In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is the ninth month and the period of the obligatory Ramadan fast. Adult Muslims who are able to do so fast from dawn until sunset throughout the month.
Ramadan follows Sha'ban and comes before Shawwal. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Ramadan moves through the Gregorian calendar by roughly ten or eleven days each year. The month begins and ends according to the sighting or calculation of the new crescent, depending on local practice.
Ramadan is also associated with intensified prayer, charity, Quran recitation, and community gatherings. The fast is broken each evening at sunset, while the pre-dawn meal is eaten before the daily fast begins.