Ramadan

Why Ramadan is different

Ramadan is singled out in the Quran by name — the only month mentioned this way — as the month in which the Quran itself was first revealed: "The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion" (2:185). Fasting the month is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, obligatory on every adult, sane, healthy, non-travelling Muslim.

For the complete guide to fasting itself — who must fast, what breaks the fast, exemptions, qada, kaffarah, and the sunnah fasts around it — see the full fasting guide on the Practice page. This page focuses on what makes Ramadan more than "the fasting month": its specific virtues, the last ten nights, and Laylatul Qadr.

The last ten nights, and Laylatul Qadr

The Prophet ﷺ intensified his worship in the final ten nights of Ramadan beyond the rest of the month — staying up in prayer, and observing i'tikaf (secluded devotion in the mosque). Within these ten nights falls Laylatul Qadr, the Night of Decree, described in its own dedicated surah.

Its exact date isn't fixed or told to us — the Prophet ﷺ instructed that it be sought among the odd-numbered nights of the last ten:

The 27th night is the most commonly observed in many communities, though this is a common practice rather than a certainty from the text — the wisdom in it remaining unspecified is, itself, part of the encouragement to seek it earnestly across all these nights rather than one.

A dua for Laylatul Qadr

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet ﷺ what to say if she came upon the Night of Decree. He taught her this:

Zakat al-Fitr

Zakat al-Fitr is a separate, smaller obligation from the annual Zakat calculated on wealth — a fixed amount of food (or its cash equivalent, in most contemporary rulings) given by or on behalf of every Muslim, before the Eid al-Fitr prayer. Its purpose is stated directly in the hadith: it purifies the fasting person from any idle or indecent talk during the month, and it feeds the poor so that even the most needy can share in the joy of Eid.

It's due before the Eid prayer — giving it after is treated as ordinary charity rather than Zakat al-Fitr itself — so most communities collect and distribute it in the final days of Ramadan.