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
Salaf (The Pious Predecessors)
The first three generations of Muslims: sahabah, tabi'in, and tabi' al-tabi'in.
Taharah (Ritual Purity)
The state of ritual purity, which is a prerequisite for prayer.
Adl (God's Justice)
The doctrine of God's absolute justice — the second article of faith in Shia Islam.
Madhhab (School of Law)
An Islamic school of law with its own methodology for legal derivation from the sacred sources.
Amr bil-Ma'ruf wa Nahy 'an al-Munkar
Enjoining good and forbidding evil — an Islamic duty connected with prayer.
Tawhid (God's Oneness)
Islamic monotheism — belief in Allah's absolute oneness, the core of prayer.