Ramadan begins on Monday May, 6

The holy Month of Ramadan in the Islamic world begins on Monday, May, 6. It is likely to start on Sunday night, with the first day of fast falling on Monday. 

After a fasting period of one month, Ramadan Feast will be celebrated on June, 4, 5 and 6.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic, or Hijri calendar, and the holy month for Muslims, who believe it is when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.

The calendar is determined by Moon phases, which are either 29 or 30 days long, and the appearance of a new Moon signals the beginning of a month. Searching for the new crescent can be a little tricky, however, because it is usually faint and is only visible for about 20 minutes.

Although Ramadan is always in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, its dates change every year. That’s because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the end of Ramadan depends on the first spotting of the Shawwal Moon. 

Traditionally, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia observe the holy month on the same dates, while Oman’s religious authority calls Ramadan independently of the rest of the Arabian Gulf.

Saudi Arabia leads the way in calling the start and end of the holy month, but each country has its own committee to confirm the new Moon.

During this month, Muslims do not consume any food or drinks between fajr (dawn) and maghrib (sunset) prayers – not even water.

Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan?
-The holy month of Ramadan commemorates the first revelation of the Koran to Mohammed according to Islamic belief.
-Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship for Muslims. 
-Muslims are expected to put more effort into the teachings of Islam during the holy month.
-One of the teachings of Islam is observing Ramadan which is why it is such a pivotal event in the Muslim calendar.

-This means that during Ramadan, Muslims must abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity throughout the day.
-The fast begins at dawn and ends at sunset and people observing Ramadan eat two meals a day throughout the festival.
-A pre-fast meal known as Suhoor is eaten before dawn, and a post-fast larger meal called Iftar is eaten when the sun goes down.
-Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is known as Sawm.
-According to Islam, Muslims must satisfy the five pillars in order to live a good and responsible life.
-The other pillars are Shahadat - a declaration of faith, Salah - daily prayer, Zakat - donating to charity, and the pilgrimage to Hajj.

We wish all our Muslim readers all the best through this holy month.