Ramadan - everything you need to know
Ramadan is the name of the 9th Month of the Islamic Calendar. The Islamic calendar follows the Lunar cycle so each month can vary from 29 to 30 days. During this time, many Muslim’s around the world fast from sunrise to sunset, and as we are approaching Summer and longer days, the duration of fasting increases.
Everyday during Ramadan, Muslim’s refrain from consuming food and drink, whilst engaging in more prayers throughout the day and night.
As the UK is usually cloudy, it can be difficult to site the moon, so instead Muslim’s follow another Islamic country which tends to either be Saudi Arabia or Morocco (generally Saudi Arabia start fasting a day before Morocco). This year, those who follow Saudi Arabia started fasting on the 13th April and those following Morocco started on the 14th April.
Eid al-Fitr, also called the "Festival of Breaking the Fast" or Lesser Eid, is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. Muslim’s celebrate by going to the mosque or staying home to perform a special Eid prayer.
Ramadan facts:
- Fasting is one the five pillars of Islam
- Ramadan is the most blessed month of the year for Muslims
- Due to following the lunar calendar, the month of Ramadan is different every single year
Things you can do to be mindful:
- Ask your Muslim friends/colleagues/neighbours how Ramadan is going
- Most Muslims don’t mind you eating or drinking in front of them but be polite and check it’s okay before you do
What Ramadan means to me
Hanane A-Lanjri, Learning and Development Manager at Community Gateway, said:
For me, Ramadan is a peaceful month with time to reflect and slow down as well as fast. I focus on self-improvement and spend more time with my family. I enjoy each day as there’s a different vibe, Ramadan is a beautiful month.
Aysha Patel, People Services Coordinator at Community Gateway, said:
Ramadan for me is about practising self-discipline by not eating and drinking, as well as being a time for spiritual reflection of the last 12 months. How have I become a better person from the previous year and how can I improve on character development and religious practise for the next 12 months?
Ramadan Mubarak to our colleagues, customers and partners celebrating. We hope you have a peaceful and blessed Ramadan.