60 Fun Facts About Ramadan

Ramadan is which month of the Islamic calendar?

It is the month in which Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed, which is why reading the whole book over the month is a common goal.

Measured from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next, how long does Ramadan last?

Because the month starts with a physical moon sighting, its exact length is not known until the crescent for the next month appears.

What is the pre-dawn meal eaten before each day of fasting called?

It is also known as sehri or sahari in South Asia, and all eating must be finished before the dawn call to prayer.

What is the sunset meal that breaks the day's fast called?

It is often eaten communally, and mosques around the world lay on free meals for anyone who turns up.

Which food is traditionally eaten first to break the fast, in emulation of Muhammad?

Tradition says three of them are eaten, followed by water, though neither is mandatory.

Fasting in Ramadan is which of the five pillars of Islam?

The other pillars are the declaration of faith, prayer, almsgiving and the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Quran says Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Power, is better than what?

That works out to roughly 83 years, so worship on this single night is held to outweigh a lifetime of it.

When is Laylat al-Qadr believed to fall?

Because the exact date is uncertain, many Muslims treat all of the last ten nights as especially blessed and some spend them secluded in a mosque.

Which single night do many Sunni scholars regard as the most likely date of Laylat al-Qadr?

The view rests on a report from the companion Ubayy ibn Ka'b recorded in Sahih Muslim.

Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad through which angel?

In Arabic he is Jibril, and Laylat al-Qadr commemorates that first revelation.

The first five verses ever revealed are said to open which surah of the Quran?

Al-Fatiha opens the written Quran, but the chronological first revelation begins with the command 'Read'.

In which year CE were Muslims first commanded to fast, in the second year after the Hijra?

That same year saw the Battle of Badr, fought during Ramadan.

Because the Islamic calendar has no intercalation, what does Ramadan do relative to the solar year?

The Islamic year is 10 to 11 days shorter than the solar year, so Ramadan arrives about a week and a half earlier each Gregorian year.

Which festival marks the end of Ramadan?

It is the first of the two main festivals in Islam; the second, roughly two months later, marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The festival that ends the fast falls on the first day of which Islamic month?

It is the tenth month, and fasting six extra days in it is considered especially meritorious.

Thanks to the sweets served, the festival ending the fast has which nickname?

In Turkey it is officially Ramazan Bayramı but popularly Şeker Bayramı, and children go door to door collecting candy.

Zakat al-Fitr is one sa' of food per family member. How is a sa' traditionally measured?

Modern scholars put a sa' at roughly 2.6 to 3 kilograms, and the amount is the same regardless of income.

Which Sunni school of law permits paying Zakat al-Fitr in cash rather than food?

Cash payment has since become the position of many official fatwa councils around the world.

The congregational Eid prayer consists of how many rakaʿāt?

Unlike Friday prayer, the sermon comes after the prayer, and no call to prayer is given for it.

The special Tarawih night prayers of Ramadan are performed after which daily prayer?

They are considered meritorious but not obligatory, and are prayed in pairs, often finishing with the Witr prayer.

According to the four Sunni schools, the standard number of rak'ah in Tarawih is what?

The figure comes from a report in al-Muwatta that people offered that number in Umar's time, though eight is also widely prayed.

Which caliph reinstated praying Tarawih in congregation after Muhammad had discontinued it?

Muhammad is said to have stopped leading it in public out of concern the prayer would be made compulsory.

Shia Muslims mourn on 19 Ramadan, when Ali was struck while praying in the Great Mosque of which city?

He died two days later on 21 Ramadan, which is why the 19th, 21st and 23rd nights carry special weight in Shia observance.

The fanous, the decorative Ramadan lantern, originated in which country?

Its use has since spread across the Muslim world, and the name comes from the Greek word for light.

Lantern-bearing crowds are said to have welcomed which Fatimid caliph to his new capital?

That welcome in Cairo is the traditional origin story of the fanous, though lighting the streets was already an old Egyptian custom.

The word 'fanous' comes from a Greek word meaning what?

Historically it carried the sense of 'the light of the world' and stands as a symbol of hope, light in the darkness.

In the Middle East, what does the mesaharati traditionally do during Ramadan?

The job is fading in many cities as alarm clocks and phone apps take over, though some neighbourhoods keep the tradition alive.

Who is traditionally named as the first person to roam the streets waking people for the pre-dawn meal?

He is better known as the first muezzin, the man Muhammad chose to give the call to prayer.

In Southeast Asia, which slit drum is used to wake households for the pre-dawn meal?

In Indonesian mosques the large bedug drum serves the same purpose.

In Jakarta, what is widely used to celebrate Ramadan even though it is officially illegal?

The custom reflects the Chinese influence on the Indonesian capital.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi feeds up to how many people every night of Ramadan?

It is the largest mosque in the UAE, and its free sunset meals are among the biggest in the world.

