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8 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Ramadan

Saudi Arabia, the home to Islam’s holiest place of worship, on Monday, announced the commencement of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

As Nigeria is not exempted from the directive, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) also declared that Ramadan will start in the country on Tuesday, April 13.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, who is also the NSCIA President-General, made the declaration to Nigerians on Monday.

Below are the 8 things you should know about Ramadan:

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Ramadan is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Ramadan begins when the moon is sighted and it lasts twenty-nine to thirty days.
Fasting during Ramadan from sunrise to sunset is compulsory for all adult Muslims.
During Ramadan, the pre-dawn meal is called ‘Suhur’ while the nightly meal that breaks the fast is referred to as ‘Iftar’.
Ramadan depicts that Muslims abstain not only from food and drink, but also tobacco products, sexual relations, and sinful behaviour as spiritual rewards of fasting are believed to be multiplied during Ramadan.
Muslims, in the last 10 days of Ramadan, celebrate the ‘Laylat Al Qadr’ regarded as the holiest night of the year. It celebrates the night that the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, is declared after a crescent new moon has been sighted or after completion of thirty days of fasting.