Millions of Muslims around the world will mark the start of the holy
month of Ramadan on Monday, a time marked by intense prayer,
dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.
The faithful spend the month of Ramadan in mosques for evening prayers
known as "taraweeh," while free time during the day is often spent
reading the Quran and listening to religious lectures.
Each day for the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating and
drinking from sunrise to sunset. Even a sip of water, coffee or a
cigarette can invalidate one's fast.
There are exceptions to fasting for
children, the elderly, the sick, women who are pregnant, nursing or
menstruating, and people travelling.
Many break their fast as the Prophet Muhammad did around 1,400 years
ago, with a sip of water and some dates at sunset followed by prayer. It
is common for Muslims to break their fast with family and friends and
charities organize free meals for the public at mosques and other public
spaces.
The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with
the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, charity and performing
the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. Non-Muslims or adult Muslims not observing
the fast who eat in public during the day in Ramadan can be fined or
even jailed in some Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia and
the United Arab Emirates, which is home to large Western expatriate
populations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with a three-day holiday called Eid al-Fitr.
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