As- Salaam-Alaikum!

| Back Home |

The Basics of Fasting

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. In Islam, the new month is determined by the
spotting of the new moon. Thereafter, the month of Ramadan, like all of the Islamic months, may
last for 29 or thirty days depending on when the next new moon is spotted.

Every day during this month, Muslims wake up before Fajr, the dawn prayer. We take one final
small meal called Suhur, before the sky begins to brighten. After that, there’s no eating or drinking
until Maghrib, the sunset prayer.

Muslims should break their fast with water or dates, since this was the practice of Prophet
Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with him. This small meal is called iftar, and should be taken
before praying. After that, we can continue to eat and drink as much as we like until dawn.

It should go without saying, that abstaining from food and drink and sex would be useless if we are
not behaving accordingly. Fasting helps a person gain control over their desires and weaknesses.
Therefore, it is also important that a Muslim refrains from evil speech, cursing, cheating, lying, and
other sinful actions.

Other Events Related to Ramadan

Ramadan is also the month in which the Laylatul Qadar, or the Night of Power takes place. The
Night of Power is the best night of the year, and is equivalent to a thousand months. Therefore,
any good we do during this night will be like we did it for a thousand normal months. No one is
certain of the exact date of the Night of Power, but we do know that is one of the last ten days of
the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is not a holiday. Muslims only have two real holidays, those being Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul
Adha. The first holiday, Eid ul Fitr, means the celebrations of the break fast and commemorates
the end of Ramadan. Eid ul Adha commemorates the Hajj pilgrimage to the Kaaba. For both
holidays, Muslims gather to pray, then we feast, and may also exchange gifts and give charity.

| Back Home |

5010 San Francisco · St. Louis, MO  63115
(314) 381-9105 (office)
aali@stltu.org