Ramadan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ramadanرمضان |
|
|---|---|
|
|
| Observed by | Muslims |
| Type | Religious |
| Celebrations | Community iftars and Community prayers |
| Observances |
|
| Begins | At the last night of the month of Sha'ban |
| Ends | At the last night of the month of Ramadan |
| Date | Variable (follows the Islamic lunar calendar) |
| Frequency | every year (lunar calendar) |
| Related to | Eid al-Fitr, Laylat al-Qadr |
Ramadan (sometimes spelled Ramadhan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims fast or do not eat or drink during the daytime.
Overview
The date for the start of Ramadan is slightly different each year, depending on the position of the moon. Once Ramadan starts, Muslims should not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset. This usually continues for thirty days, but sometimes twenty-nine days.
Fasting is supposed to teach Muslims about patience and spiritual things. It is a time for Muslims to think about how the poor and homeless suffer without lots of food, it helps Muslims to be more obedient, and less greedy. During Ramadan, Muslims ask to be forgiven for their sins, and they pray for help in stopping them from doing bad things. Muslims believe Ramadan is the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Not everyone has to observe Ramadan. Children do not have to fast. They should start when they reach the age of puberty, so long as they are healthy. People who are travelling long distances do not have to fast. Pregnant women do not have to if they think it might harm their unborn baby. Sometimes sportsmen do not observe the fast, although there are disagreements about this. For example, the Olympic Games in 2012 fell in the middle of the holy month. This made it very difficult for the sportsmen who could not eat or drink during daytime.
When the sun goes down and it gets dark the Muslim people will start eating again (this is called "breaking the fast"). This meal is known as Iftar. There are often big meals enjoyed together by lots of Muslims. Sometimes markets open after Iftar and stay open during the night. Ramadan is also the month when the "Quran" was sent down into Earth by an Angle called "Jabrill"
Images for kids
-
Chapter 2, Verse 185 in Arabic.
-
Ramadan beginning dates between Gregorian years 1938 and 2038; including an error on the ante-penultimate line. Note that this table is based on an unspecified variant of the Islamic calendar and that, according to local practices, there can be differences of one (or even two) days.
-
Azim Azimzade. Ramadan of the poor people. 1938
-
Iftar at Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
-
Iftar serving for fasting people in the Imam Reza shrine
-
Men praying during Ramadan at the Shrine of Ali or "Blue Mosque" in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
-
A mass prayer during the 1996 Ramadan at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
-
In Gulf countries, children dress in traditional attire and go door-to-door to receive sweets and nuts from neighbours on the 15th night of Ramadan
-
title=}}
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Ramadán para niños
