Ask most people in the United States about Ramadan and you probably won't learn much except that the average person knows very little about this Islamic observance. For most in the West, Ramadan is an exotic, foreign event shrouded in mystery. True, the nuisances of this month of worship may be difficult to understand for those from a low context society with a more analytical and less philosophical approach to celebration, but with a little research in to the world of Islam, understanding Ramadan is easier and less mysterious than you'd think.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and occurs on different dates each year due to the nature of the lunar year. The Islamic calendar consists of twelve months, with the start of each beginning with the first sighting of the new crescent moon and ending 29.53059 days later. For this reason (needing to see the new crescent moon with the human eye) it is never known for sure on what date Ramadan will occur since weather can affect visibility. Science can calculate the exact date the new crescent moon appears but Muslims prefer to leave this determination to the naked eye so as to allow all Muslims (scientifically skilled or not) an opportunity to participate in Ramadan for themselves. Rather than a firm date, Ramadan is usually predicted to start on a given date and is subject to change.

In addition to having an unpredictable beginning date, Ramadan shifts each year because it is a lunar holiday. The lunar year is shorter than the solar year (Gregorian calendar) by about 11-12 days, having typically 354 days instead of 365. To those in most Western societies who use a Gregorian calendar, holidays calculated on a lunar calendar such as Ramadan shift about 11 days earlier each year. As time goes by, Ramadan eventually migrates through each season and occurs on the same day every 33 years.

The entire month of Ramadan is a holy month of fasting for all adult Muslims. Ramadan is significant for those of Islamic faith because they believe it was during this month that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, a man who could neither read nor write. At the age of 40, in the year 610 C.E., Muhammad received his first messages from God. It is said that while spending time in his favorite meditation spot one evening on Mount Hira, the angel Gabriel contacted Muhammad and commanded him to recite a verse. This was the beginning a 23 year time period where verses where sent down to Muhammad via Gabriel, the collection of which are known as the Quran.

The Quran is considered by Muslims to be the literal word of God. The word for God in Arabic is Allah and refers to the entity known by both Islam and Christianity to be the creator of the universe and one true God. In addition to God, Muslims believe in angels, in prophets (starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus), in the messages sent by God to prove his existence and create books to guide mankind (Muslims believe in the Torah, Psalms, Gospel, and the Quran), in Judgment Day, and in Divine Predestination but with the freewill to choose between right and wrong. In the line of messengers for God, Muhammad is considered by Muslims to be the last and most perfect of the prophets. While they believe in the Torah (Tawrat), Psalms (Zabur), and Gospel (Injil) holy books, they feel these scriptures were altered over time and maintain the Quran is the only book still in its original form, with its messages intact the way God intended. Muslims see Muhammad as the restorer of the original monotheism of Adam and Abraham and explain that the Quran does not create a new religion but rather clarifies that initial faith.
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