Fasting practice in Ramadan month

Ramadan is the ninth of the Muslim calendar. In the Muslim calendar, each month starts with the first sight seeing of the new moon and ends with the first sight seeing of the new moon for the following month. Because Allah is believed to have transmitted the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan, Muslims consider it and especially holy month during which all eligible Muslims are to fast. This fast is one of the five pillars of Islam and an obligation for all devout Muslims who have reached the age of puberty who are mentally and physically fit, who are not on home, and who will not be harmed mentally of physically by fasting.
The insane and senile are not mentally fit to participate. Those, whose health would be negatively affected, may not need to fast, such as pregnant women, nursing mothers and those physically ill, also menstruating women may not fast. However, with the exception of the mentally ill and aged, all other individuals are expected to fast at a later time on their own the number of days they did not fast during Ramadan and / or they are feed a number of poor people.

During Ramadan, most Muslims start the day with Sahur (predawn meal) before Imsak (the break of dawn). After this meal they desist from eating, drinking, smoking or sexual intimacies from Imsak until the call for Maghrib (evening prayer) just after sundown. Since Imsak and Maghrib vary according to the season, efforts are made to inform the public as the precise time will be each day. To enable believers to arrange their day, major newspapers and handouts provide a schedule for Imsak and Maghrib. The mosque call people to prayer befor Imsak and at Maghrib.

The television stations and radio stations also broadcast the call to evening prayer as well For ensure that people wake up in time to have a bite to eat before Imsak, youths frequently parade through the kampung making noise.