Ramadan Mubarak! Muslims Celebrate Holy Month
Learn about Islam’s most cherished holiday.
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Ramadan Mubarak! - In honor of the billions of Muslims around the U.S. and the world, BET.com takes a look at Islam’s month of Ramadan and how Muslims express their faith during this holy time of year. — Naeesa Aziz (Photo: REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori)
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Month-Long Fast - Ramadan is a month-long Islamic religious observation. This year, Ramadan began Wednesday, July 10, and will continue until Aug. 7 or when the new moon is sighted. Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the lunar calendar and shift back 11 days each year. The annual observance is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts 29-30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in hadiths.(Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
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Sunrise to Sunset - During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset. Depending on the season in which the holiday falls and region of the world, daily fasts can last anywhere from 10 to 20 hours. In 2015, Muslims in Finland will have 10 minutes to break their fast because of a shift in the earth’s axis. (Photo: REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
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Ramadan Ends With Eid - Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is celebrated with community prayer and fellowship, feasts, exchanging of gifts and giving charity to the poor. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Black and Muslim - There are an estimated 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and the U.S. is home to more than half a million African-American Muslims. Muslims who have reached puberty are required to fast. But there are some exceptions, including include men and women who are too old to fast, those who are ill and pregnant women. (Photo: REUTERS/Tami Chappell)
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