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91-483: The mosque, six kilometers east of Qom, has long been a sacred place, at least since 373 A.H., 17th of Ramadan (22 February 984 C.E.), when according to the mosque website, one Sheikh Hassan ibn Muthlih Jamkarani is reported to have met the 12th Imam along with the prophet Al-Khidr . Jamkarani was instructed that the land they were on was "noble" and that the owner — Hasan bin Muslim — was to cease cultivating it and finance

182-679: A 2024 visit to Xinjiang by a reporter from the British magazine The Economist, many Uyghurs do not fast during Ramadan because, according to locals, "the Chinese government guarantees freedom of religion". Some countries impose modified work schedules. In the UAE, employees may work no more than six hours per day and thirty-six hours per week. Qatar , Oman , Bahrain and Kuwait have similar laws. There are various health effects of fasting in Ramadan. Ramadan fasting

273-435: A believer is required to give to the poor; the practice is obligatory as one of the pillars of Islam . Muslims believe that good deeds are rewarded more handsomely during Ramadan than at any other time of the year; consequently, many Muslims donate a larger portion – or even all – of their yearly zakat during this month. Tarawih ( Arabic : تراويح ) are extra nightly prayers performed during

364-554: A coin from AH 17, the first surviving attested use of a Hijri calendar date alongside a date in another calendar ( Coptic ) is on a papyrus from Egypt in AH 22, PERF 558 . Due to the Islamic calendar's reliance on certain variable methods of observation to determine its month-start-dates, these dates sometimes vary slightly from the month-start-dates of the astronomical lunar calendar, which are based directly on astronomical calculations. Still,

455-512: A country says it does is impossible. Due to the somewhat variable nature of the Islamic calendar, in most Muslim countries, the Islamic calendar is used primarily for religious purposes, while the Solar-based Gregorian calendar is still used primarily for matters of commerce and agriculture . If the Islamic calendar were prepared using astronomical calculations, Muslims throughout the Muslim world could use it to meet all their needs,

546-568: A crescent new moon has been sighted or after completion of thirty days of fasting if no sighting of the moon is possible. Eid celebrates the return to a more natural disposition ( fitra ) of eating, drinking, and marital intimacy . The common practice is to fast from dawn to sunset. The pre-dawn meal before the fast is called the suhur , while the meal at sunset that breaks the fast is called iftar . Muslims devote more time to prayer and acts of charity, striving to improve their self-discipline , motivated by hadith: "When Ramadan arrives,

637-463: A day of rest. A few others (e.g., Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, Nigeria, Malaysia) have adopted the Saturday-Sunday weekend while making Friday a working day with a long midday break to allow time off for worship. Each month of the Islamic calendar commences on the birth of the new lunar cycle. Traditionally, this is based on actual observation of the moon's crescent ( hilal ) marking the end of

728-521: A decline in productivity of 35–50%. The Saudi businesses proposed awarding salary bonuses in order to incentivize longer hours. Despite the reduction in productivity, merchants can enjoy higher profit margins in Ramadan due to increase in demand. Hilal (crescent moon) (refresh if needed) The Hijri calendar ( Arabic : ٱلتَّقْوِيم ٱلْهِجْرِيّ , romanized :  al-taqwīm al-hijrī ), or Arabic calendar , also known in English as

819-668: A horse-dragon hybrid creature allegedly inspired by the Buraq . In the Chinese-influenced capital city of Jakarta , firecrackers are widely used to celebrate Ramadan, although they are officially illegal. Towards the end of Ramadan, most employees receive a one-month bonus known as Tunjangan Hari Raya . Certain kinds of food are especially popular during Ramadan, such as large beef or buffalo in Aceh and snails in Central Java . The iftar meal

910-514: A knot around the grids covering the holy well, which they hope will be received by the Imam Mahdi . Every morning custodians cut off the strings from the previous day. Tuesday night is especially popular as it is said to be "the day the vision appeared and therefore the day of the week that [the Imam], although invisible, takes requests." The gathering "resembles a huge tailgate party where vendors set up in

1001-460: A particular season. The Qur'an links the four forbidden months with Nasī ' , a word that literally means "postponement". According to Muslim tradition, the decision of postponement was administered by the tribe of Kinanah , by a man known as the al-Qalammas of Kinanah and his descendants (pl. qalāmisa ). Different interpretations of the concept of Nasī ' have been proposed. Some scholars, both Muslim and Western, maintain that

