Ramadan is a very important month to Muslims around the world. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which mirrors the lunar calendar. The sighting of the moon signifies the first day of Ramadan.

For this entire month, Muslims all over the world take part in fasting and submit to God. The fast begins with a meal in the morning before sunrise known as the “suhoor”. After sunrise, Muslims fast all day without any food or water. When the sun sets, the Muslims break their fast by eating the traditional date, which mimicks the practices of Muhammad (S), the last holy prophet. This is followed by a meal known as the “iftar”.

Ramadan is a holy month when each person searches for his or her inner light, learns self restraint and patience, and dedicates himself or herself to God with complete submission. Muslims try to accomplish this by reading the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam. They must also donate a minimum of two percent of their savings to charity, and they are compelled to perform good deeds throughout the month to help purify the soul.

Ramadan is an opportunity for one person’s sacrifice to be another’s gain. By giving up one’s inner desires and urges, not eating or drinking, and refraining from committing any bad deeds, an individual develops self-control and respect. It motivates one to walk the path of Islam without hesitation.

Because Ramadan is the third of the five pillars of Islam, fasting is an obligation this month. The last ten days are the most sacred days of the month. It is during these 10 significant nights that Muslims devout their time to reciting the Qur’an and spending most of the night in prayer. On one of these days the Qur’an was revealed to the prophet on the night of power, known as “Lailut-ul-Qadar”. It is the 27th night of Ramadan and in the Qur’an it is stated that this is a night better than 1000 months.

The end of the month of Ramadan is celebrated with the traditional holiday known as “Eid Ul Fitar”. On this day a special Eid prayer is followed by a ceremony in which everyone greets one another with the harmonious words “Eid Mubarak”. These are used around the world as a congratulations for the completion of Ramadan.