Which month of the Islamic calendar is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

It is the month in which Muslims observe the obligatory daily fast from dawn to sunset, provided they are physically able and not covered by recognized exemptions. Ramadan is also associated with increased prayer, charity, Qur’an recitation, and spiritual reflection. Its name comes from an Arabic root traditionally connected with intense heat or scorching dryness.

Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Ramadan begins when the month is established by appropriate crescent-moon observations or astronomical procedures, depending on the community. A lunar year is shorter than the solar year, so Ramadan moves through the seasons over a cycle of roughly 33 years.

The month follows Sha'ban and precedes Shawwal. It concludes with Eid al-Fitr, a major festival marking the end of the fast. The Night of Power, Laylat al-Qadr, is sought during Ramadan’s final ten nights and is associated with the beginning of Qur’anic revelation.