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1092-435: A postulation corroborated by other scholars, including theologian Paul-Gordon Chandler , but disputed by some Muslim academics. The Quran itself emphasizes that the fast it prescribes had already been prescribed to earlier biblical communities (2:183), even though an explicit intertext for this pre-Islamic practice does not exist. The first and last dates of Ramadan are determined by the lunar Islamic calendar . Because

1183-551: A previous history of cardiovascular disease. The fasting period is usually associated with modest weight loss, but weight can return afterwards. In many cultures, it is associated with heavy food and water intake during Suhur and Iftar times, which may do more harm than good. Ramadan fasting is safe for healthy people provided that overall food and water intake is adequate but those with medical conditions should seek medical advice if they encounter health problems before or during fasting. The education departments of Berlin and

1274-549: A small monthly variation of 44 minutes to account for, which adds up to a total of 24 hours (i.e., the equivalent of one full day) in 2.73 years. To settle accounts, it is sufficient to add one day every three years to the lunar calendar, in the same way that one adds one day to the Gregorian calendar every four years. The technical details of the adjustment are described in Tabular Islamic calendar . The Islamic calendar, however,

1365-708: A synonym to the Arabic word for "intercalation" ( kabīsa ). The Arabs, according to one explanation mentioned by Abu Ma'shar, learned of this type of intercalation from the Jews. The Jewish Nasi was the official who decided when to intercalate the Jewish calendar. Some sources say that the Arabs followed the Jewish practice and intercalated seven months over nineteen years, or else that they intercalated nine months over 24 years; there is, however, no consensus among scholars on this issue. Nasi'

1456-569: A tradition believed to have originated during the Fatimid Caliphate , where the rule of Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah was acclaimed by people holding lanterns. On the island of Java , many believers bathe in holy springs to prepare for fasting, a ritual known as Padusan . The city of Semarang marks the beginning of Ramadan with the Dugderan carnival, which involves parading the warak ngendog ,

1547-593: A year of 12 lunar months is 354.37 days long. In this calendar system, lunar months begin precisely at the time of the monthly "conjunction", when the Moon is located most directly between the Earth and the Sun. The month is defined as the average duration of a revolution of the Moon around the Earth (29.53 days). By convention, months of 30 days and 29 days succeed each other, adding up over two successive months to 59 full days. This leaves only

1638-411: Is Rajab , month 7. These months were considered forbidden both within the new Islamic calendar and within the old pagan Meccan calendar. Traditionally, the Islamic day begins at sunset and ends at the next sunset. Each Islamic day thus begins at nightfall and ends at the end of daylight. The days in the seven-day week are, with the exception of the last two days, named after their ordinal place in

1729-563: Is 1446 AH. In the Gregorian calendar reckoning, 1446 AH runs from 7 July 2024 to approximately 26 June 2025. For central Arabia, especially Mecca , there is a lack of epigraphical evidence but details are found in the writings of Muslim authors of the Abbasid era. Inscriptions of the ancient South Arabian calendars reveal the use of a number of local calendars. At least some of these South Arabian calendars followed

1820-543: Is also the Qur'anic meaning of Nasī ' . The Encyclopaedia of Islam concludes "The Arabic system of [Nasī'] can only have been intended to move the Hajj and the fairs associated with it in the vicinity of Mecca to a suitable season of the year. It was not intended to establish a fixed calendar to be generally observed." The term "fixed calendar" is generally understood to refer to the non-intercalated calendar. Others concur that it

1911-413: Is an increase in disbelief, by which the disbelievers are led ˹far˺ astray. They adjust the sanctity one year and uphold it in another, only to maintain the number of months sanctified by Allah, violating the very months Allah has made sacred. Their evil deeds have been made appealing to them. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. The prohibition of Nasī' would presumably have been announced when

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2002-510: Is announced every evening by striking the bedug , a giant drum, in the mosque. Common greetings during Ramadan include Ramadan mubarak and Ramadan kareem , which mean (have a) "blessed Ramadan" and "generous Ramadan" respectively. During Ramadan in the Middle East, a mesaharati beats a drum across a neighbourhood to wake people up to eat the suhoor meal. Similarly in Southeast Asia,

