UNDERSTANDING

THE MONTH OF RAMADAN

Holy month of daily fasting for Muslims

James H. Faghmous, Ph.D.

james@practicalmuslim.com
WHAT IS RAMADAN?
Ramadan is the 9th month of Muslim lunar
calendar where Muslims believe that the Qur’an
was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammad in
610CE
For an entire month, ~2B Muslims globally fast
from sunrise to sundown, devoting a greater time
to prayer, commit to service, and deepen their
social relationships and charitable giving
Ramadan is a time for deep reflection and
spiritual renewal where spirituality takes a
prominent role in their lives. This means, for some
practicing Muslims, their priorities shift as they
focus more on prayer, meditation and charity
during Ramadan.
During Ramadan, Entertainment is decreased,
eating is more mindful, volunteerism and charity
is increased, and family is prioritized.
WHEN IS RAMADAN?
Since Ramadan follows the lunar
calendar, every year Ramadan starts and
ends on a different day (we observe
Ramadan ~10 days earlier per year)
This year, Ramadan will start around
March 23rd (+/- a day)
The actual start and end dates of
Ramadan are determined by moon
sighting, so Muslim employees and
students are not certain when the month
will start or end.
FASTING DURING RAMADAN
During Ramadan, Muslims who are physically able will observe a dry fast.

● WHAT IS A DRY FAST?

○ Fasting from water, food and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset.

● WHAT DOES FASTING DURING RAMADAN LOOK LIKE?

○ Many Muslims wake early for a pre-dawn meal, called sahoor
○ Most Muslims break their fast at sunset, a meal called iftar, with a date which was the
tradition of the Prophet Muhammed.
○ Since fasting is based on sunrise and sunset the time of starting and breaking fast
changes each day and in every location. In NYC, sunset is around 7pm in March. Please be
aware that many Muslim employees and students wake up before sunrise, and stay
awake without food or drink until ~7pm (and later in the long summer days)
HOW CAN I SUPPORT MY FELLOW TEAM MEMBERS WHO ARE
OBSERVING RAMADAN?
● Muslims observe Ramadan differently. Some
Muslims may not be comfortable sharing that
they are fasting.
● In general, be sensitive to the fact that your
Muslim community members may be hungry,
dehydrated, or fatigued during this month.
● For those who observe, fasting is a religious
obligation, jokes about appearances or weight
loss don’t contribute to an inclusive culture
● You can greet those observing with “Happy
Ramadan”, “Ramadan Kareem” or “Ramadan
Mubarak”
HOW CAN I SUPPORT MY DIRECT REPORTS WHO ARE OBSERVING
RAMADAN?
● MINDFUL SCHEDULING: If you are scheduling social
meals or work lunches during the daylight hours when
Muslims cannot partake, consider offering a take-home
dinner or food delivery credit for them to have at sun
down.
● END OF DAY ASKS: Fasting can be taxing on both the
mind + body, keep this in mind when asking for help
with large tasks near the end of the day.
● CREATE SPACE FOR EID: Support team members in
taking time off at the end of Ramadan to celebrate Eid.
Eid is the end of Ramadan festival. Since Muslim team
members won’t know when Ramadan ends until the
night before, it’s important to keep communication
open and to allow for flexible PTO. You can greet
colleagues with “Happy Eid” or “Eid Mubarak”
CREATING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR MUSLIMS DURING
RAMADAN
● UNDERSTANDING RAMADAN: The best way to support a Muslim friend, colleague, or direct
report is to show them that you understand Ramadan and what it means for Muslims. You are
well on your way if you’ve read this far!
● REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: Muslims observing the Ramadan fast may need additional
accommodations that they don’t need or request during the rest of the year. Consider providing
flexible scheduling or breaks for Muslims who need to break fast while in school or on the job.
Similarly, many Muslims observe prayers during the working hours (even if they don’t do so
during the year), so providing a private space and a few minutes to pray goes a long way in
supporting Muslim employees and students
● TEAM BONDING: Inclusive team activities around fasting, volunteering, or charitable giving are a
great way to engage your Muslims employees and boosting morale. Consider hosting a
“fast-a-thon” where the company donates a small amount of money to charity for each
employee who observes the fast for a day. End the day with a team dinner to break the fast
together. Similarly, group volunteering activities in food kitchens (or similar) is a great way to
engage Muslims focusing on service while deepening your team’s chemistry.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?

● This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive

overview of Ramadan. Feel free to email me
with any questions
● Listen to this podcast from the Commune
platform with Zahra Aljabri on Ramadan
and the benefits of fasting
○ Watch on YouTube
○ Listen on Spotify
○ Listen on Apple Music
STAY IN TOUCH - FOLLOW ME ON LINKEDIN
HAPPY RAMADAN!