Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

19 hours ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

23 hours ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

23 hours ago

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

23 hours ago

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

23 hours ago

Republicans Tee up House Vote on Trump Bill, Outcome Uncertain

23 hours ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

23 hours ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

24 hours ago
Here are 6 Things You Should Know About Ramadan
The-Conversation
By The Conversation
Published 6 years ago on
May 6, 2019

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.

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 early May; next year it will begin in late April. (An Islamic year is roughly 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year.)

Mohammad Hassan Khalil

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.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on May 22, 2017The Conversation. It is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

DON'T MISS

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

DON'T MISS

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

DON'T MISS

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

DON'T MISS

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

DON'T MISS

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

DON'T MISS

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

UP NEXT

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

UP NEXT

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

UP NEXT

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

UP NEXT

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

UP NEXT

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

UP NEXT

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

UP NEXT

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

25 minutes ago

Supreme Court’s Conservatives Leaned Into US Culture Wars With Transgender Cases

27 minutes ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 35,000 Acres, More Evacuations Ordered

35 minutes ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

42 minutes ago

There Are Fresno Area Fireworks Shows Galore Through Sunday

48 minutes ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

49 minutes ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

16 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

16 hours ago

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

16 hours ago

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

17 hours ago

US Imposes New Sanctions Targeting Iran Oil Trade, Hezbollah, Treasury Dept Says

The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday against a business network that smuggles Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil, as well as sanc...

13 minutes ago

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump?s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 27, 2025. (Reuters File)
13 minutes ago

US Imposes New Sanctions Targeting Iran Oil Trade, Hezbollah, Treasury Dept Says

15 minutes ago

Keep Pets Safe on 4th of July: Fresno County Animal Shelter Offers Tips

A view shows the dome of the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 3, 2025. (Reuters File)
21 minutes ago

US House Republicans Head Toward Final Vote on Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill

A general view of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2024. (Reuters File)
25 minutes ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

Demonstrators attend a Transgender Day of Visibility rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 31, 2025. (Reuters File)
27 minutes ago

Supreme Court’s Conservatives Leaned Into US Culture Wars With Transgender Cases

A wildfire near New Cuyama in San Luis Obispo County has burned more than 35,000 acres, prompted multiple evacuation orders, and is just 5% contained as crews from several agencies battle the blaze. (CalFire)
35 minutes ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 35,000 Acres, More Evacuations Ordered

Nvidia products are displayed after its CEO Jensen Huang made a keynote speech at Computex in Taipei, Taiwan May 19, 2025. (Reuters File)
42 minutes ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

48 minutes ago

There Are Fresno Area Fireworks Shows Galore Through Sunday

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

Search

Send this to a friend