2093-448: Is based on a different set of conventions being used for the determination of the month-start-dates. Each month still has either 29 or 30 days, but due to the variable method of observations employed, there is usually no discernible order in the sequencing of either 29 or 30-day month lengths. Traditionally, the first day of each month is the day (beginning at sunset) of the first sighting of the hilal (crescent moon) shortly after sunset. If

2184-426: Is considered safe for healthy individuals; it may pose risks for individuals with certain pre-existing conditions. Most Islamic scholars hold that fasting is not required for those who are ill. Additionally, the elderly and pre-pubertal children are exempt from fasting. Pregnant or lactating women are also exempt from fasting during Ramadan. There are known health risks involved in pregnant women who fast, which include

2275-460: Is considered to be the holiest night of the year. It is generally believed to have occurred on an odd-numbered night during the last ten days of Ramadan; the Dawoodi Bohra believe that Laylat al-Qadr was the twenty-third night of Ramadan. The holiday of Eid al-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر), which marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal , the next lunar month, is declared after

2366-523: Is forbidden, listed as Rajab and the three months around the pilgrimage season, Dhu al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram. A similar if not identical concept to the forbidden months is also attested by Procopius , where he describes an armistice that the Eastern Arabs of the Lakhmid al-Mundhir respected for two months in the summer solstice of 541 CE. However, Muslim historians do not link these months to

2457-492: Is interpreted to signify either the postponement of the pre-Islamic month of Hajj, or the (also pre-Islamic) practice of intercalation  – periodic insertion of an additional month to reset the calendar into accordance with the seasons. In the tenth year of the Hijra, as documented in the Qur'an ( Surah At-Tawbah (9) :36–37), Muslims believe God revealed the "prohibition of

2548-466: Is not in fact an innovation of monotheism but rather has always been necessary for believers to attain fear of God ( taqwa ). They point to the fact that the pre-Islamic pagans of Mecca fasted on the tenth day of Muharram to expiate sin and avoid drought . Philip Jenkins argues that the observance of Ramadan fasting grew out of "the strict Lenten discipline of the Syrian Churches ,"

2639-431: Is obligatory ( fard ) for all adult Muslims who are not acutely or chronically ill , travelling , elderly , breastfeeding , diabetic , pregnant , or menstruating . The predawn meal is referred to as suhur , and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar . Although rulings ( fatawa ) have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a midnight sun or polar night should follow

2730-661: Is often recommended that working Muslims inform their employers if they are fasting, given the potential for the observance to impact performance at work. The extent to which Ramadan observers are protected by religious accommodation varies by country. Policies putting them at a disadvantage compared to other employees have been met with discrimination claims in the United Kingdom and the United States. An Arab News article reported that Saudi Arabian businesses were unhappy with shorter working hours during Ramadan, some reporting

2821-471: Is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days ˹after Ramaḍân˺. Allah intends ease for you, not hardship, so that you may complete the prescribed period and proclaim the greatness of Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful. Muslims hold that all scripture was revealed during Ramadan, the scrolls of Abraham , Torah , Psalms , Gospel , and Quran having been handed down on

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2912-534: Is pronounced as /z/. The Muslim communities in some countries with historical Persian influence, such as Afghanistan , Azerbaijan , Iran , India , Pakistan and Turkey , use the word Ramazan or Ramzan . The word Romzan is used in Bangladesh . Ramadan is the month on which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong˺. So whoever

3003-618: Is reported to have banned Ramadan fasting for officials, students, and teachers in Xinjiang since 2012. Radio Free Asia alleged that residents in Kashgar Prefecture were encouraged to report those who fasted to the authorities. The ban has been denied by Chinese diplomats and Muslim associations in Xinjiang. Antara News , Daily Times , and Pakistan Today have also brought up accounts of residents in Xinjiang fasting. According to

3094-497: Is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, and to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Muslims believe that Ramadan teaches them to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate, thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity ( zakat ). Exemptions from fasting include those traveling, menstruating, severely ill, pregnant, or breastfeeding. Those unable to fast are obligated to make up

3185-528: Is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar , observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting ( sawm ), prayer ( salah ), reflection, and community. A commemoration of Muhammad's first revelation , the annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. Fasting from dawn to sunset

