Ramadan | Fasting, Traditions, & Facts - Encyclopedia Britannica

Qurʾānic connections

The observation of Ramadan is stipulated in the Qurʾān in the second surah (Al-Baqarah [“The Cow”]) in verses 183–87. Verse 185 provides a clear overview of this observance:

The month of Ramaḍān in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful. —Translated by M.M. Pickthall

Islamic traditions recorded in hadiths—sayings and traditions of Muhammad—further indicate that it was during Ramadan that there occurred previous divine revelations to prophets in Judaism and Christianity: a scroll to Abraham (Ibrāhīm), the Torah to Moses (Mūsā), and the Gospel (Injīl) to Jesus (ʿĪsā).

Access for the whole family! Bundle Britannica Premium and Kids for the ultimate resource destination. Subscribe

God’s revelation of the Qurʾān to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibrīl) is believed to have taken place on one of the final 10 nights of Ramadan in 610 ce, though the exact night is unclear. This moment of revelation in the month of Ramadan is celebrated as Laylat al-Qadr, the “Night of Power.” The date of this annual commemoration varies throughout the Islamic world but is most commonly observed on the 23rd night of Ramadan for Shiʿi Muslims and on the 27th for Sunni Muslims. A distinctive custom among Shiʿi Muslims is a ceremony of supplication called Rafʿ al-Maṣā︎ḥif, so called for the moment when worshippers raise a copy of the Qurʾān above their heads. Laylat al-Qadr holds additional significance as a night in which angels are thought to descend to earth with a myriad of tasks, leading to a night of peace, blessings, and divine guidance (qadar) until the dawn. It is thus commemorated with solemnity, devotion, and prayer, and some observers spend the festival in a mosque.