This article is about religious observances during the month of Ramadan. For the actual calendar month, see Ramadan (calendar month).

Ramadan
A crescent moon can be seen over palm trees at sunset in Manama, Bahrain, marking the beginning of the Muslim month of Ramadan
Also called	Ramaḍān al-Karīm (Ramadan, the Generous), 11 Ayın Sultanı (Sultan of The Months), Mah-ı Mubarak, Şehr-i Ramazan
Observed by	Muslims
Type	Muslim, cultural
Begins	1 Ramadan
Ends	29, or 30 Ramadan
Date	Variable (follows the Islamic lunar calendar)
2010 date	11/12 August – 09/10 September
2011 date	1–29 August
Celebrations	Communal Iftars
Observances	Sawm (fasting), zakat (almsgiving), Tarawih prayer, reading the Qur'an
Related to	Eid ul-Fitr, Laylat al-Qadr

Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان‎ Ramaḍān, Arabic pronunciation: [rɑmɑdˤɑːn]) (also Ramadhan, Ramadaan , Ramazan ) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn until sunset.^[1] Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. It is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God (Arabic: الله‎, trans: Allah) and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards about eleven days each year depending on the moon. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.


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