3276-478: The hilāl , or crescent moon , typically occurs approximately one day after the new moon , Muslims can usually estimate the beginning of Ramadan; however, many Muslims prefer to confirm the opening of Ramadan by direct visual observation of the crescent. The Laylat al-Qadr ( Arabic : لیلة القدر ) or "Night of Power" is the night that Muslims believe the Quran was first sent down to the world, and Muhammad received his first quranic revelation from it. The night

3367-550: The Hijrah . In the West, dates in this era are usually denoted AH ( Latin : Anno Hegirae , lit.   'In the year of the Hijrah';). In Muslim countries, it is also sometimes denoted as H from its Arabic form ( سَنَة هِجْرِيَّة , abbreviated ھ ). In English, years prior to the Hijra are denoted as BH ("Before the Hijra"). Since 7 July 2024 CE, the current Islamic year

3458-606: The Levant and Mesopotamia ( Iraq , Syria , Jordan , Lebanon and Palestine ), but the religious calendar is the Hijri one. This calendar enumerates the Hijri era , whose epoch was established as the Islamic New Year in 622 CE . During that year, Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina and established the first Muslim community ( ummah ), an event commemorated as

3549-469: The Middle East , iftar consists of water, juices, dates, salads and appetizers; one or more main dishes; and rich desserts, with dessert considered the most important aspect of the meal. Typical main dishes include lamb stewed with wheat berries, lamb kebabs with grilled vegetables, and roasted chicken served with chickpea-studded rice pilaf. Desserts may include lokma , baklava or knafeh . Over time,

3640-480: The Muslim calendar and Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the annual fasting and the annual season for the great pilgrimage . In almost all countries where the predominant religion is Islam, the civil calendar is the Gregorian calendar , with Syriac month-names used in

3731-508: The Quran . The word Ramadan derives from the Arabic root R-M-Ḍ ([ر-م-ض] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |link= ( help ) ) "scorching heat", which is the Classical Arabic verb " ramiḍa ([رَمِضَ] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |link= ( help ) )" meaning "become intensely hot – become burning; become scorching; be blazing; be glowing". Ramadan is thought of as one of

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3822-612: The Rashid Caliph Umar ( r.  634–644 ) in Basra , complained about the absence of any years on the correspondence he received from Umar, making it difficult for him to determine which instructions were most recent. This report convinced Umar of the need to introduce an era for Muslims. After debating the issue with his counsellors, he decided that the first year should be the year of Muhammad's arrival at Medina (known as Yathrib, before Muhammad's arrival). Uthman then suggested that

3913-727: The United Kingdom have tried to discourage students from fasting during Ramadan, as they claim that not eating or drinking can lead to concentration problems and bad grades. A review of the literature by an Iranian group suggested fasting during Ramadan might produce renal injury in patients with moderate ( GFR <60 ml/min) or severe kidney disease but was not injurious to renal transplant patients with good function or most stone-forming patients. A study on 55 professional Algerian soccer players showed that performance during Ramadan declined significantly for speed, agility, dribbling speed and endurance, and most stayed low 2 weeks after

4004-604: The kentongan slit drum is used for the same purpose. Ramadan attracts significant increases in television viewership, as the usual prime time hours coincide with the iftar , and are commonly extended into the late-night hours to coincide with the s uhur . Broadcasters in the Arab world traditionally premiere serial dramas known as musalsal during Ramadan; they are similar in style to Latin American telenovelas , and are typically around 30 episodes in length so that they run over

4095-504: The lunisolar system . Both al-Biruni and al-Mas'udi suggest that the ancient Arabs used the same month names as the Muslims, though they also record other month names used by the pre-Islamic Arabs. The Islamic tradition is unanimous in stating that Arabs of Tihamah , Hejaz , and Najd distinguished between two types of months, permitted ( ḥalāl ) and forbidden ( ḥarām ) months. The forbidden months were four months during which fighting

4186-637: The names of God in Islam by some, and as such it is reported in many hadiths that it is prohibited to say only "Ramadan" in reference to the calendar month and that it is necessary to say "month of Ramadan", as reported in Sunni , Shia and Zaydi sources. However, the report has been graded by others as Mawḍūʻ (fabricated) and inauthentic . In the Persian language , the Arabic letter [[[ض]]] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |link= ( help ) ( Ḍād )

