The Islamic month of Ramadan, which involves long periods of intermittent fasting for Muslims, will begin tonight. Ramadan is held to commemorate Allah revealing the Qurʾān to the prophet Muhammad. Ramadan is not so much of a holiday as it is a religious duty issued by Allah. In fact, the annual observance of Ramadan is listed as one of the five pillars of Islam in the form of “sawm”, or fasting (can also mean “to refrain.”) The other pillars of Islam are Profession of Faith (shahada), Prayer (salat), Charity (zakat), and Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca.) During Ramadan, from dawn to dusk, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, intercourse, unkind thoughts, and all forms of immorality. False words and immoral actions are considered as breaking the fast just as much as eating or drinking is.

After the daily prayer at sunset, the fast from dawn to dusk is followed by a large meal shared often between friends and family called Iftar, which is one of two meals held each day of Ramadan. Iftar often includes foods such as dates (it was Muhammad’s practice to begin each Iftar with them) and apricots, and drinks such as water and sweetened milk. A second meal is held before dawn, called Suhur, which always finishes before dawn so as to not break the fast, and is the only meal other than Iftar held during the days of Ramadan. In order to avoid breaking the fast, some Muslim communities sound drums or ring bells in order to signal that it is time for Suhur to be held.

If the fast of Ramadan is broken, it can be made up for in several ways. For Muslims who are traveling or sick, it is often necessary to substitute days of fasting after the month of Ramadan has already ended. This is also common among those that have broken the fast by eating or drinking during the period from dawn to dusk. In some cases, volunteering, doing virtuous deeds, or feeding those in need can be an acceptable substitute if a day’s fast is broken. However, several groups of people are exempt from fasting during Ramadan – those who are pregnant or nursing, young children, old, weak, or mentally ill are all exempt from the normal requirements of abstinence. It is important that during this Ramadan, and all future Ramadans, we recognize and support our Muslim peers in their religious practices.