Raman - is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar

Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting.

The month lasts 2930 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon
While fasting from dawn until sunset Muslims refrain from consuming food drin!ing
li"uids smo!ing
#ood and drin! is served daily before sunrise and after sunset.
The $redominant $ractice in %amadan is fasting from dawn to sunset. The $re&dawn
meal before the fast is called the suhoor while the meal at sunset that brea!s the
fast is the iftar.
In the evening dates are usually the 'rst food to brea! the fast( according to
tradition Muhammad bro!e fast with three dates.
)harity is very im$ortant in Islam and even more so during %amadan. *a!+t often
translated as ,the $oor&rate, is obligatory as one of the $illars of Islam( a '-ed
$ercentage of the $erson.s savings is re"uired to be given to the $oor. /ada"ah is
voluntary charity in giving above and beyond what is re"uired from the obligation of
0a!+t.
Tarawih 12rabic3 4 refers to e-tra $rayers $erformed by Muslims at night in the
Islamic month of %amadan. )ontrary to $o$ular belief they are not com$ulsory.
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9owever many Muslims $ray these $rayers in the evening during %amadan.
It has been suggested that fasting during %amadan has numerous health bene'ts
including3 im$roved brain function and alertness due to greater brain cell
$roduction( greatly reduced stress levels due to a reduction in cortisol(
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reduction of cholesterol( a reduction of blood glucose 9;< cholesterol levels(
increases in <;< cholesterol( Weight loss due to the use of fat for energy while
$reserving muscle( decrease of waist circumference(

decrease of body mass inde-(
decrease of blood sugar( decrease of mean arterial $ressure( better control of
diabetes( reduced blood $ressure(

and a deto-i'cation $rocess.