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Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by worldwide as a month of fasting ( sawm), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed to have been revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next.
Fasting from dawn to sunset is obligatory ( fard) for all adult Muslims who are not acute illness or chronic illness, , old age, breastfeeding, Pregnancy, or menstruating.Fasting (Al Siyam) – الصيام – p. 18, el Bahay el Kholi, 1998 The predawn meal is referred to as suhur, and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar.Islam, Andrew Egan – 2002 – p. 24Dubai – p. 189, Andrea Schulte-Peevers – 2010 Although rulings ( fatawa) have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca, it is common practice to follow the timetable of the closest country in which night can be distinguished from day.
The spiritual rewards ( thawab) of fasting are believed to be multiplied during Ramadan. Accordingly, during the hours of fasting, Muslims refrain not only from food and drink, but also from all behavior deemed to be sinful in Islam, devoting themselves instead to prayer and study of the Quran.
Ramadan is thought of as one of the names of God in Islam by some, and as such it is reported in many hadiths that it is prohibited to say only "Ramadan" in reference to the calendar month and that it is necessary to say "month of Ramadan", as reported in Sunni, Shia and Zaidiyyah sources. However, the report has been graded by others as Mawḍūʻ (fabricated) and inauthentic.
In the Persian language, the Arabic letter link= ( Ḍād) is pronounced as /z/. The Muslim communities in some countries with historical Persian influence, such as Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Pakistan and Turkey, use the word Ramazan or Ramzan. The word Romzan is used in Bangladesh.
Although Muslims were first commanded to fast in the second year of Hijri year (624 CE), they believe that the practice of fasting is not in fact an innovation of tawhidQuran Chapter 2, Revelation 183 but rather has always been necessary for believers to attain fear of God ( taqwa). They point to the fact that the pre-Islamic pagans of Mecca fasted on the tenth day of Muharram to propitiation and avoid drought. Philip Jenkins argues that the observance of Ramadan fasting grew out of "the strict Lenten discipline of the Syrian Churches", a postulation corroborated by other scholars, including theologian Paul-Gordon Chandler,Jenkins, Philip (2006). The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South. p. 182. Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition. but disputed by some Muslim academics.Muhammad Mustafa al-Azami, "The History of The Quranic Text: From Revelation to Compilation: A Comparative Study with the Old and New Testaments", 2nd Edition (2008), Azami Publishing House The Quran itself emphasizes that the fast it prescribes had already been prescribed to earlier biblical communities (2:183), even though an explicit intertext for this pre-Islamic practice does not exist.
| +Ramadan dates between 2023 and 2027 |
Many Muslims insist on the local physical sighting of the moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan, but others use the calculated time of the new moon or the declaration to determine the start of the month. Since the new moon is not in the same state at the same time globally, the beginning and ending dates of Ramadan depend on what lunar sightings are received in each respective location. As a result, Ramadan dates vary in different countries, but usually only by a day. This is due to the Lunar month; the moon may not meet the criteria to qualify as a waxing crescent, which delineates the change in months, at the time of sundown in one location while later meeting it in another location. Astronomical projections that approximate the start of Ramadan are available.
In Shia Islam, one of the special dates of this month is the day of the assassination of Ali, the fourth Rashidun caliph and the first Shia Imam. Ali was struck during morning prayer on the 19th day of Ramadan, 40 Islamic calendar, and he died on the 21st day of the month. They engage in mourning and prayer on these nights, especially in Iran.
Muslims devote more time to prayer and acts of charity, striving to improve their self-discipline, motivated by hadith: "When Ramadan arrives, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of hell are locked up and devils are put in chains."
Exemptions from fasting include those traveling, menstruating, severely ill, pregnant, or breastfeeding. Those unable to fast are obligated to make up the missed days later.
Social gatherings, many times in buffet style, are frequent at iftar. Traditional dishes are often highlighted, including traditional desserts, particularly those made only during Ramadan.This is an example. Water is usually the beverage of choice, but juice and milk are also often available, as are soft drinks and caffeinated beverages.
In the Middle East, iftar consists of water, juices, dates, salads and appetizers; one or more main dishes; and rich desserts, with dessert considered the most important aspect of the meal. Typical main dishes include lamb stewed with wheat berries, lamb kebabs with grilled vegetables, and roasted chicken served with chickpea-studded rice pilaf. Desserts may include lokma, baklava or knafeh.
Over time, the practice of iftar has evolved into banquets that may accommodate hundreds or even thousands of diners. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the largest mosque in the UAE, feeds up to thirty thousand people every night.
