Muslims fast from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
The fast, called sawm, is one of Islam’s Five Pillars. During daylight hours, healthy adult Muslims generally abstain from food and drink, smoking, and sexual activity. The fast is broken at sunset, often with dates and water, and a pre-dawn meal called suhoor may be eaten before the day begins.
Ramadan is also a month of intensified prayer, Qur’an recitation, charity, and self-discipline. The month ends with Eid al-Fitr, a festival marked by communal prayer and charitable giving. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Ramadan moves through the seasons in the Gregorian calendar.
Children, travelers, pregnant or nursing people, older adults, and those who are ill may have exemptions or make-up arrangements under Islamic law. Practices differ by circumstance and interpretation, but fasting is not simply a cultural diet: it is an act of worship and moral discipline.