What is Ramadan: Tradition, fasting, and sharing

Ramadan 2022 began at sundown on Saturday, April 2, and ends on Monday, May 2.

What is Ramadan? It is a holy month, the ninth in the Muslim calendar, whose beginning is marked by the appearance of the crescent moon. Because the Muslim calendar is based on a 354-day year, Ramadan’s start date and end date will vary each year

The observance of the holy month is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and is a time for fasting, introspection, prayer, and faithful intention for Muslims around the world.

During Ramadan, Muslims are obliged to abstain from all of the following between sunrise and sunset:

• Eating
• Drinking
• Smoking
• Sexual relations
• Sinful speech and behavior

Traditionally, each day of Ramadan involves a pre-dawn meal, suhur, followed by the first of the required five daily prayers. After sundown comes the next meal, iftar, followed by evening prayers. No food or drink is permitted in between for anyone, with some exceptions (including pregnant and nursing women, young children and the elderly).

In addition to fasting, Muslims are asked during Ramadan to be more mindful of the teachings of Islam, both in their actions and thoughts – avoiding violence, anger, jealousy, greed, and other vices – and through devoted reading of the Quran.

By practicing these obligations throughout each day of the month, an individual cleanses one’s soul, practices discipline, self-control and spirituality, and becomes closer to God.

Another key piece of the puzzle is charitable giving. The obligations of Ramadan generate strong feelings of compassion and empathy for those less fortunate, those people who go hungry or thirsty throughout the year not by choice. Charitable giving is another of the Five Pillars of Islam, and Muslims donate more money to charity during the month of Ramadan than at any point of the year.

There is no better time of year to think about how to help others, and to take action.

Provide food to those in need this Ramadan with Embrace Relief

At Embrace Relief, we take that idea to heart. That’s why our International Hunger Relief Campaign 2022 launched on April 2, the first night of Ramadan. Last year, during our International Hunger Relief Campaign: Ramadan 2021, Embrace Relief delivered food packages to more than 30,000 people across 12 countries, including more than 1,300 in Greece, more than 1,100 in Yemen, and hundreds more families in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. We also helped out locally, delivering food to 900 neighboring families in New Jersey.

This year, we want to do so much more, and your support can make that possible. Donating any amount of money will make a difference – the amounts below represent the cost of one food package that will feed a family for one week:

• $50 for refugees in Greece
• $50 for families in the U.S.
• $65 for Yemeni families
• $25 for African children

There’s never a wrong time to deliver meals to people in need. But during this month of introspection and charity, your donation can go even further. So please, donate today. Every contribution you make helps one more family go to bed on a full stomach, and brings us one small step closer to ending world hunger.