Conversely, when Ramadan falls in the summer, fasting can be brutal. In many Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa, summer temperatures can reach levels usually reserved for the deepest bowels of hell.
And in some Northern European countries such as Iceland, Norway, and Sweden where, yes, there are Muslims , fasting can last an average of 20 hours or more in the summer. And in a few places above the Arctic Circle, the sun never actually sets in the summer. In these cases, Muslim religious authorities have decreed that Muslims can either fast along with the closest Muslim country or fast along with Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
There's a reason "Ramadan start date" is one of the most-searched phrases every single year. That's because Muslims around the world do not know when exactly Ramadan is actually supposed to start. If you Google it, you'll see there's a little disclaimer under Google's answer that says "Dates may vary":. That also has to do with the moon — as well as disagreements about science, history, and tradition, plus a bit of geopolitical rivalry.
The beginning of each new month in the Islamic calendar starts on the new moon. Which means the month of Ramadan starts on the new moon. Simple enough, right? If it's been a while since your high school astronomy class, here's a reminder of what the phases of the moon look like:.
Back in Mohammed's day, in sixth-century Arabia, astronomical calculations weren't as precise as they are today, so people went by what they could see with the naked eye. Since the new moon isn't actually super visible in the night sky as you can see above , Muslims traditionally waited to start fasting until the small sliver of crescent moon became visible. There's even a saying attributed to the Prophet Mohammed about waiting to start the fast until you see the crescent.
Some people think this is why the star and crescent is the symbol of Islam, but the crescent was used as a symbol long before Islam. This method was a bit messy, though, since things like clouds or just the difficulty of spotting the moon in some locations often led to different groups starting their fast on separate days, even within the same country. Each community, village, or even mosque within the village might send its own guy out to look for the crescent, with rival groups arguing over whether the other guy really saw it.
Today, however, we have precise scientific calculations that tell us exactly when the new moon begins, and we don't need to wait until someone spots a tiny crescent in the sky. In fact, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Islam , "The need to determine the precise appearance of the hilal [crescent moon] was one of the inducements for Muslim scholars to study astronomy.
So, problem solved! Except that some Muslim scholars believe we should still wait until the slight crescent moon is visible in the night sky because that's what Mohammed said to do and that's the way we've always done it.
Others argue that Islam has a strong tradition of reason, knowledge, and science, and that if Mohammed were around today, he'd choose the more precise scientific calculations over sending the guy at the mosque with the best eyesight outside to squint at the night sky. To make things even more fun, some argue that the whole world should just follow the official moon-sighting decrees of Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and the location of its holiest sites.
But not everyone thinks that's such a swell idea — especially rival countries like Pakistan and Iran, which balk at the idea of treating Saudi Arabia as the ultimate authority on anything having to do with Islam. All this means that each year, Muslims around the world get to experience the delightful lunacy of "moon-sighting fighting.
For the most part, no. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims fast during Ramadan. But there are some minor differences — for instance, Sunnis break their daily fast at sunset , when the sun is no longer visible on the horizon but there's still light in the sky , whereas Shia wait until the redness of the setting sun has completely vanished and the sky is totally dark. Shia also celebrate an additional holiday within the month of Ramadan that Sunnis do not. For three days — the 19th, 20th, and 21st days of Ramadan — Shia commemorate the martyrdom of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed who was both the revered fourth caliph of Sunni Islam and the first "legitimate" imam leader of Shia Islam.
Ali was assassinated in the fierce civil wars that erupted following the death of Mohammed over who should lead the Muslim community in his stead. On the 19th day of the month of Ramadan, while Ali was worshipping at a mosque in Kufa, Iraq, an assassin from a group of rebels who opposed his leadership fatally struck him with a poisoned sword.
Ali died two days later. Ali is a hugely important figure in Shia Islam. His tomb in nearby Najaf, Iraq, is the third-holiest site in Shia Islam, and millions of Shia make a pilgrimage there every year. Although Sunnis revere Ali as one of the four "rightly guided" caliphs who ruled after Mohammed's death, they do not commemorate his death or make a pilgrimage to his tomb. In some Muslim countries, it is a crime to eat and drink in public during the day in the month of Ramadan, even if you're not Muslim.
Of course, this is not the case in the United States, where we enjoy freedom of and freedom from religion.
And most American Muslims, myself included, don't expect the non-Muslims around us to radically change their behavior to accommodate our religious fast during Ramadan. I've had friends and coworkers who have chosen to fast along with me out of solidarity or just because it seems "fun" , and that was sweet of them, but it's not something I ever expect people to do. Plus, they usually last about three days before they decide solidarity is overrated and being thirsty for 15 hours is not remotely "fun.
All that said, there are things you can do, and not do, to make things a little easier for friends or colleagues who happen to be fasting for Ramadan. If you share an office with someone fasting, maybe eat your delicious, juicy cheeseburger in the office break room rather than at your desk, where your poor, suffering Muslim coworkers will have to smell it and salivate if they even have enough moisture left in their bodies to salivate at that point.
So Muslims fast as an act of worship, a chance to get closer to God, and a way to become more compassionate to those in need. These countries will be on the lookout for the Eid moon that evening. If it is sighted, the first day of Eid al-Fitr will be observed on Sunday, May Otherwise, Ramadan fasting will carry on for 30 days and Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Wednesday, May Some experts say restricting food intake during the day can help prevent health problems and improve mental health.
With many Muslim-majority nations under coronavirus lockdown, millions around the world are to fast from dawn to dusk. Published On 20 Apr What is Ramadan?
Muslims also believe the Quran was revealed in Ramadan. More from Features. COP Could oysters help to save Bangladesh from rising seas? This meal often resembles breakfast, but in some cultures it may include more dinner-like foods. After sundown, Muslims break their fast with iftar , a meal which usually starts with dates and water or milk, followed by dinner.
Muslims are permitted to snack at night between those two meals, and hydration is encouraged, especially when Ramadan falls during summer. For suhur , iftar and snacks, Muslims can more easily make it to sundown by eating high-fiber meals to sustain satiety over longer periods, fruits and vegetables to maintain electrolyte stores, and plenty of fluids to maintain hydration.
Muslims should also limit fried foods and sugary sweets, the latter of which is a common cultural tradition among many ethnicities during the holy month. After Ramadan, Muslims celebrate a three-day holiday called Eid-ul-Fitr. After this Eid "celebration" , Muslims pray the holiday prayer in congregation in the morning, visit family and friends, and celebrate over food, gifts and activities for children.
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