Interesting Facts You Did Not Know About Ramadan

Every year for Ramadan, starting tomorrow, millions of Muslims worldwide fast for 30 days from morning to evening.

But this month is much more than just a fast. Below are eight things you may not know about the month of Ramadan.

1). Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the month of the Islamic fast, in which Muslims refuse to eat, drink, and engage in intimate activities from dawn to sunset.

2). During Ramadan, Muslims apologise for past sins, pray for instruction and help in resisting everyday evils and try to cleanse themselves through restraint and good deeds.

3). Muslims must also pray whenever they can during Ramadan, as well as read the Koran.

4). During fasting, Muslims can eat only two meals a day, one before sunrise and the other after sundown.

5). Compared to the solar calendar, Ramadan dates vary, moving about ten days each year depending on the moon.

6). It is expected that Muslims will begin to observe fast ritual as soon as they reach adulthood as they are healthy. The elderly, the chronically ill, and the mentally ill are exempt from fasting.

7). The most important day of Ramadan is the Night of Cari, or Night of Power, that takes place during the last ten days of Ramadan. The Muslims believe that it is when the first revelations of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad.

8). The month of Ramadan is the month of sacrifice, where believers are called to help each other.