4277-506: The pre-Islamic calendar used in central Arabia was a purely lunar calendar similar to the modern Islamic calendar. According to this view, Nasī ' is related to the pre-Islamic practices of the Meccan Arabs, where they would alter the distribution of the forbidden months within a given year without implying a calendar manipulation. This interpretation is supported by Arab historians and lexicographers, like Ibn Hisham , Ibn Manzur , and

4368-399: The 20th century. These names were collectively referred to as the "Turki lunar year" or "Turki lunar calendar". or ربيع الأولى , rabīʿa l-ʾūlā or ربيع الآخر , rabīʿa l-ʾākhir or جمادى الأولى , jumādā l-ʾūlā or جمادى الآخرة , jumādā l-ʾākhirah or برات آی , bärât ay Twelver Shia Muslims believe the Islamic new year and first month of

4459-456: The Hijra, the calendar was named the Hijri calendar. F A Shamsi (1984) postulated that the Arabic calendar was never intercalated. According to him, the first day of the first month of the new fixed Islamic calendar (1 Muharram AH 1) was no different from what was observed at the time. The day the Prophet moved from Quba' to Medina was originally 26 Rabi' I on the pre-Islamic calendar. 1 Muharram of

4550-472: The Hijri calendar is Rabi' al-Awwal rather than Muharram, due to it being the month in which the Hijrah took place. This has led to difference regarding description of the years in which some events took place, such as the Muharram-occurring battle of Karbala , which Shias say took place in 60 AH, while Sunnis say it took place in 61 AH. The mean duration of a tropical year is 365.24219 days, while

4641-426: The Islamic calendar roughly approximates the astronomical-lunar-calendar system, seldom varying by more than three days from it. Both the Islamic calendar and the astronomical-lunar-calendar take no account of the solar year in their calculations, and thus both of these strictly lunar based calendar systems have no ability to reckon the timing of the four seasons of the year. In the astronomical-lunar-calendar system,

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4732-506: The Nasī ' ". Indeed, the number of months ordained by Allah is twelve—in Allah's Record since the day He created the heavens and the earth—of which four are sacred. That is the Right Way. So do not wrong one another during these months. And together fight the polytheists as they fight against you together. And know that Allah is with those mindful ˹of Him˺. Reallocating the sanctity of ˹these˺ months

4823-479: The beginning of months. Thus, Malaysia , Indonesia , and a few others begin each month at sunset on the first day that the moon sets after the sun (moonset after sunset). In Egypt, the month begins at sunset on the first day that the moon sets at least five minutes after the sun. A detailed analysis of the available data shows, however, that there are major discrepancies between what countries say they do on this subject, and what they actually do. In some instances, what

4914-511: The building of a mosque on it from the earnings he had accumulated from farming the land. Sometime in the decade of 1995-2005, the mosque's reputation spread, and many pilgrims, particularly young people, began to come to it. In the rear of the mosque, there is a "well of requests" where it is believed the Twelfth Imam once "became miraculously unhidden for a brief shining moment of loving communion with his Creator." Pilgrims tie small strings in

5005-673: The conclusion of Ramadan. The length of the dawn to sunset time varies in different parts of the world according to summer or winter solstices of the Sun. Most Muslims fast for eleven to sixteen hours during Ramadan. However, in polar regions, the period between dawn and sunset may exceed twenty-two hours in summer. For example, in 2014, Muslims in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Trondheim, Norway, fasted almost twenty-two hours, while Muslims in Sydney, Australia, fasted for only about eleven hours. In areas characterized by continuous night or day, some Muslims follow

5096-451: The corpus of Qur'anic exegesis . This is corroborated by an early Sabaic inscription, where a religious ritual was "postponed" ( ns'w ) due to war. According to the context of this inscription, the verb ns'’ has nothing to do with intercalation, but only with moving religious events within the calendar itself. The similarity between the religious concept of this ancient inscription and the Qur'an suggests that non-calendaring postponement

5187-589: The countries of Kuwait , Saudi Arabia , Morocco , Algeria and Malaysia . In the United Arab Emirates , the punishment is community service. In some countries, on the contrary, the observance of Ramadan has been restricted by governments. In the USSR , the practice of Ramadan was suppressed by officials. In Albania, Ramadan festivities were banned during the communist period. However, many Albanians continued to fast secretly during this period. China

