Observant Muslims the world over will soon be united in a daily ritual of fasting from dawn to sunset as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins. For Muslims, it’s a time for increased worship, religious reflection and charity.
Socially, it often brings families and friends together in festive gatherings around meals to break their fast. Muslims typically stream into mosques for congregational prayers and dedicate more time to religious contemplation and the reading of the Quran, the Muslim holy book.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. This means the month cycles through the seasons. The month closes with the Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr.
This year, the start of Ramadan is expected around the same time as Ash Wednesday, a solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Lent, the most penitential season of the church calendar for Catholics and many other Christians.
It also coincided with the beginning of the Lunar New Year, according to the lunisolar calendar in parts of East and Southeast Asia.
Have you seen the new moon?
The start of the month traditionally depends on the sighting of the crescent moon. The actual start date varies across countries and Muslim communities due to declarations by multiple Islamic authorities worldwide on whether the crescent had been sighted or on the methodologies used to determine the beginning of the month.
Saudi Arabia said the new moon of Ramadan was sighted on Tuesday evening and that fasting would begin on Wednesday, February 18. Religious authorities in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Palestine, Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti also said Wednesday would be the first day of Ramadan.
Iraq’s Sunni Endowment Diwan also announced that Ramadan would begin on Wednesday. Iraqi Shia Muslims also started their fasting on Wednesday. Ramadan also started for Sunni Muslims in Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian.
Egypt will observe the holy month from Thursday, as the new moon was not sighted on Tuesday, according to the country’s mufti, Nazir Ayyad.
Religious authorities in Jordan, Syria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Tunisia and Malaysia also announced the start of the holy month on Thursday.
Muslims in Turkiye, Oman, Singapore and Australia will also begin fasting on Thursday after authorities confirmed the start of the holy month based on astronomical calculations.
Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam
Fasting is a major pillar of Islam, along with the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving and pilgrimage. Muslims see various meanings and lessons in observing the fast.
It’s regarded as an act of worship to attain piety and one of submission to God. The devout see benefits, including practising self-restraint, cultivating gratitude and empathising with people who are poor and hungry.
The daily fast in Ramadan includes abstaining from all food and drink – not even a sip of water is allowed – from dawn to sunset, before breaking the fast in a meal known as iftar in Arabic.
Muslims eat a predawn meal called suhoor to hydrate and nourish their bodies before the daily fast.
Charity and exemptions from fasting
Charity is a hallmark of Ramadan. Among other ways of giving, many seek to provide iftar for those in need, distributing Ramadan boxes filled with pantry staples, handing out warm meals alongside items such as dates and juice or helping host free communal meals.
There are certain exemptions. Those unable to fast due to being temporarily ill or travelling need to make up for the missed days of fasting later.
Cultural and social traditions associated with Ramadan
Muslims are ethnically and racially diverse and not all Ramadan traditions are rooted in religion. Some customs may transcend borders while others can differ across cultures.
Many social rituals centre on gathering and socialising after the daily fast. Some Muslims decorate their homes, put out Ramadan-themed tableware and centrepieces or throng to markets and Ramadan bazaars.
In Egypt, Ramadan is typically a festive time. Colourful lanterns, in different shapes and sizes, dangle from children’s hands and adorn homes. Ramadan songs may be played to welcome the month.
Ramadan’s soundscape in Egypt has traditionally included the predawn banging on drums by a mesaharati who roams neighbourhoods, calling out to the faithful, sometimes by name, to wake them up for the suhoor meal.
In Indonesia, Ramadan rituals vary across regions, reflecting the country's cultural diversity. In deeply conservative Aceh province, animals are slaughtered during Meugang festivities, the meat cooked and shared with family, friends, poor people and orphans.
Hundreds of residents in Tangerang, a city outside the capital, Jakarta, flock to the Cisadane River to wash their hair with rice straw shampoo and welcome the fasting month with a symbolic spiritual cleansing.
Across the island of Sumatra, after evening prayers, many boys and girls parade through the streets, carrying torches and playing Islamic songs.
Additional reporting by Al Jazeera
