Ramadan Resource Page - Timetables, Articles, Duas, Stories, Greetings, Nasheed and more

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar - that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays "move" each year.

For more than a billion Muslims around the world-including some 8 million in North America-Ramadan is a "month of blessing" marked by prayer, fasting, and charity.

But while in many places these holidays have become widely commercialized, Ramadan retains its focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to God (Allah in Arabic).

Ramadan 2023 will begin on the evening of March 22, 2023 and end on the evening of April 20, 2023. The dates are dependent on sighting of the moon for Ramadan.

The purpose of fasting is to take one closer to Allah. It should be known that there are three grades of Fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special. Ordinary Fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction. Special Fasting means keeping one's ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet -- and all other organs -- free from sin. Extra-special Fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but God, Great and Glorious is He.