On 11 March, Muslims around the world will start the holy Ramadan - a month of fasting, prayers and joining traditions. Read about the start and end of Ramadan in 2024, as well as whether it is allowed to drink, smoke and make love during this month in the Izvestia article.
Calendar of Ramadan: when the fasting begins and when it ends for Muslims
The Muslim calendar is based on the lunar month, and the time of Ramadan also depends on the lunar calendar. In Russia in 2024 Ramadan will begin on 10 March with sunset, according to tradition, fasting (uraza) lasts 30 days. The first day of the Muslim fast will fall on 11 March, and the last day will last until the evening of 9 April. At sunset of the last day and the whole next day, 10 April, Muslim believers will celebrate the feast of breaking the fast - Uraza Bayram.
According to Muslim tradition, fasting begins at dawn with the morning azan (call to prayer) and ends at sunset, after the evening azan. Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during daylight hours, but some of the prohibitions are lifted at night.
Also during Ramadan one should restrain his temper and behave nobly, strive for self-improvement and perform good deeds.
Ramadan is called one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the recognition that there is no God but Allah (shahada), the daily prayer (namaz), the hajj to Mecca and the annual tax (zakat). It is believed that it was during Ramadan that the Koran, their holy book, was revealed to Muslims.
How to eat and drink properly in Ramadan
The Muslim fast is considered one of the strictest in the world religions. Believers are allowed to eat and drink only twice a day, before dawn (suhur) and at sunset (iftar). For breakfast, bread, eggs, cottage cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables, and herbal tea may be served on the table. Dinner, as a rule, begins with dates, then serve salads, vegetable soups, chicken breast or a glass of milk is allowed. During the day, not only food, but even water is forbidden.
Can you have sex and kiss during Ramadan?
The rules of behaviour in the Islamic world are determined by the Shariah, and from the point of view of the Shariah, intimate relations between husband and wife are not only permissible but also rewardable. However, it is only about intimacy in the dark, the portal of the Stavropol Krai Muslim Spiritual Administration emphasises.
The Qur'an says: ‘It is permissible for you to intimate your wives on any night of fasting. They are a garment for you, and you (O husbands) are a garment for them (husband and wife need each other, just as a man needs a garment)’ (Surah Al-Baqarah: 187). During the daylight hours, spouses must refrain from intimacy, otherwise their fast is broken and severe punishment follows. The husband has to fast for two consecutive months as atonement (kaffat), but the wife is not subject to this prohibition.
Kissing and hugging, bathing and hygienic procedures are allowed during the day. Kissing during fasting was also allowed by Prophet Muhammad, according to the Hadith of his wife Umm Salamah.
Can you smoke and drink alcohol during Ramadan?
Smoking during Ramadan is forbidden during daylight hours and is frowned upon as indulging in the bad habit during night hours. Imams urge not to smoke tobacco in any form or hookah. As for alcohol, the Qur'an forbids not only liquor but even fermented fruit juice on any day of the year.
Exemptions: what you can do during Ramadan
Despite the strict fasting, there are exceptions and relaxations for some Muslims during Ramadan. For example, a traveller is exempted from fasting if he is on a long trip or arrived at a new place less than 15 days ago. People who are engaged in hard physical labour are also exempted from fasting.
It is permitted not to fast for health reasons, so as not to worsen your condition. First of all, this applies to the elderly and people with chronic diseases. Thus, while abstaining from drinking water, a Muslim may still take a sip while taking medicine. Relaxations also apply to pregnant, lactating and recently delivered women. For those who have been exempted from fasting, the Shari'ah requires them to make up for it when they are able to do so.
If a Muslim inadvertently forgets and accidentally eats or drinks something during the day, the fast can be continued. It is also permissible to taste food, but not to swallow it. In case water accidentally gets into the nasopharynx during the day, for example, during ablution, this is also not considered a violation of the fast, but sadaqah will have to be paid.
When to pay tax in Ramadan
The annual tax - zakat - is usually paid at the end of Ramadan, on the eve of Uraza Bayram. The money is placed in a special box at the entrance to the mosque or given to the imam. A man pays the tax for himself and his minor children. And no tax is paid for his wife. In case the wife is better off than her husband, she pays the tax for children.
How to distribute sadaqah in Ramadan
In some cases, if a believing Muslim has broken the rules during the fasting period, he may give alms-redemption (fidyah-sadaqa). According to Shariah, for every day of Ramadan that is missed, one should give sadaqah - to feed a beggar and thus make up for the days of fasting.
When is Uraza al-Fitr in 2024
In 2024, the Feast of the Feast of Unfaithfulness in the Muslim world falls on the first day of the new moon on the evening of 11 April. Believers prepare for the holiday of Uraza Bayram in advance: they clean their flats, set a rich table and invite the mullah. At the beginning of the holiday, a collective prayer - Id-namaz - is heard in the house, after which everyone proclaims ‘Id mubarak’, wishing each other a blessed holiday, and the meal begins.
The next important date in Islam is Eid al-Adha, the festival of the end of the Hajj. In 2024, it falls on Sunday, 16 June. In some regions of Russia, such as the republics of the North Caucasus, as well as in Bashkiria, Crimea, Adygea and Tatarstan, both Uraza and Eid al-Adha are holidays.
According to ‘Izvestia’