Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Fasting every day of the month is one of the pillars of Islam and an obligation on every mature Muslim who is able to fast and is of sound mind. This devotional act is observed by over a billion Muslims worldwide today. Fasting is a major act of worship, and it is a powerful means of cultivating God-consciousness in the heart and mind. Fasting has both physical and spiritual benefits, including purifying the soul, inspiring self-reflection, and increasing empathy and good works.

See full infographic: Ramadan Prep: 10 Essential Tips

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which follows the lunar cycle. Lunar months contain either twenty-nine or thirty days, so the lunar year is about ten or eleven days shorter than the solar year. As a result, Ramadan appears to "shift" earlier each Gregorian year.

In 2027, Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of Sunday, February 7, with the first day of fasting on Monday, February 8. It is expected to end on Monday, March 8, or Tuesday, March 9. The exact days are confirmed by sighting the new moon.

God says in the Qur'an:

Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed, as guidance for humanity… so whoever of you witnesses the month should fast it. (Qur'an 2:185)

Muslims honor Ramadan as the month of the Qur'an's revelation, and they fast it because God commanded them to do so. By restricting the body's appetites during daylight hours, believers rejuvenate their spirituality, repair their religious conscience, and cultivate their devotion to God.

Muslims observe Ramadan by abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and sexual intimacy, all out of devotion to their Creator. They are also called to practice self-restraint and respond to every situation with patience and kindness. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

Whoever does not give up lying and acting dishonestly, then [know that] God has no need for this person to give up food and drink. (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1903)

In addition to fasting, Muslims also observe Ramadan by reciting and studying the Qur'an, performing acts of service, and giving to charity. Many people read the Qur'an cover to cover multiple times over the course of the month. Believers complete their readings individually and in nightly congregations that take place in virtually every mosque on the planet. This is all in emulation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who would review with the Angel Gabriel all that had been revealed to him of the Qur'an every year.

eBook: A Du'a a Day: Prophetic Prayers for Ramadan

The purpose of fasting is to attain taqwa (God-consciousness). God says in the Qur'an:

O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain taqwa. (Qur'an 2:183)

By restricting the body's appetites during daylight hours, believers rejuvenate their spirituality, repair their religious conscience, and cultivate their devotion to God. This is the most significant objective of the fast: restoring the centrality of God in our lives.

Ramadan is a period of practicing extra awareness of everything that could soil our spirituality and feed the ego's appetites throughout the year. Vices are always forbidden, but in Ramadan we work with even greater dedication to avoid them and to excel in devotion, kindness, patience, and forgiveness. Such inner purity is the intended result of fasting.

Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. During this time, they do not eat, drink (even water), smoke, or engage in sexual intimacy, out of devotion to God.

All sane, mature Muslims who are able to fast must fast the month of Ramadan. Children are not required to fast until they reach puberty, though many practice fasting beforehand. Travelers and the sick are not required to fast, and pregnant or nursing women may choose not to fast. Each of them makes up the missed days later. Women do not fast during menstruation, and they make up those days afterward.

Yes. Islam has a merciful and pragmatic legal framework that allows many exceptions to the rules. The categories of people exempted from fasting are an excellent example of that.

Children who have not reached puberty are not required to fast, although some like to practice and participate in Ramadan activities. Travelers and the sick are not required to fast, and pregnant women and nursing mothers may choose not to. All of them make up the days they missed later in the year. Those who cannot fast at all because of old age or chronic illness feed a person in need for each missed day instead.

Women do not pray or fast during menstruation and during post-partum bleeding. They make up the missed fasts after Ramadan, but they do not make up the missed prayers.

Muslims maintain the standard five daily prayers, but strive to increase the amount of worship they perform during Ramadan.

In addition to the five daily prayers, many Muslims perform extra nightly prayers called Tarawih, along with other forms of worship such as Tahajjud (the late night prayer), iʿtikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), and more reading of the Qur'an.

See full infographic: 5 Steps to Mastering the Art of Worship

Tarawih are additional prayers performed nightly during Ramadan. They are optional prayers. Tarawih is prayed in sets of two rakʿas (cycles of prayer), in the same way Muslims pray the standard salat (prayer). Most mosques around the world hold Tarawih prayers, giving each community a chance to listen to and reflect on the recitation of the Qur'an behind an expert reciter throughout the blessed month.

Laylat al-Qadr can be translated as the Night of Decree or the Night of Power.

In the context of this holy night, some scholars define qadr as "decree" (qadar). In other words, it is the night in which the destiny of each person—their sustenance, lifespan, and other critical matters—is decided and sealed for the coming year.

Other scholars define qadr as "power," indicating the greatness of the night. Some who interpret qadr as "power" also do so to draw attention to the fact that righteous deeds performed during this night are far more powerful than they would be on any other night.

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Laylat al-Qadr, often translated as "the Night of Decree," has a number of significant attributes. Most importantly, the Qur'an was revealed in its entirety on this night.

Laylat al-Qadr has also been described as a gift for the Prophet's community. A narration states:

The Messenger of Allah… was shown the lifespans of the people [who had gone] before him, or what Allah willed of that, and it was as if the lives of the people of his community had become too short for them to be able to do as many good actions as others before them had been able to do with their long lives, so Allah gave him Laylat al-Qadr, which is better than a thousand months. (Muwattaʾ Malik, reported without a full chain of transmission)

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The precise night on which Laylat al-Qadr occurs has not been specified. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

Search for Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan. (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 2017)

There is tremendous wisdom in not knowing exactly when it occurs. As Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi writes, "God has concealed this night from the Muslim community (umma) so that they may strive in seeking it and performing worship throughout the month in the hopes of catching it."

Muslims focus on increasing all of their good actions during the holy month, but they particularly increase their generosity through making donations, helping the needy, serving the hungry, and paying a mandatory charity (Zakat al-Fitr) to the poor before the Eid prayer. This spirit of giving is nurtured by the empathy we feel for those who have less when we experience hunger and deprivation ourselves. It also comes from deepening our relationship with God's word and understanding the vast mercy and generosity inherent in the nature of God. It is authentically reported:

The Prophet ﷺ was the most generous of all the people, and he used to become even more generous in Ramadan. (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 3554)

Zakat al-Fitr is a required charity paid before the Eid al-Fitr prayer. It ensures that even those who do not have much are able to eat and celebrate during the holiday.

Video: Pillar 3: Zakat Al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month that comes right after Ramadan. After an entire month of fasting and extra prayer, Muslims are sad to bid Ramadan and its spiritual atmosphere goodbye, but also excited to celebrate their efforts with a holiday.

The festivities begin early on Eid day with the traditional takbirat (declarations of God's greatness) and communal prayers. Celebrants show up in their best clothing to pray together, embrace their friends, and wish each other "Eid Mubarak" (Blessed Eid). After the Eid prayer, ways of celebrating vary across a wide range of Muslim cultures, but whether it is knafeh or donuts, there will be plenty of feasting on delicious foods, exchanging gifts, and quality time with family and community.

In 2027, Eid al-Fitr is expected to fall on Tuesday, March 9, or Wednesday, March 10. The date is confirmed by sighting the new moon that begins the month of Shawwal.

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