Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the world will fast during the hours of daylight.

During Ramadan, we celebrate the time when the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This time begins on the night the first verses was revealed, a night known as Lailut-tul-Qadr ('The Night of Power') which falls within the last 10 days of the month.

The month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends. The fasting is intended to help teach us self-discipline, self-restraint and generosity. It also reminds us of the suffering of the poor, who may rarely get to eat well.

Reading the Qur'an is an important part of Ramadan, and many of us will attempt to read the whole of the Qur'an at least once during the Ramadan period. Many will also attend special services in Mosques during which the Qur'an is read.

It is common to have one meal (known as the suhoor), just before sunrise and another (known as the iftar), directly after sunset. This meal will commonly consist of dates, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Because Ramadan is a time to spend with friends and family, the fast will often be broken by different Muslim families coming together to share in an evening meal.

At the end of the month, once fasting has been completed, a big celebration takes place known as 'Eid-ul-Fitr', the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. During this celebration we dress in our finest clothes, give gifts to children and spend time with friends and family. At Eid it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity to be used to help poor people buy new clothes and food so they too can celebrate.