When is Ramadan 2019?  

Ramadan 2019 is due to begin on either Sunday the 5th of May or Monday the 6th of May. 

 Ramadan 2019 will be officially determined by the sighting of the new moon. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year and encompasses significant religious reverence. 

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are obligated to fast from pre-dawn to sunset every single day for 29 or 30 days. The fasting of Ramadan makes up the fourth pillar of Islam. 

A Background to Ramadan 

The word ‘Ramadan’, comes from the Arabic word ‘Ramad’. This word means being burnt by the sun. Scholars have said this word is used because during this month, the sins of the believers are being burnt. 

The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said,  

Whoever draws nearer to Allah by performing any of the (optional) good deeds  shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time.

Following the sunnah 

The Prophet (pbuh), embodied the spirit of the Qur’an. Muslims try to follow his example – or sunnah – in drawing closer to God. In Ramadan, these include eating suhur, a pre-dawn meal – even if it is just water – and breaking the fast on time. Muslims usually break their fast with dates, choosing an odd number as the Prophet (pbuh) did, or water. 

What We Are Doing in Ramadan 2019 

Across the world, many families will struggle to put food on the table at iftar time. We work with people and communities to ensure that families have enough food for the month of Ramadan. Across the globe, we distribute family food packs with essentials such as flour, rice, and lentils to last the whole month. The food packs are dynamic and contents change according to the country and the preferred nutritious intake.