Ramadan is the most anticipated month of the Muslim year: the month of fasting, of longer nights of prayer, of charity and of family gatherings after sunset. Fasting the month, sawm, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, prescribed in the Quran as a means of drawing nearer to God and cultivating self-restraint and gratitude. This article introduces the fast and the worship that surrounds it.
The fast from dawn to sunset
During Ramadan, Muslims who are able abstain from food, drink, smoking and marital relations from dawn until sunset. The day's fast begins at the first light of Fajr, when, in the words of the Quran, a white thread can be distinguished from a black one, and it ends at sunset with the Maghrib prayer. Two meals frame the day: suhoor before dawn, and iftar to break the fast at sunset, traditionally with dates and water before the evening meal.
Fasting is obligatory for Muslims who are past puberty, of sound mind and physically able. Islam builds in exemptions: the sick, travellers, pregnant and nursing women, those menstruating, and the elderly and frail may be excused, making up the days later or offering a compensation to feed the poor. The tradition emphasises ease, not hardship.
Nights of prayer and Laylat al-Qadr
Ramadan nights have their own worship. After the Isha prayer, many mosques hold Tarawih, long voluntary prayers performed in congregation, often working through much of the Quran across the month. The last ten nights are the most sacred, for they contain Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree, which the Quran calls better than a thousand months, and on which its revelation began. Many worshippers spend these nights in extra prayer, and some undertake i'tikaf, a spiritual retreat in the mosque.
Zakat al-Fitr and Eid al-Fitr
Before the month closes, Muslims give Zakat al-Fitr, a charitable donation of food or its value so that the poor can also share in the celebration. Ramadan then ends with Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, which opens with a special congregational prayer and a sermon. It is, in fact, forbidden to fast on the day of Eid. It is a day of joy and thanksgiving.
Ramadan at the mosque and beyond
Ramadan brings the community to the mosque like no other time of year, for Tarawih and for shared iftars. It connects naturally to the wider rhythm of the five daily prayers (Salah), and its spirit of pilgrimage and devotion echoes that of Hajj and Umrah. To find a mosque holding Tarawih or a community iftar near you, use MosqueFinder to find mosques in your area, or explore them on the the interactive map.