Ramadan Guide: Fasting, Charity & Daily Worship

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar. Able adult Muslims fast each day from true dawn until sunset: they abstain from food, drink, and marital relations during daylight hours, and they increase Quran, prayer, charity, and self-restraint. Fasting (Sawm) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Because the Hijri year is lunar, Ramadan shifts about 10–11 days earlier each Gregorian year. Local moon-sighting or calendar committees announce the start and end; use our Islamic date converter for planning, but follow your community's official announcement for worship.

Suhoor, Iftar, and prayer times

Suhoor is the pre-dawn meal, ideally finished before Fajr. Iftar is the sunset meal that begins at Maghrib. Accurate Fajr and Maghrib times depend on your city and the calculation method your mosque uses (e.g. Muslim World League, ISNA, Umm al-Qura). Open the prayer times tool for a location-based timetable, then cross-check with your local mosque schedule.

Charity in Ramadan: Zakat, Fitrana, and Fidya

Many people pay annual Zakat al-Mal during Ramadan for greater reward, but Zakat is due when your lunar year (Hawl) and Nisab conditions are met—not only in Ramadan. Separately, Fitrana (Zakat al-Fitr) is a small obligatory charity before Eid prayer for each Muslim in the household. Fidya is compensation when someone is permanently unable to fast; it is not a shortcut for travelers or temporary illness (those usually make up days later).