Ramadan (The Month of Fasting)
The holy month of fasting, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان) is the ninth month of the Islamic Hijri calendar and is the holiest month for Muslims. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from Fajr (dawn) to Maghrib (sunset) as one of Islam's five pillars.
Fasting (sawm) involves abstaining from food, drink and other physical needs from dawn to sunset. The purpose is to attain taqwa (God-consciousness), to train self-discipline, to empathize with the poor and hungry, and to draw closer to Allah through worship.
Ramadan is also the month in which the Quran was revealed: "The month of Ramadan, in which the Quran was sent down as guidance for mankind" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:185). Therefore, special emphasis is placed on Quran recitation and Tarawih prayer during this month.
Fasting hours vary significantly by location — from around 9 hours in winter to up to 19 hours in summer at higher latitudes.
Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) falls within the last ten days of Ramadan and is "better than a thousand months" (Surah Al-Qadr 97:3). Many Muslims intensify their worship during these nights.
Related terms
Masjid al-Aqsa (The Farthest Mosque)
The third holiest mosque in Islam, in Jerusalem, connected to the Prophet's nocturnal journey.
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
The first pillar of Islam: the testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
Islamic legal theory that defines the methods for deriving legal rules from the sacred sources.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Tirmidhi's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections, known for its classification of narrations by strength.
Rak'ah (Prayer Cycle)
A single cycle of movements and recitations in the Islamic prayer.
Shafa'ah (Intercession)
The Prophet's and the Imams' intercession with Allah for the believers on the Day of Judgment.