Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
What Is Ramadan? Why Do Muslims Fast?
The-Conversation
By The Conversation
Published 7 years ago on
May 14, 2018

Share

Editor’s note: Mohammad Hassan Khalil, associate professor of religious studies and director of the Muslim Studies Program at Michigan State University, answers six questions about the significance of the Muslim month of fasting.

Why is Ramadan Called Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the new crescent moon is (or should be) visible.

By abstaining from things that people tend to take for granted (such as water), it is believed, one may be moved to reflect on the purpose of life and grow closer to the creator and sustainer of all existence.
The Arabic term Ramadan connotes intense heat. It seems that in pre-Islamic Arabia, Ramadan was the name of a scorching hot summer month. In the Islamic calendar, however, the timing of Ramadan varies from year to year. This year Ramadan begins in mid-May; next year it will begin in early May. (An Islamic year is roughly 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year.)

What is the Significance of Ramadan?

Ramadan is a period of fasting and spiritual growth, and is one of the five “pillars of Islam” (the others being the declaration of faith, daily prayer, alms-giving, and the pilgrimage to Mecca). Able-bodied Muslims are expected to abstain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn to sunset each day of the month. Many practicing Muslims also perform additional prayers, especially at night, and attempt to recite the entire Qur’an (Koran). The prevailing belief among Muslims is that it was in the final 10 nights of Ramadan that the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

What is the Connection Between Soul and Body That the Observance of Ramadan Seeks to Explain?

The Qur’an states that fasting was prescribed for believers so that they may be conscious of God. By abstaining from things that people tend to take for granted (such as water), it is believed, one may be moved to reflect on the purpose of life and grow closer to the creator and sustainer of all existence. As such, engaging in wrongdoing effectively undermines the fast. Many Muslims also maintain that fasting allows them to get a feeling of poverty, and this may foster feelings of empathy.

Can Muslims Skip Fasting Under Certain Conditions? If So, Do They Make Up Missed Days?

All those who are physically limited (for example, because of an illness or old age) are exempt from the obligation to fast; the same is true for anyone who is traveling. Those who are able to do so are expected to make up the missed days at a later time. (One could potentially make up all of the missed days in the month immediately following Ramadan, the month of Shawwal.) Those unable to fast at all (if they are financially able) are expected to provide meals to the needy as an alternative course of action.

What is the Significance of 29 or 30 Days of Fasting?

By fasting over an extended period of time, practicing Muslims aim to foster certain attitudes and values that they would be able to cultivate over the course of an entire year. Ramadan is often likened to a spiritual training camp.
Besides experiencing feelings of hunger and thirst, believers often have to deal with fatigue because of late-night prayers and predawn meals. This is especially true during the final 10 nights of the month. In addition to being the period in which the Qur’an was believed to have been first revealed, this is a time when divine rewards are believed to be multiplied. Many Muslims will offer additional prayers during this period.

Do Muslims Celebrate the Completion of Ramadan?

The end of Ramadan marks the beginning of one of two major Islamic holidays Eid al-Fitr, the “festival of the breaking of the fast.” On this day, many Muslims attend a religious service, visit relatives and friends, and exchange gifts.
The ConversationThis is an updated version of an article originally published on May 22, 2017
Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Muslim Studies Program, Michigan State University
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

DON'T MISS

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

DON'T MISS

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

DON'T MISS

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

DON'T MISS

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

DON'T MISS

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

DON'T MISS

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

DON'T MISS

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

DON'T MISS

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

DON'T MISS

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

DON'T MISS

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

UP NEXT

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

UP NEXT

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

UP NEXT

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

UP NEXT

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

The ‘Six’ Wives of King Henry VIII Sing Their Hearts Out in Fresno

UP NEXT

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

UP NEXT

Xavier Becerra Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race

UP NEXT

Reps. Costa, Gray Propose Bill to Address Critical Doctor Shortage in Rural Areas

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Yakista Ceeblaj Lor

UP NEXT

Inside a $17 Billion Maintenance Backlog Plaguing California’s Universities

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

1 hour ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

1 hour ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

2 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

2 hours ago

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

3 hours ago

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

3 hours ago

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

3 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

3 hours ago

The ‘Six’ Wives of King Henry VIII Sing Their Hearts Out in Fresno

3 hours ago

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

3 hours ago

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries and higher tariff rates on dozens...

10 minutes ago

10 minutes ago

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

A young Labrador mix rescued from a Fresno canal on Sunday, March 2, 2025, is thriving in a foster home after overcoming fear and trauma. (Instagram/Fresno Animal Center)
52 minutes ago

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

1 hour ago

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

1 hour ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

1 hour ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

2 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

West Fresno satellite campus of Fresno City College
2 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

3 hours ago

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend