.: The Islamic Association of Australia

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar when all Muslims - with a few exceptions - have to fast during the hours of daylight. The first day of the fast is authorised by the Amir who has authenticated a sighting of the new moon. This is a very important moment when people often gather outside with great excitement. Each person hopes to be the first to see it. The lunar month can be 29 or 30 days long, so they look for the new moon on the 29th day of Sha'ban, which is the month before Ramadan. If on the first evening the Amir is not satisfied that the new moon has been seen, Ramadan will begin on the following evening. {Regretful to say that the excitement of this practice has been abandoned in modern times. We should try to adopt this method once more insh'Allah.}

Once everyone knows that the month of Ramadan has started, they begin preperations. Early in the morning, each family gets up before dawn to eat a meal {called suhur}. It is dark and sometimes it is very difficult to get up, so parents try to encourage the children so that they don't miss their suhur or breakfast. {This is normally a very exciting time for both kids and adults. The children particularly like the idea of getting up in the night to eat something, and to fast during the day.} After eating on the first morning, they then resolve on their intention to fast that month 'for the sake of Allah (swt)', and each day people similarly renew their intention to fast that day. From this moment their fast begins. They then perform their Fajr prayers.

During the day they must not eat, drink, have sexual relations or smoke. Even more important - they must try not to get angry or think bad thoughts, because this would also cancel out any good things they might recieve from Allah (swt) through fasting. Many people find that because they are fasting they lose their tempers more quickly. So one of the first things that the fast teaches is self-control and patience.