Key Highlights:

✅ Ramadan 2025 is expected to begin on March 1 or 2.
✅ Fasting (Roza) is obligatory for all adult Muslim men and women.
✅ The practice of fasting in Islam began in 2nd Hijri (623 CE).
✅ Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam, known for prayers, charity, and self-discipline.

The Origin of Fasting in Islam

The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan, is the most sacred for Muslims worldwide. During this time, believers observe fasts from dawn to sunset, refraining from eating, drinking, and sinful behavior. The concept of fasting, known as “Sawm” (Arabic) or “Roza” (Persian), means self-restraint and discipline.

🔹 When was fasting made obligatory?
Islamic scholars state that fasting was ordained in the 2nd Hijri year (623 CE) after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated from Mecca to Medina. The Quranic verse (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183) states:

"Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain piety."

Thus, fasting became one of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside:
1️⃣ Shahada (Faith in one God, Allah)
2️⃣ Salah (Five daily prayers)
3️⃣ Zakat (Charitable giving)
4️⃣ Sawm (Fasting in Ramadan)
5️⃣ Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)

When Will Ramadan 2025 Begin?

Ramadan begins after the sighting of the crescent moon. This year, in India, the moon is expected to be visible on February 28 (Friday), making March 1 (Saturday) the first Roza.

🔸 Special prayers (Tarawih) are offered in mosques throughout Ramadan.
🔸 The Quran was revealed during Ramadan on Laylatul Qadr (The Night of Power).

How Do Muslims Observe Fasting?

🔹 Pre-dawn meal (Suhur/Sheri) – Before Fajr (morning prayer)
🔹 Day-long fast (Sawm) – No food, drink, or immoral acts
🔹 Evening meal (Iftar) – Breaking the fast at Maghrib (sunset prayer)

Fasting is not just about food and drink; it requires:
✅ Control over speech and actions (No lying, gossiping, or harming others)
✅ Spiritual purification through prayers, Quran recitation, and charity
✅ Avoiding intimate relations during fasting hours

Who Is Exempt from Fasting?

Islam allows exemptions for:
✔️ Sick individuals (can fast later or pay Fidyah)
✔️ Travelers (can make up fasts later)
✔️ Pregnant and menstruating women (must fast later)
✔️ Young children and the elderly

Those who cannot fast at all (e.g., chronic illness) can feed the poor instead (Fidyah).

Significance of Ramadan in Islam

🕌 Islamic scholars emphasize Ramadan as a month of patience, peace, and spiritual growth.
💫 Good deeds are rewarded 70 times more during this month.
🔑 Doors of Jannah (Paradise) open, and Gates of Hell (Jahannam) close.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) fasted throughout Ramadan, teaching that fasting shields against sins and strengthens faith.