RAMADAN begins: Ten facts about the holy month of Ramadan

Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours and embark on a fast from dawn until dusk throughout the holy month of Ramadan. 

Here are 10 facts to help you understand this holiday:

1. What is Ramadan?

Ramadan, the ninth month on the Muslim lunar calendar, is celebrated as the month when the first verses of the Qur’an were said to be revealed to the prophet Muhammad in 610 BCE.  Laylat al-Dadr, or Night

of Power, is thought to be the actual day when the Qur’an was given to the prophet and usually falls within the last 10 days of the holiday

2. How the start of Ramadan is determined

The traditional method mentioned in the Qur'an and followed by the Prophet Muhammad, is to look to the sky and visibly sight the slight crescent moon (hilal) that marks the beginning of the month

Many places still depend on the sighting of the new moon with the naked eye in order to declare the holiday. As a result, Ramadan’s start can vary from place to place because of weather conditions, like clouds, and other factors that affect how easily the moon is seen.

However, countries are increasingly relying on astronomical calculations and observatories, leading to a more uniform start time. The Arab Gulf states, Egypt, as well as Nigeria, declared Wednesday, July 10, to be the first full day of this year’s Ramadan, according to al-Arabiya.

3. Purpose of Ramadan

During Ramadan, Muslims are expected to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance, make peace with those who have wronged them, strengthen ties with family and friends, and do away with bad habits essentially to clean up their lives, thoughts, and feelings. The Arabic word for "fasting" (sawm) literally means "to refrain” so observers are not only expected to refrain from food, drink, and other pleasures; from evil actions, thoughts, and words; but are also expected to abstain from impurities such as gossip, backbiting, visiting sinful places, and watching pornography. Removing these comforts from daily routine is intended to focus the mind on prayer, spirituality, and charity and to purify the body and mind.

4. Exceptions to the fast

Every adult Muslim in possession of his faculties must fast during Ramadan. There are cases, however, where several different groups are excused from fasting during Ramadan: pregnant women, menstruating women, or in child-birth bleeding. Persons on sick bed, or on a journey, people who are mentally or physically ill, and sometimes old people or women who are breastfeeding. Children are not obligated to fast until they hit puberty, although many choose to observe the fast at least part of the month in preparation for later years.

5. The date changes every year

Islam functions on a lunar calendar that doesn't quite line up with the solar Gregorian calendar that the secular world uses. So while Muslim holidays are always the same day on the Muslim calendar, they happen on different days on the Gregorian calendar – typically moving 11 or 12 days earlier each year. In 2012, Ramadan began on July 19.

6. A month of big changes

Ironically, many people gain weight during Ramadan. They are more lethargic during the daytime, eat richer food than normal at the fast-breaking iftar meal in the evenings, and get the majority of their daily calories at night, shortly before they go to sleep

7. Practices

Some of the practices include reciting passages from the Qur’an, whispering prayers, or performing ablution (the washing of the body).

If a non-Muslim wants to wish a fellow passenger a happy Ramadan, they can say Ramadan Mubarak, which means “have a blessed Ramadan.

8. Charity as an important part of Ramadan

Non-Muslims know Ramadan for the fasting but charity is also an important part of the month long holiday.

Charity is very important in Islam, and even more so during Ramadan. Muslims are obliged to give charity on a regular basis in the form of either Zakat, often translated as "the poor-rate", is obligatory or mandatory as one of the pillars of Islam; a fixed percentage is required to be given to the poor of the person's savings or Sadaqa, which is voluntary, given above and beyond what is required from the obligation of Zakat, and meant to go beyond the mere religious obligations. During Ramadan, the rewards of charity are considered greater. As a result, many Muslims will choose to give more during the month.

9. The Five Pillars of Islam

These are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory by believers as the foundation of Muslim life. They are not mentioned in the Quran but are summarized in the famous hadith of Gabriel. They are as follows:

Shahada: This is a profession of belief in the one true God. The declaration usually goes as follows: “There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet and servant.”

Salat: Woship and Praying five time daily facing the direction of Mecca. Muslims must practice ablution before the prayers.

Zakat: The giving of charity to the poor and needy.

Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca that each Muslim must make at least once in his or her lifetime.

10. Eid al Fitr

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar and marks the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr also called Feast of Breaking the Fast, the Sugar Feast, the Sweet Festival and the Lesser Eid is a large festival to celebrate the end of the fast and often begins as soon as the new moon is sighted in the sky. During Eid, Muslims celebrate by putting on their best clothing, attending large processions, giving gifts, spending time with their family, and having a large meal during the day. Muslims must also contribute a certain amount to charity so that the poor may also celebrate the breaking of the fast.

Eid al Fitr is also considered a time of reverance. Muslims praise Allah (God) for helping them get through the month, and ask for forgiveness for the sins they have committed.