Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year - It is a very special month, because during this month the Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) received his first message from God.

                It is said that in the holy month of Ramadan, the Satan (shay tan) is locked away and it doesn’t distract people from doing good things or make people commit sins, After 11 months of sins, God blesses the Muslims with this month to ask for forgiveness and to do good things. People get enormously excited at the start of the fast as they await the announcement of the new moon being sighted. In many countries the start of the Ramadan is announced on the radio.

              Taken from the Quran, all Muslims fast for two main reasons, the first reason why Muslims fast is that Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam commanded by Allah in the Quran. The second reason is that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) himself set them the example of fasting. Muslims gain lots of benefits from fasting.

             On the 27th of Ramadan which is also called the night of power because that was the day when the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) had his first revelation and Muslims pray and cry for the forgiveness of their sins, sometimes sweets are distributed as a blessed food on the night, many

Muslims pray all night and ask for forgiveness as it is believed that sins are forgiven on the night of power.

               At the end of the 30 days of saum all people (Muslims) await the new moon, all Muslims dress nicely and stand outside and if they don’t have a nice view of the moon they go inside and wait for the announcement on the radio or television that the moon has appeared and for the stating of Eid-ul-fitr. Eid-ul-fitr means ‘Festival of Fast Breaking’. It is the most popular festival of all, especially for the children because at that day they get a lot of presents, money, sweets and new clothes. People decorate their houses, send Eid cards, buy and wrap gifts, wear their best clothes and prepare special meals for the festival, no alcohol is used as it is prohibited in Islam. Males attend mosque in the morning for special Eid prayers, while the females prepare breakfast in the houses, after the prayers the parties begin, friends and families go to each others houses and get together, mostly they have meals together, gifts are exchanged within the families and friends, many times money is given to the children, Muslims thank God for this day and for giving them strength to keep the fast and because it is a rewarding day people often give clothes, food and money to the poor as well as zakah, which is an obligatory poor tax, and zakah is very important as it is described in the Quran several times as well.