What is Ramadan: Tradition, fasting, and sharing
Ramadan is the holy month of fasting, prayer, and charity in Islam. Learn about its traditions and how Embrace Relief is providing food aid to vulnerable communities worldwide during Ramadan 2025.
The useful part before the long read.
Ramadan 2025 begins at sundown on February 28 and ends on March 29.
Fasting during Ramadan involves abstaining from food, drink, and other activities from sunrise to sunset.
Charitable giving is a central pillar of Ramadan, with Muslims donating significantly more during this month.
Understanding Ramadan and Its Traditions
Ramadan 2025 will begin at sundown on Friday, February 28, and will end at sundown on Sunday, March 29.
What is Ramadan? It is the 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 the 354-day lunary calendar, 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.
