•After a whole day of fasting, the daily fast is traditionally broken at sunset with a sip of water and dates (Iftar)
•The fasting ritual helps them understand the suffering of others.
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During the month of Ramadan, Muslims won’t eat or drink during the specific hours dedicated to prayers and spiritual meditation which lasts for 30 days.
For the first time in close to three years, Muslims get to observe the day with relaxed Covid-19 restrictions around the world and in Kenya.
As a tradition, Ramadan begins with the sighting of the crescent moon, which usually appears one night after the new moon, hence the exact date cannot be precisely predicted.
Ramadan, which literally means “scorching heat” in Arabic, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and marks the time when the Quran is said to have been revealed to Prophet Muhammad by God with a month-long fast.
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Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. Those exempted from fasting are menstruating women, children who have not reached puberty, the elderly, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, those in battle or travellers.
The rest are required to abstain from food and drink, including water, during daylight hours, as a means of celebrating and reflecting on their faith, Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity) and the Hajj pilgrimage.
During Ramadan, Muslims aim to grow spiritually and build stronger relationships with Allah.
Engaging in any sexual activity exchanging body fluids through kissing is also prohibited from dawn to sunset. That includes taking medication (even if you swallow a pill dry, without drinking any water.
Kissing one's wife while fasting is permissible. However, it is better to avoid kissing during the daytime of Ramadan.
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The fasting ritual helps them understand the suffering of others.
Those observing the fast are encouraged to read the Quran and the holy text is recited at the Tarawih, special nightly prayers that are held throughout the month.
After a whole day of fasting, the daily fast is traditionally broken at sunset with a sip of water and dates, followed by a large evening feast.
Eating dates commemorate Muhammad's practice of breaking the fast with three dates.
The predawn meal is referred to as suhur, and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar.
Some people tend to devour a lot of food after many long hours of fasting and this has seen most suffer from type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases, therefore it is advised to have a pre-Ramadhan medical assessment, which will help achieve safe fasting.
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In order to beat dehydration during fasting, drinking ample fluids between iftar and suhoor is emphasized, especially when Ramadan occurs in hot seasons.
Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran, which comprises thirty juz' (sections),114 chapters, 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.
The holiday of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal.
Shawwal, the next lunar month, is declared after a crescent new moon has been sighted or after the 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.
Eid al-Fitr—the “festival of breaking the fast”, begins with communal prayers at daybreak.
During these three days of festivities, participants gather to pray, eat, exchange gifts and pay their respects to deceased relatives.
Some laws during Ramadhan
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 the countries of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Malaysia.
In the United Arab Emirates, the punishment is community service.
