Ramadan – the fourth pillar of Islam

Islam is based on five important principles, also called pillars. The fourth pillar is called Sawm, which means fasting. For Muslims, Ramadan is a holy month in which one must abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. This is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It starts when the new moon appears, and ends when the next new moon peeks out. Then the fast ends with a big celebration: Eid al-Fitr.

Ramadan is about more than not eating and drinking. It is about abstaining from desires and focusing on spirituality. During Ramadan there are many social gatherings, and it is a time for reflection and prayer. It’s about feeling gratitude for everything you have and is an exercise in knowing what it’s like not to have everything. You get a feeling of what it’s like to be poor.

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Silhuett av moske med halvmåne på solnedgangshimmel
Silhuett av moske med halvmåne på solnedgangshimmel

Ramadan in all seasons

The Islamic year is 11 days shorter than that of the Gregorian calendar. This means that Ramadan begins 11 days earlier each year. Over a 36-year-period Ramadan will fall in every season. 

Ramadan in the Northern hemisphere

During the summer months there can be as much as 20 hours of daylight in the northernmost countries of the world. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set in the summertime, as there is the midnight sun. 

During winter the opposite happens, the number of daylight hours are fewer, and in some places the sun never rises at all.

Alternative solutions

In these extreme conditions many Muslims choose alternative options as to when the fast can be broken. Some follow the time of the sun in Mecca or the closest Islamic country. A group of Norwegian Muslims have developed prayer timetables in collaboration with international Islamic authorities, for Muslims living in high-latitude areas.

📷  Midnight sun in Norway
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Take a closer look at the prayer timetable here
Midnattssol på Nordkapp i Finland
Midnattssol på Nordkapp i Finland

Breaking the fast together

For many Muslims, Ramadan is a cherished month where you gather with people you don’t see very often. Every evening when the sun sets, friends, family and neighbors meet for a shared meal to break the fast together.

Non-Muslims and non-fasting Muslims can also take part in these gatherings. Many people break their fast with dates and drink water or milk. This is called Iftar in Arabic. A good meal is shared followed by prayer.

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Muslimsk familie som har iftar sammen under Ramadan
Muslimsk familie som har iftar sammen under Ramadan

Ramadan is also a time for good conversations with family and friends and a time to resolve quarrels and unfriendliness. Everyone tries to be extra kind and generous during Ramadan.

Fasting

Fasting can be a cleansing process both physically and mentally. Your health can improve while you practice willpower and self-discipline. In addition, fasting together strengthens faith and unity.

Fasting is not for everyone

Not everyone fasts during Ramadan. Children,the elderly, pregnant and breastfeeding women, physically or mentally ill people as well as people with hard physical work or in military service can refrain without a guilty conscience. If you have diabetes, fasting can actually be dangerous.

Even if you don’t fast, you can participate in Ramadan by donating to the poor, going to the mosque and supporting the rest of your family. You can also work to be a better person.

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En gravid muslimsk kvinne poserer foran solnedgangen
En gravid muslimsk kvinne poserer foran solnedgangen

Muslim identity

Participating in Ramadan is important for feeling that you are a Muslim, but it is about more than religion. It creates belonging and cohesion between the rich and the poor, across national borders and between different generations. All Muslims have the same experiences at the same time.

Collage av mange mennesker
Collage av mange mennesker

The long traditions of fasting

There are long traditions of fasting in many religions and philosophies. Fasting is practiced in for example Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Arabs in the Middle East practiced month-long fasting before Islam became a religion. 

It was well-known that old prophets and other holy men went out into the desert to fast and meditate to achieve higher levels of spirituality. This is precisely how the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad.

Ørkensolnedgang i Midtøsten
Ørkensolnedgang i Midtøsten

How to wish someone a happy Ramadan

More than 1,5 billions people all over the world celebrate Ramadan each year. What are thoughtful ways to wish someone a happy Ramadan?

The most common greeting is Ramadan Mubarak! It means «happy Ramadan» or «blessed Ramadan». You can also say Ramadan Kareem, which means «have a generous Ramadan».

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