Ramadan 2017: Ramadan is a month of fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset.
Muslim clerics announced that the holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims keep a dawn-to-dusk fast would begin on Saturday in Kerala.
The official announcement was made by a team of senior Muslim clerics led by PV Suhaib Moulavi after the sighting of the moon in Kozhikode on Friday evening.
Muslims in Kerala constitute 88.73 lakh of the 3.30 crore population.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic (Hijri) calendar. It is the most holy month in the calendar for Muslims as it is believed the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed during Ramadan.
During this month, Muslims do not consume any food or liquid between
fajr and
maghrib prayers (at dawn and sunset), not even water.
Ramadan isn't just about fasting from food, it is primarily about being more pious and seeking spiritual closeness to God.
During this period of time, fasting is very important, and constitutes one of the five pillars of Islam (which include declaring there is no god except God, praying five times a day, giving to the poor and needy, and pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime).
Fasting during Ramadan not only encourages abstaining from food but also from evil actions, thoughts and words.
Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection and devoting themselves to worship and pray to Allah.
The conclusion of Ramadan is marked with a major celebration known as
Eid ul-Fitr (or Eid al-Fitr), the Feast of Fast-Breaking. It starts the day after Ramadan ends and lasts for three days.
(With inputs from IANS)