The dawn-to-dusk fast lasts anywhere from 13 to 16 hours, depending on where in the world you are.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has begun worldwide. For the next 29 or 30 days, Muslims observing the fast will refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, a period lasting from 12 to 16 hours, depending on their location.
Muslims believe Ramadan is the month when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.
The fast entails abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations during daylight hours to achieve greater “taqwa”, or consciousness of God.
Why does Ramadan start on different dates every year?
Ramadan begins 10 to 12 days earlier each year. This is because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar Hijri calendar with months that are 29 or 30 days long.
Because the lunar year is shorter than the solar year by 11 days, Ramadan will be observed twice in the year 2030 – first beginning on January 5 and then starting on December 26.
