Your Complete Guide to Ramadan, Including the Proper Greeting and When It Starts

A?billion?Muslims?around?the?world?are?celebrating?Ramadan.

The?month-long?observance?—?which?began?on?Apr.?2?or?3?this?year?—?sees?Muslims?fasting?from?dawn?to?sunset,?reciting?verses?from?the?Quran?and?attending?prayer?sessions.?For?many?of?those?observing?Ramadan,?it?is?a?time?to?become?closer?to?God.?It?is?also?a?time?of?joy?and?for?spending?time?with?one’s?family,?and?giving?to?charity?and?those?in?need.

Here’s?what?you?need?to?know?about?Ramadan,?which?is?known?as?the?holiest?month?in?Islam.

When?is?Ramadan?

Ramadan?begins?during?the?ninth?month?of?the?Islamic?lunar?calendar?when?the?new?crescent?moon?is?first?sighted.?The?exact?start?date?of?Ramadan?is?confirmed?when?the?moon?is?spotted?by?a?sighting?committee,?often?made?up?of?government?officials?and?religious?scholars.

Some?countries?like?Singapore?began?observing?Ramadan?on?Apr.?3?while?other?places?like?the?UAE?marked?the?holy?month?on?Apr.?2.

The?end?of?Ramadan?is?marked?with?the?sighting?of?the?crescent?moon,?marking?Eid-al-Fitr,?which?should?be?in?mid-May.

What?is?Ramadan?and?how?is?it?observed?

Ramadan?is?observed?by?Muslims?to?commemorate?when?God?revealed?the?first?chapters?of?the?Quran,?Islam’s?sacred?text,?to?the?Prophet?Muhammad.?Muslims?believe?that?during?this?period,?the?gates?of?heaven?are?open?and?the?gates?of?hell?are?closed.

Muslims?mark?the?holy?month?by?fasting?—?considered?to?be?one?of?the?five?pillars?of?Islam?—?during?sunlight?hours.?The?pre-dawn?meal?is?called?the?suhoor,?while?the?fast?is?broken?at?dusk?with?the?iftar,?starting?with?a?few?sips?of?water?and?some?dates.

Abstinence?during?Ramadan?isn’t?just?restricted?to?food?and?water,?though.?It?extends?to?refraining?from?sexual?activity,?smoking,?and?even?to?jealousy,?anger?or?other?negative?thoughts.?Muslims?believe?that?following?these?practices?during?Ramadan?will?lead?to?self-purification,?self-control?and?bring?them?closer?to?Allah.?Many?Muslims?also?attend?special?prayer?services,?read?verses?of?the?Quran?and?engage?in?charity.

During?Ramadan,?offices?and?schools?in?Islamic?countries?shut?early.

How?do?you?wish?someone?a?Happy?Ramadan?

You?can?exchange?Ramadan?greetings?by?saying?“Ramadan?Kareem,”?which?translates?into?“Have?a?generous?Ramadan,”?or?“Ramadan?Mubarak,”?which?roughly?translates?into?“Happy?Ramadan.”

On?the?last?day?of?Ramadan,?which?is?Eid-al-fitr,?the?greeting?changes?to?“Eid?Mubarak.”

Does?everyone?have?to?fast?

Not?everyone?must?fast.?Islam?prescribes?that?all?able-bodied?Muslims?should?fast?during?Ramadan?but?exempts?young?children,?expecting?and?breast-feeding?mothers,?women?who?are?menstruating,?the?elderly,?and?those?with?health?conditions.

Non-Muslims?visiting?an?Islamic?nation?are?not?expected?to?fast,?but?they?are?expected?to?refrain?from?eating?and?drinking?in?public?spaces?to?respect?those?around?them.