5278-916: The fasting schedule observed in the nearest city that experiences sunrise and sunset, while others follow Mecca time. As sunrise and sunset occur sixteen times each a day in low-Earth orbit, Muslim astronauts in space schedule religious practices around the time zone of the last place on Earth they were on. For example, this means an astronaut from Malaysia launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida would center their fast according to sunrise and sunset times in Cape Canaveral, in Florida's Eastern Time . This includes times for daily prayers, as well as sunset and sunrise for Ramadan. Muslims continue to work during Ramadan; however, in some countries, such as Oman and Lebanon, working hours are shortened. It

5369-412: The first, sixth, twelfth, thirteenth (in some sources, eighteenth) and twenty-fourth Ramadans, respectively. Muhammad is said to have received his first quranic revelation on Laylat al-Qadr , one of five odd-numbered nights that fall during the last ten days of Ramadan. Although Muslims were first commanded to fast in the second year of Hijra (624 CE), they believe that the practice of fasting

5460-419: The fourth of the five required daily prayers, after which the main meal is served. Social gatherings, many times in buffet style, are frequent at iftar . Traditional dishes are often highlighted, including traditional desserts, particularly those made only during Ramadan. Water is usually the beverage of choice, but juice and milk are also often available, as are soft drinks and caffeinated beverages. In

5551-485: The gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of hell are locked up and devils are put in chains." Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and heightened devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam . The fast ( sawm ) begins at dawn and ends at sunset. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, Muslims abstain from sexual relations and sinful speech and behaviour during Ramadan. Fasting

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5642-402: The hilal is not observed immediately after the 29th day of a month (either because clouds block its view or because the western sky is still too bright when the moon sets), then the day that begins at that sunset is the 30th. Such a sighting has to be made by one or more trustworthy men testifying before a committee of Muslim leaders. Determining the most likely day that the hilal could be observed

5733-642: The intercalated month had returned to its position just before the month of Nasi' began. If Nasī' meant intercalation, then the number and the position of the intercalary months between AH 1 and AH 10 are uncertain; western calendar dates commonly cited for key events in early Islam such as the Hijra , the Battle of Badr , the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Trench should be viewed with caution as they might be in error by one, two, three or even four lunar months. This prohibition

5824-454: The length of the month. Advertisers in the region have considered Ramadan to be comparable to the Super Bowl on U.S. television in terms of impact and importance; the cost of a 30-second commercial in peak time during Ramadan is usually more than double than normal. According to a 2012 Pew Research Centre study, there was widespread Ramadan observance, with a median of 93 percent across

5915-491: The long-term average duration of a synodic month is 29.530587981 days. Thus the average lunar year (twelve new moons) is 10.87513 days shorter than the average solar year (365.24219 − (12 × 29.530587981)), causing months of the Hijri calendar to advance about eleven days earlier each year, relative to the equinoxes. "As a result," says the Astronomical Almanac , "the cycle of twelve lunar months regresses through

6006-453: The lunar crescent becomes visible only some 17 hours after the conjunction, and only subject to the existence of a number of favourable conditions relative to weather, time, geographic location, as well as various astronomical parameters. Given the fact that the moon sets progressively later than the sun as one goes west, with a corresponding increase in its "age" since conjunction, Western Muslim countries may, under favorable conditions, observe

6097-820: The main mosque and well. On 4 January 2020, a blood-red flag symbolizing vengeance unfurled above the dome in response to the 2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike . However, usually the red flag is raised during Muharram and it also flown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran whenever a milestone of casualties was reached. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Ramadan Ramadan ( Arabic : رَمَضَان , romanized :  Ramaḍān [ra.ma.dˤaːn] ; also spelled Ramazan , Ramzan , Ramadhan , or Ramathan )

6188-410: The missed days later. Each day before dawn, Muslims observe a pre-fast meal called the suhur . After stopping a short time before dawn, Muslims begin the first prayer of the day, Fajr . At sunset, families break the fast with the iftar , traditionally opening the meal by eating dates to commemorate Muhammad's practice of breaking the fast with three dates. They then adjourn for Maghrib ,

