![]() ![]() Ramadan is also a highly social time as Muslims invite each other to breakfast together and meet for prayers at the mosque. Muslims welcome Ramadan as an opportunity for self-reflection and spiritual improvement, and as a means to grow in moral excellence. For Muslims, Ramadan is a time to train themselves both physically and spiritually by avoiding any negative acts such as gossiping, backbiting, lying or arguing. Ramadan entails forgoing food and drink, and if married, abstaining from sex during sunlit hours. Muslims fast from pre-dawn to sunset, a fast of between 11-16 hours depending on the time of year for a period of 29-30 days. For the start and end dates of Ramadan this year, see our Calendar of Important Islamic Dates. In recent years, however, many Muslims follow a pre-determined date based on astronomical calculation. The month traditionally begins and ends based on the sighting of the new moon. It takes 33 solar years for the lunar months to complete a full cycle and return to the same season. Because the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, each lunar month moves 11 days earlier each year. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on a 12-month lunar year of approximately 354 days. Those unable to fast, such as pregnant or nursing women, the sick, or elderly people and children, are exempt from fasting. Ramadan is a month of intense spiritual rejuvenation with a heightened focus on devotion, during which Muslims spend extra time reading the Qur’an and performing special prayers. In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate. ![]() ![]() Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. To learn more, check out our free public presentations on Ramadan and Fasting and Muslim Americans and Their Faith.įor the dates of Ramadan this year, visit our Calendar of Important Islamic Dates. ![]()
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