Encyclopedia of Islam

APProxImAtE rAmADAn StArtIng DAtES 

2008–2013

2008 

September 1

2009 

August 21

2010 

August 11

2011 

August 1

2012 

July 20

2013 

July 9

Ramadan is esteemed to be the holiest month of the 

year. This is partly because of its connection with 

the revelation of the q

Uran

. Muslims maintain that 

the entire holy book was revealed to m

Uhammad

 on 

the n

ight

 

oF

 d

estiny

 (Laylit al-Qadr), which falls 

during the last few days of the month. To facilitate 

memorization and recitation, the Quran has been 

divided into 30 equal parts, one for each day of this 

month. People are encouraged to gather to listen to 

nightly recitations of the Quran and improve their 

own knowledge and memorization of the scripture. 

Also, it is widely held that God is most receptive 

to people’s prayers at this sacred time, especially in 

the last few days of the month. Another reason for 

the month’s special status is its historical connec-

tion with the first victory of Muslims against their 

Meccan enemies at Badr in 624, two years after 

the h

iJra

 (emigration) to m

edina

. The chapter of 

the Quran that has the most detailed instructions 

for the fast, al-Baqara (Q 2, The Cow), is one 

that is thought to have been revealed at this time. 

Some Euro-American historians of religion have 

plausibly argued, based on critical readings of the 

Quran and early Islamic historical texts, that the 

connection of Ramadan observances with both the 

revelation of a holy book and victory over enemies 

is patterned after pre-Islamic fasting and feasting 

traditions, especially Jewish observance of Yom 

Kippur and Passover, which are connected with the 

revelation of the t

orah

 to Moses and deliverance 

from the pharaoh of e

gypt

.

Other events in Islamic sacred history that 

occurred during Ramadan include the death of 

k

hadiJa

 (Muhammad’s first wife) in 619, the birth 

K  580  

Ramadan

---

of F

atima

 (Muhammad’s daughter and mother of 

the Shii Imams), the assassination of a

li

 

ibn

  a

bi

t

alib

 (the fourth 

caliph

 and first Shii i

mam

) in 

661, and the 

martyrdom

 of Ali al-Rida (the eighth 

Shii Imam) in 818.

Even though the month of fasting affirms the 

universal community of all Muslims, individual 

Muslim cultures observe Ramadan in a variety of 

ways that are shaped by local tradition. There are 

distinctive food traditions with respect to dishes 

and sweets eaten in the evening and pre-dawn 

hours. In North Africa a favorite recipe for break-

ing the fast is a creamy soup called harira, made 

of meat, chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes, and fresh 

herbs. Turks prepare a tripe soup served with a 

pocket bread called ramadan pide (pita). Rama-

daniyya, a dessert made of dried fruits that have 

been soaked overnight, is a favorite in the Arabian 

Peninsula. Southeast Asian Muslims prepare spe-

cial meat curry dishes and dodol, a dessert made of 

sugar, rice flour, and coconut milk.

Aside from different food traditions, Muslims 

have other ways of celebrating the month. In 

Egypt these include decorating streets and houses 

with colorful lanterns. In many Muslim countries 

special evening television programs are offered. 

Ramadan celebrations in many countries have 

become more commercialized in recent years, 

with luxury hotels offering expensive iftar ban-

quets featuring popular entertainers. Since the 

1980s in the United States, Ramadan has become 

the one Muslim holiday of which non-Muslims 

have become aware. Community newspapers 

publish features about how it is observed by 

the local Muslim population, including tradi-

tional food recipes. Since the terrorist attacks 

on September 11, 2001, Muslim organizations 

have participated increasingly in interfaith activi-

ties, including community iftar dinners with 

Christians and Jews. The White House has also 

honored this holy Islamic month by holding iftar

dinners.

See also 

almsgiving

; 

cUstomary

 

laW

; F

ive

  p

il

-

lars

; 

Food

 

and

 

drink

; 

holidays

; J

Udaism

 

and

 i

slam

.