6279-434: The month of Ramadan. Contrary to popular belief, they are not compulsory. Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran, which comprises thirty juz' (sections), over the thirty days of Ramadan. Some Muslims incorporate a recitation of one juz' into each of the thirty tarawih sessions observed during the month. In some Islamic countries, lights ( fanous ) are strung up in public squares and across city streets,

6370-453: The months begin with Muharram, in line with the established custom of the Arabs at that time. The years of the Islamic calendar thus began with the month of Muharram in the year of Muhammad's arrival at the city of Medina, even though the actual emigration took place in Safar and Rabi' I of the intercalated calendar, two months before the commencement of Muharram in the new fixed calendar. Because of

6461-641: The months of the Hijri calendar, one of which was used by the Pashtuns and the other by the Hazaras . They were in use until the time of Amanullah Khan 's reign, when the usage of the Solar Hijri Calendar was formalized across Afghanistan. In Xinjiang , the Uyghur Muslims traditionally had different names for the months of the Hijri calendar, which were in use until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in

6552-511: The mosque kitchen provides a free evening meal to thousands of poor people. One of the first acts of the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was to donate £10 million to the mosque, to fund plans to turn "the normal-sized Jamkaran mosque into a massive complex of prayer halls, minarets, car parks and ablutions." In recent years, overseers of the Jamkaran compound have become sensitive to its foreign images and have restricted foreign press from

6643-562: The new fixed calendar corresponded to Friday, 16 July 622 CE, the equivalent civil tabular date (same daylight period) in the Julian calendar . The Islamic day began at the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July. This Julian date (16 July) was determined by medieval Muslim astronomers by projecting back in time their own tabular Islamic calendar , which had alternating 30- and 29-day months in each lunar year plus eleven leap days every 30 years. For example, al-Biruni mentioned this Julian date in

6734-458: The new moon one day earlier than eastern Muslim countries. Due to the interplay of all these factors, the beginning of each month differs from one Muslim country to another, during the 48-hour period following the conjunction. The information provided by the calendar in any country does not extend beyond the current month. A number of Muslim countries try to overcome some of these difficulties by applying different astronomy-related rules to determine

6825-406: The parking lots and families set up picnic rugs and tens of thousands wander about the grounds as if waiting for the main event to happen." More than a hundred thousand pilgrims sometimes pray outside the overflowing mosque for Maghrib prayer . In keeping with separation of the sexes , women are separated from men in their own special cordoned-off area and also have their own well. Also on Tuesdays,

6916-446: The potential of induced labour and gestational diabetes . There are some health benefits of fasting in Ramadan including increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance. It has also been shown that there is a significant improvement in 10 years coronary heart disease risk score and other cardiovascular risk factors such as lipids profile, systolic blood pressure, weight, BMI and waist circumference in subjects with

7007-603: The practice of iftar has evolved into banquets that may accommodate hundreds or even thousands of diners. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi , the largest mosque in the UAE , feeds up to thirty thousand people every night. Some twelve thousand people attend iftar at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad . Zakat , often translated as "the poor-rate", is the fixed percentage of income

7098-525: The previous lunar cycle and hence the previous month, thereby beginning the new month. Consequently, each month can have 29 or 30 days depending on the visibility of the Moon, astronomical positioning of the Earth and weather conditions. Four of the twelve Hijri months are considered sacred: Rajab (7), and the three consecutive months of Dhū al-Qa'dah (11), Dhu al-Ḥijjah (12) and Muḥarram (1), in which battles are forbidden. The "Afghan lunar calendar" refers to two distinct naming systems for

7189-405: The religious authorities also allow the testimony of less experienced observers and thus often announce the sighting of the lunar crescent on a date when none of the official committees could see it. Each Islamic state proceeds with its own monthly observation of the new moon (or, failing that, awaits the completion of 30 days) before declaring the beginning of a new month on its territory. However,

7280-656: The sacred months, but in fact they profane that which God has declared to be inviolable, and sanctify that which God has declared to be profane. Assuredly time, in its revolution, has returned to such as it was at the creation of the heavens and the earth. In the eyes of God the number of the months is twelve. Among these twelve months four are sacred, namely, Rajab, which stands alone, and three others which are consecutive. The three successive sacred (forbidden) months mentioned by Muhammad (months in which battles are forbidden) are Dhu al-Qa'dah , Dhu al-Hijjah , and Muharram , months 11, 12, and 1 respectively. The single forbidden month

