Ramadan for the year 2022 starts on the evening of Saturday, April 2nd lasting 30 days and ending at sundown on Sunday, May 1. Islamic holidays always begin at sundown and end at sundown the following day/days ending the holiday or festival.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a month of fasting, prayer, giving and self-evaluation observed by Muslims. The month lasts 29-30 days depending on the sightings of the crescent moon.
Days to the start of Ramadan 2022
Sunday, April 3rd is day number 93 of the 2022 calendar year with 9 days until the start of the celebration/ observance of Ramadan 2022.
Ramadan is the Arabic name of the ninth-month* of the Islamic calendar. The date of Ramadan in the Gregorian calendar moves forward about 11 days each year due to the different lengths of the Islamic and Gregorian years.
It is considered one of the holiest Islamic months. It’s also one of the Five Pillars of Islam. These are five principles that Muslims believe are compulsory acts ordered by God. It is during the month of Ramadan that Muslims fast.
Muslims believe that some of the first verses of the Islamic holy book, the Qu’ran, were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan. Extra emphasis is placed on reciting the Qu’ran at this time.
The Fast of Ramadan
The Fast of Ramadan lasts the entire month, which can be 29 or 30 days, depending on the sightings of the moon.
Ramadan is a time when Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation. Fasting is considered to be an act of worship, which enables Muslims to feel closer to God and strengthen their spiritual health and self-discipline.
During the Fast of Ramadan strict restraints are placed on the daily lives of Muslims. They are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. Smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting.
Muslims can eat a pre-dawn meal (usually including protein and fats) known as suhur to sustain them during the day. Once the fast begins, even taking a sip of water is seen as breaking the fast.
At the end of each day, the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar. In the evening following the iftar, it is customary for Muslims to go out visiting family and friends. The fast is resumed the next morning.
There are some exemptions to fasting for health reasons. Pregnant, breastfeeding and menstruating women are exempt from the fast. The ill, children and the elderly are also not required to participate.
Ramadan is also a time to consider those less fortunate. Many Muslims will donate money to charities, while others distribute iftar meals to low-paid workers and the homeless. It is believed that good deeds done during Ramadan are rewarded many times over.
The word “Ramadan” itself is taken from the Arabic word, “ramad,” an adjective describing something scorchingly dry or intensely heated by the sun.
During Ramadan, it is common for Muslims to go to the Masjid (Mosque) and spend several hours praying and studying the Quran. In addition to the five daily prayers, during Ramadan, Muslims recite a special prayer called the ‘Taraweeh prayer‘ (Night Prayer). The length of this prayer is usually 2-3 times as long as the daily prayers. Some Muslims spend the entire night in prayer. Some Mosques will attempt to complete one of 30 juz, or sections, of the Quran every evening.
The last ten days of Ramadan are seen as the most auspicious and is a time of intense worship, during which many will perform additional prayers. Some will also perform itikaf, when they stay in the mosque for at least one whole day.
