Ramadan: A Time for Fasting and Prayer

— -- Long, hard days of fasting and abstinence give way to evenings of prayer, communal dining and, in some regions, all-night TV-watching, as Muslims across the world mark the holy month of Ramadan.

For devout Muslims across national, class and linguistic divides, Ramadan is a time for self-discipline, meditation and spiritual renewal. But like many religious festivals — such as Christmas — there have also been complaints that Ramadan is getting increasingly commercialized.

Here are some basic facts about Ramadan.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from the break of dawn to sunset. It is a 29-day period culminating with the festival, Eid ul-Fitr, or Feast of the Fast-breaking.

When does Ramadan begin and end?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, so the beginning and the end of the period is based on the sightings of the moon. Given the diversity of the Islamic faith, which comprises a number of sects spread around the globe, the sightings have been a cause for much deliberation and some confusion.

Some Muslim communities, especially in Scandinavian countries, where the winter weather can make a sighting difficult, simply follow the dates set by Saudi Arabia or the ones put forth by scholars at Egypt's Al-Azhar University, the Islamic world's oldest and most prestigious university.

But for most Muslims, the sighting of the crescent-shaped new moon in the evening sky marks the start and end of Ramadan.

What is the religious significance of Ramadan?

Muslims believe Ramadan is the month when the prophet Mohammed began to receive the final cycle of the revelation of God's message, which was subsequently collected and preserved as the Koran.

How is Ramadan marked?

Muslims fasting during Ramadan wake up before dawn for the sohour meal before the dawn prayers. After sunrise, they abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex in an act of sacrifice and purification. At sunset, the evening prayers are followed by the special Ramadan prayers, called taraweeh. Then it's time for the iftar , the usually hearty evening meal.