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Many people simply call Ramadan the "month of fasting" or "month of abstinence," but neither is accurate, because believers do not completely abstain from food or fast entirely.
Throughout this month-long holy period, all Muslims strictly observe the rules: no eating, no drinking, no smoking... meaning nothing is allowed in the mouth (including no sexual activity), but this only applies during the day – specifically from sunrise to sunset.
Thousands of people gathered in Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Türkiye, preparing for the post-sunset meal (iftar) during the Ramadan fasting month.
The law of Islam also clearly stipulates that those who are sick, pregnant women, children under 5 years old, and those traveling abroad to countries where Islam is not the state religion are exempt. In some Muslim countries, there are also regulations that exempt young students, soldiers, and manual laborers. At the end of the fasting month, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr.
Here are some images of Muslim communities around the world celebrating the Ramadan fasting month:
Indonesian students prepare for afternoon prayers during the Ramadan fasting month at the Ar-Raudhatul Hasanah Islamic boarding school in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Young men in Gaza City perform a fire-spinning ritual during the Ramadan fasting month.
A woman rests at a mosque during the Ramadan fasting month in Bali, Indonesia.
Students sit in a circle as they attend a Quranic lesson during the Ramadan fasting month at the Ar-Raudlatul Hasanah Islamic Boarding School in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
A Pakistani Muslim man strikes a pose as he tries on a traditional prayer hat at a shop in Rawalpindi.
Muslim women perform an evening prayer called "tarawih" during the Ramadan fasting month at a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia.
A Muslim man prays before his post-sunset meal (iftar) at the Masjid At-Tawheed mosque in Port-au-Prince.
American Muslims attend an after-sun meal (iftar) at the Diyanet Center of America (DCA) in Maryland.
An Afghan family prays as they prepare for their post-sunset meal (iftar) during Ramadan, in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Muslims perform the first "Tarawih" prayer of the Ramadan fasting month at the Al-Noor Grand Mosque in Kirkuk, Iraq.