An old tradition of Old Dhaka, Bangladesh is during the time of sehri, groups of people would sing qasidas to wake up the Bengali Muslim in the neighbourhood. Chowk Bazaar is a place with great significance in Bengali culture during Ramadan. Shahi jilapi is unique delicacy from Chowk Bazaar iftar market, popular for its large size.
On the island of Java, many believers bathe in holy springs to prepare for fasting, a ritual known as Padusan. The city of Semarang marks the beginning of Ramadan with the Dugderan carnival, which involves parading the warak ngendog, a horse-dragon hybrid creature allegedly inspired by the Buraq. In the Chinese-influenced capital city of Jakarta, firecrackers are widely used to celebrate Ramadan, although they are officially illegal. Towards the end of Ramadan, most employees receive a one-month bonus known as Tunjangan Hari Raya. Certain kinds of food are especially popular during Ramadan, such as large beef or buffalo in Aceh and snails in Central Java. The iftar meal is announced every evening by striking the bedug, a giant drum, in the mosque.
Common greetings during Ramadan include Ramadan mubarak and Ramadan kareem, which mean (have a) "blessed Ramadan" and "generous Ramadan" respectively. Ramadan 2015: Facts, History, Dates, Greeting And Rules About The Muslim Fast , Huffington Post, 15 June 2015
During Ramadan in the Middle East, a mesaharati beats a drum across a neighbourhood to wake people up to eat the suhoor meal. Similarly in Southeast Asia, the kentongan slit drum is used for the same purpose.
Ramadan attracts significant increases in television viewership, as the usual prime time hours coincide with the iftar, and are commonly extended into the late-night hours to coincide with the s uhur. Broadcasters in the Arab world traditionally premiere serial dramas known as musalsal during Ramadan; they are similar in style to Latin American , and are typically around 30 episodes in length so that they run over the length of the month. Advertisers in the region have considered Ramadan to be comparable to the Super Bowl on U.S. television in terms of impact and importance; the cost of a 30-second commercial in peak time during Ramadan is usually more than double than normal.
In some countries, on the contrary, the observance of Ramadan has been restricted by governments. In the USSR, the practice of Ramadan was suppressed by officials. In Albania, Ramadan festivities were banned during the communist period. However, many Albanians continued to fast secretly during this period.
China is reported to have banned Ramadan fasting for officials, students, and teachers in Xinjiang since 2012. Radio Free Asia alleges that residents in Kashgar Prefecture are compelled to film proof of eating for officials and are encouraged to report those who fasted to the authorities. The ban has been denied by Chinese diplomats and Muslim associations in Xinjiang. Antara, Daily Times, and Pakistan Today have also brought up accounts of residents in Xinjiang fasting. According to a 2024 visit to Xinjiang by a reporter from the British magazine The Economist, many Uyghurs do not fast during Ramadan because, according to locals, "the Chinese government guarantees freedom of religion".
Some countries impose modified work schedules. In the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, employees may work no more than six hours per day and thirty-six hours per week. Employment Issues During Ramadan – The Gulf Region , DLA Piper Middle East.
There are some health benefits of fasting in Ramadan including increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance.Shariatpanahi, Z. Vahdat, et al. "Effect of Ramadan fasting on some indices of insulin resistance and components of the metabolic syndrome in healthy male adults." British Journal of Nutrition 100.1 (2008): 147–151. It has also been shown that there is a significant improvement in 10-year coronary heart disease risk score and other cardiovascular risk factors such as lipid profile, systolic blood pressure, weight, BMI and waist circumference in subjects with a previous history of cardiovascular disease.Nematy, Mohsen, et al. "Effects of Ramadan fasting on cardiovascular risk factors: a prospective observational study." Nutrition journal 11.1 (2012): 69. The fasting period is usually associated with modest weight loss, but weight can return afterwards.
In many cultures, it is associated with heavy food and water intake during Suhur and Iftar times, which may do more harm than good. Ramadan fasting is safe for healthy people provided that overall food and water intake is adequate but those with medical conditions should seek medical advice if they encounter health problems before or during fasting.
The education departments of Berlin and the United Kingdom have tried to discourage students from fasting during Ramadan, as they claim that not eating or drinking can lead to concentration problems and bad grades.
A review of the literature by an Iranian group suggested fasting during Ramadan might produce renal injury in patients with moderate (GFR under 60mL/min) or severe kidney disease but was not injurious to renal transplant patients with good function or most stone-forming patients.
A study on 55 professional Algerian soccer players showed that performance during Ramadan declined significantly for speed, agility, dribbling speed and endurance, and most stayed low 2weeks after the conclusion of Ramadan.
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