7371-527: The seasons over a period of about 33 [ solar ] years". In pre-Islamic Arabia, it was customary to identify a year after a major event which took place in it. Thus, according to Islamic tradition, Abraha , governor of Yemen, then a province of the Christian Kingdom of Aksum of Northeast Africa and South Arabia , attempted to destroy the Kaaba with an army which included several elephants. The raid

7462-429: The start-date of the month is still followed in the overwhelming majority of Muslim countries. For instance, Saudi Arabia uses the sighting method to determine the beginning of each month of the Hijri calendar. Since AH 1419 (1998/99), several official hilal sighting committees have been set up by the government to determine the first visual sighting of the lunar crescent at the beginning of each lunar month. Nevertheless,

7553-668: The thirty-nine countries and territories studied. Regions with high percentages of fasting among Muslims include Southeast Asia , South Asia , Middle East and North Africa , Horn of Africa and most of Sub-Saharan Africa . Percentages are lower in Central Asia and Southeast Europe . In some Muslim countries , eating in public during daylight hours in Ramadan is a crime . The sale of alcohol becomes prohibited during Ramadan in Egypt . The penalty for publicly eating, drinking or smoking during Ramadan can result in fines or incarceration in

7644-452: The timetable of Mecca , it is common practice to follow the timetable of the closest country in which night can be distinguished from day. The spiritual rewards ( thawab ) of fasting are believed to be multiplied during Ramadan. Accordingly, during the hours of fasting, Muslims refrain not only from food and drink, but also tobacco products , sexual relations , and sinful behavior , devoting themselves instead to prayer and study of

7735-405: The way they use the Gregorian calendar today. But, there are divergent views on whether it is licit to do so. A majority of theologians oppose the use of calculations (beyond the constraint that each month must be not less than 29 nor more than 30 days) on the grounds that the latter would not conform with Muhammad's recommendation to observe the new moon of Ramadan and Shawal in order to determine

7826-522: The week. On the sixth day of the week, the "gathering day" ( Yawm al-Jumʿah ), Muslims assemble for the Friday-prayer at a local mosque at noon. The "gathering day" is often regarded as the weekly day off. This is frequently made official, with many Muslim countries adopting Friday and Saturday (e.g., Egypt, Saudi Arabia) or Thursday and Friday as official weekends , during which offices are closed; other countries (e.g., Iran) choose to make Friday alone

7917-459: The year 1000 CE. Although not used by either medieval Muslim astronomers or modern scholars to determine the Islamic epoch, the thin crescent moon would have also first become visible (assuming clouds did not obscure it) shortly after the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July, 1.5 days after the associated dark moon (astronomical new moon ) on the morning of 14 July. Though Michael Cook and Patricia Crone in their book Hagarism cite

8008-408: Was a motivation for Muslim interest in astronomy, which put Islam in the forefront of that science for many centuries. Still, due to the fact that both lunar reckoning systems are ultimately based on the lunar cycle itself, both systems still do roughly correspond to one another, never being more than three days out of synchronisation with one another. This traditional practice for the determination of

8099-455: Was mentioned by Muhammad during the farewell sermon which was delivered on 9 Dhu al-Hijjah AH 10 (Julian date Friday 6 March 632 CE) on Mount Arafat during the farewell pilgrimage to Mecca. Certainly the Nasi' is an impious addition, which has led the infidels into error. One year they authorise the Nasi', another year they forbid it. They observe the divine precept with respect to the number of

8190-511: Was originally a lunar calendar, but suggest that about 200 years before the Hijra it was transformed into a lunisolar calendar containing an intercalary month added from time to time to keep the pilgrimage within the season of the year when merchandise was most abundant. This interpretation was first proposed by the medieval Muslim astrologer and astronomer Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi , and later by al-Biruni , al-Mas'udi , and some western scholars. This interpretation considers Nasī ' to be

8281-499: Was unsuccessful, but that year became known as the Year of the Elephant , during which Muhammad was born (surah al-Fil ). Most equate this to the year 570 CE, but a minority use 571 CE. The first ten years of the Hijra were not numbered, but were named after events in the life of Muhammad according to al-Biruni : In c.  638 (17 AH), Abu Musa al-Ash'ari , one of the officials of

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