Article Outline
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The Significance of Fasting
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Ramadan is a month of worship, and fasting is a means of fostering piety. Muslims celebrate the glory of Allah (God) during Ramadan and thank Him for revealing the Qur'an, which they consider a guide for humanity. Muslim thinkers emphasize the religious significance of fasting and its implications for self-purification and spiritual growth, rather than the outward observance of the many rules regarding the fast. Muhammad reportedly said, “He who does not abandon falsehood in word and action in accordance with fasting, God has no need that he should abandon his food and drink.”
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Before and After Fasting
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Islamic practice, based on sayings of Muhammad, recommends that Muslims have a meal, called sahur, shortly before dawn during Ramadan. After sunset they should hasten the breaking of the fast with another meal, iftar. Iftar should be a light meal, taken before proceeding to sunset prayers. Providing iftar to others, especially to the poor, is considered highly meritorious. Many Muslims have iftar in the neighborhood mosque and invite friends, relatives, and neighbors to join them.
Ramadan is a month marked by worship and charity. Many Muslims say nightly prayers known as taraweeh throughout Ramadan. Some perform these prayers communally in a mosque after the evening prayers, while others pray individually or in groups at home or in other locations. Over the course of the month, the entire Qur'an is recited as part of the taraweeh prayers.
Muslims consider prayer and reciting of the Qur'an especially important during the last ten days of Ramadan. During this time many Muslims retreat to the mosque to pray in seclusion and draw closer to God, according to the practice of Muhammad. Some believers remain there day and night. The practice of seclusion in a mosque is known as i‘tikaf.
A special night of prayer called Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power, or Decree) occurs on the anniversary of the night when the first revelation of the Qur'an took place. There is no agreement about the exact date of this event, though it generally falls on one of the last ten nights of Ramadan. Sunnis often observe Laylat al-Qadr on the 27th night of the month. The Qur'an describes the Laylat al-Qadr as “better than a thousand months,” the night in which “angels and the Spirit descend, by the leave of their Lord, and it is peace till the rising of dawn.” Pious Muslims spend the better part of this night praying and reciting the Qur'an.
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