- Ramadan marks the ninth month of the Islamic year.
- Ramadan begins with the sighting of the new moon. The exact date, however, may vary from country to country depending on time zone. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on 6th May in most Islamic nations.
- Ramadan is commemorated as the month in which prophet Mohammed received the first of the revelation that make up the Quran.
- The word Ramadan – borrowed from the Arabic word ‘Ramad’ – means ‘intense or scorching heat by the sun.’
- During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating food and drinking (including water) from dawn until dusk for 29 to 30 days.
- Fasting is part of the five pillars of Islam. These are: shahadah or the acknowledgment that there is no deity but God and Mohammed is his messenger, salat or praying five times daily, zakat or giving to charity, sawm or fasting during the holy month and hajj or making a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in a lifetime.
- Muslims fast during Ramadan from 11 to 16 hours, or longer in the polar regions.
- Muslims eat meals before dawn and break their fast after sunset.
- The fast is traditionally broken by eating dates and drinking water.
- The pre-dawn meal is called suhoor, while the evening meal is known as iftar.
- The end of Ramadan is called Eid al-Fitr.
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