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Ramadan
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A group of Palestinians share an Iftar meal on the ground outside the Dome of the Rock at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, with plates of food and people gathered for Ramadan.
Why Ramadan is one of the holiest months for Muslims
Silhouetted man points toward a thin crescent moon in the evening sky over Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, with another person beside him and a faint cityscape below. Qurʾān and prayer beads Laylat al-Qadr in Mecca A man sits on a chair reading the Koran in the marble courtyard of the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza City, with arched stone walls and a tall minaret in the background.
Learn what it's like to fast during Ramadan
Large group of people, including families and children, gather at long tables in a decorated alley to share a communal iftar meal during Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt.
Observing Ramadan at a German mosque
Lighting up the night
At a Glance
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Ramadan summary
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Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
World Religions & Traditions
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Islam
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Ramadan: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: CNN - Ramadan begins with the crescent moon. Here’s why the official start time can still vary around the world. Sep 26, 2026
Add new Web site: Al Jazeera - A simple illustrated guide to Ramadan, answers to 10 common questions. May 04, 2026
Media revised. Feb 20, 2026
Added top questions, corrected a typo, specified details about tarawih prayers. Feb 17, 2026
Updated calendar and fixed a display issue. Feb 11, 2026
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Is Ramadan fasting related to health outcomes? A review on the related evidence. Jan 16, 2026
Revised the discussions of the holiday's timing, connections to the Qurʾān, and religious dimensions. Aug 06, 2025
Add new Web site: University of Washington - School of Pharmacy - Managing medications during Ramadan fasting. Jul 30, 2024
Add new Web site: BBC - What are Eid al-Fitr and Ramadan and how do Muslims mark them? Apr 19, 2024
Add new Web site: Frontiers - Frontiers in Nutrition - Ramadan intermittent fasting and the gut microbiome: modulation of diversity and implications for metabolic health. Dec 04, 2023
Add new Web site: Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of African American History and Culture - Ramadan. Jul 03, 2023
Revised the description of Eid al-Fitr. Apr 21, 2023
Media added. Feb 09, 2023
Media added. Feb 02, 2023
Add new Web site: GlobalSecurity.org - Ramadan. Aug 23, 2022
Beginning and end dates of Ramadan added. Feb 02, 2022
Add new Web site: National Geographic Kids - Celebrating Ramadan. Jan 29, 2021
Corrected display issue. Sep 10, 2020
Removed reference to the 2020 dates for Ramadan. May 26, 2020
Expanded the discussion of when Ramadan begins and ends. May 19, 2020
Added information about Ramadan in 2020. Apr 23, 2020
Clarified the uncertainty of the date of Laylat al-Qadr and added mention of the use of drums to wake people up for suḥūr. May 08, 2019
Add new Web site: LiveScience - What Is Ramadan? Jan 30, 2019
Article revised. Mar 09, 2018
Add new Web site: PBS News - What is Ramadan and how do Muslims observe the Islamic holy month? | PBS News. Feb 17, 2017
Media added. Jan 09, 2017
Add new Web site: Children�s Museum Tucson - Festival Eid Al-Fitr. Dec 25, 2016
Add new Web site: British Council - LearnEnglish Kids - The Ramadan lantern story. Dec 20, 2016
Add new Web site: The Islamic Association of Raleigh - Rules of the Fasting of Ramadan. Aug 31, 2015
Add new Web site: Islamic Society of Rutgers University - Fasting in Islam. Aug 31, 2015
Add new Web site: The Islamic Association of Raleigh - Rules of the Fasting of Ramadan. Aug 31, 2015
Add new Web site: Islamic Educational & Cultural Research Center, USA - In-depth discussion on Ramadan: The Month of Patience, Empathy, And Self-Purification. Aug 31, 2015
Add new Web site: Islamic Educational & Cultural Research Center, USA - In-depth discussion on Ramadan: The Month of Patience, Empathy, And Self-Purification. Aug 31, 2015
Add new Web site: Islamic Society of Rutgers University - Fasting in Islam. Aug 31, 2015
Added video. May 19, 2015
Add new Web site: British Broadcasting Corporation - School - Religion - Ramadan. Aug 13, 2014
Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Ramadan. Mar 06, 2013
Media added. Feb 10, 2011
Added new Web site: Pennsylvania Center for the Book - Biography of Edwin Austin Abbey. Apr 21, 2009
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - People - How Ramadan Works. Dec 23, 2008
Added new Web site: Bach Cantatas Website - Biography of Claudio Abbado. Sep 27, 2006
Article revised. Nov 02, 2001
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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