The month of Ramadan began last night; fasting for observant Muslims begins today.
Ramadan began overlapping with the 40 days of Lent in 2022. Muslims and Christians will be observing part of their respective long fasts together for a few more years.*
Muslim writers, much like Christian ones, encourage the faithful to approach fasting as being “not just about the food.”
Best wishes to my Muslim friends and readers. “May you make a good fast.”
“Holy month of Ramadan begins for Muslims across the world.”
Sadullah Khan, “Towards a Value-Enhancing Ramadan”
[*] Assuming I’m reading the calendars right, that will be through 2027, with a skip in 2028, and an encore in 2029. Then, the dance of the lunar and solar calendars will spin the observances further and further away from each other again for awhile.
Image: Image of a Ramadan lantern decoration in Jerusalem, by Guillaume Paumier / CC BY
Matters of Interpretation 