What are the roughly 30-episode serial dramas Arab broadcasters premiere in Ramadan called?

They are similar in style to Latin American telenovelas and are timed to run over the length of the month.

Advertisers in the Arab world have compared Ramadan television to which American event?

Prime time shifts to coincide with the sunset meal, and viewership climbs so much that ad slots can cost more than double their normal price.

In Nigeria, the celebration at the end of Ramadan is popularly known as what?

Greeters say 'Barka Da Sallah' in Hausa, and the festivities can last three days.

Turkey, Iran and Pakistan say 'Ramazan' because Persian pronounces the Arabic letter ḍād as which sound?

Bangladesh goes a step further and calls the month Romzan.

A 2023 global report estimated what share of Muslims would fast during Ramadan?

Asia had the highest observance at nearly 99%, and 70% of respondents also planned to increase worship and charity.

Which country reported the highest rate of fasting in that 2023 report, at 99.8%?

Malaysia was close behind at 99.5%, while Turkey was lowest among the countries listed at 93.9%.

In 2014, Muslims in Reykjavik and Trondheim fasted for almost how many hours a day?

That same year the fast in Sydney lasted only about 11 hours, because Ramadan fell in the northern summer.

Astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor timed his fasts in orbit by the sunrise and sunset of which location?

In low-Earth orbit the sun rises and sets 16 times a day, so astronauts follow the time zone of their last physical contact with Earth.

In the UAE, what is the punishment for eating or drinking in public during Ramadan daylight?

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria and Malaysia can impose fines or jail instead.

In 1805, which president postponed a White House dinner until sunset to accommodate an envoy from Tunis?

Many consider it the first White House Ramadan dinner; the first official one was not held until 1996.

In Turkish cities, what is traditionally fired from the highest hill at sunset to end the fast?

The custom dates to Ottoman times, when minaret lights called kandil were also lit from sunset to dawn.

Ramazan pidesi, served on Turkish tables at sunset during the month, is what?

It is baked only during Ramadan and appears on the iftariye platter alongside dates, olives, cheese, pastırma and sujuk.

Which soup is a Moroccan staple for breaking the fast?

It is usually served with dates, sfouf and the honey-soaked sesame pastry chebakia.

The Imam Reza shrine's nightly fast-breaking meal for some 12,000 people is in which city?

Elsewhere in Iran, neighbourhood feasts are not customary and the larger meal is usually shared among family.

The Ottoman sultan-caliphs broke their fast under a gilded bower at which palace?

Today Sultanahmet Square by the Blue Mosque is one of Istanbul's liveliest spots for the sunset meal.

The greeting 'Ramadan kareem' wishes someone a Ramadan that is what?

'Ramadan mubarak', the other common greeting, is the one that means blessed.

In Bangladesh, what is celebrated on 'Chand Raat'?

Markets stay open late as people buy clothes and henna for the next morning's celebration.

Which hadith collection records the saying 'take suhur, as there is a blessing in it'?

The narrator was Anas ibn Malik, who served Muhammad for a decade.

In Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, the festival ending Ramadan is commonly called what?

The name literally means the great day of fasting; in the Philippines the same festival is known as Hariraya Buka Puasa.

In Senegal and much of West Africa, the end-of-Ramadan festival is called what?

Tabaski is the local name for Eid al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice held about two months later.

In Brunei, the sunset fast-breaking meal is locally called what?

In the capital, cannon fire in the business district marks the moment, and district Ramadan stalls sell dishes rarely seen the rest of the year.

Breaking the fast by intercourse can be expiated by feeding or clothing how many needy people?

Eating by accident does not break the fast; the person simply continues fasting for the rest of the day.

The Arabic root of the word 'Ramadan' relates to what?

One popular explanation is that the name was fixed when the month happened to fall in the hottest part of the year.

On the island of Java, the pre-Ramadan ritual of bathing in holy springs is known as what?

The city of Semarang opens the month with the Dugderan carnival, parading a horse-dragon hybrid said to be inspired by the Buraq.

In Gulf states such as Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, the working day during Ramadan is capped at how many hours?

The weekly limit in those countries is 36 hours; Oman and Lebanon also shorten working hours.

How many hours do most Muslims fast each day during Ramadan, depending on location and season?

In polar regions the dawn-to-sunset stretch can pass 22 hours, while Sydney fasters in 2014 managed about 11.

How many times do sunrise and sunset occur each day for a Muslim astronaut in low-Earth orbit?

Astronauts therefore follow the time zone of their last physical contact with Earth for fasting and prayers.

Which companion of Muhammad narrated that the Prophet found Medina's people celebrating two days of recreation?

Muhammad replied that God had fixed two mandatory days of festivity instead: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

What slow-cooked lamb dish do Omanis typically eat at Eid al-Fitr, with coffee?

In places such as Ibri the feast comes with folklore songs and traditional dancing.