worship: increased prayer, reading or recitation of the Qur’an, and nightly prayers known as Tarawih, observed in many mosques. Charity is emphasized through zakat or voluntary giving (sadaqa), and acts of generosity toward the needy are encouraged.

Ramadan commemorates the first revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad, according to Islamic belief. The timing shifts each year because the Islamic calendar is lunar, so the start date moves about 11 days earlier in the Gregorian year. The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid al-Fitr, a festival that includes communal prayers, feasting, and charitable giving. Practices vary by region and culture but share themes of self-discipline, gratitude, and community.