The month of the Qur'an
Ramadan, the ninth month of the year, is the only month the Qur'an names, and it names it as the month in which the Book itself was sent down. Fasting through its days — no food, drink or marital relations from the first light to sunset — is one of the pillars of Islam, obligatory on every adult who is able, with the sick, the traveller and others excused. The Prophet (s) called it the month of his community, after Rajab, the month of God, and Sha'ban, his own.
The first day
Because the Hijri months follow the moon, the first of Ramadan depends on the sighting of the crescent, and the calendars of different regions can differ by a day; the calendar on this site can be adjusted to follow your community's announcement. The month is prepared for through Rajab and Sha'ban and opened with the sighting, the intention to fast, and the long supplications of its first night.
How it is kept
Days of fasting end in the iftar meal, often shared; nights are given to the tarawih or nafila prayers, to the reading of the whole Qur'an over the month, and to the supplications of Abu Hamza al-Thumali and the Iftitah. The three Nights of Power fall in its last third, the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a) on the 21st, and the month closes with the fast-breaking Eid.
Written for Shia Online Community. Dates and facts are checked against the references listed under Research & books; where the tradition records more than one date, all are given.
