Thursday, March 23, marked the first day of Ramadan for Muslims around the globe. The holy month marks a time for prayer, self-sacrifice, introspection, empathy, and family for believers. [A Saudi woman shops for Ramadan decorations to mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan in a local market in Riyadh.]
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Muslim women offer 'Tarawih' mass prayers during the first evening of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Sheikh Zayed Grand mosque in Solo, Central Java province, Indonesia.
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The first day of Ramadan is traditionally marked by the sighting of the crescent moon with the naked eye, and is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
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The crescent moon of Ramadan was seen in the UAE on Wednesday. Traditionally, moon-sighting is used to determine the start and end of months in the Islamic calendar. [A spiritual atmosphere surrounds those who go to the Grand Mosque during Taraweeh prayers on the first night of the holy month]
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Thousands of the faithful offer Taraweeh, the special night prayers in Ramadan, at the Masjid an-Nabawi, also known as the Prophet Mosque. Worshippers pray both inside the mosque and outside in the mosque's plazas and on its roof. During Ramadan pilgrims and visitors from all over the world fly into Medina to pay homage to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at the second holiest site in Islam.
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Ramadan lasts for one complete moon cycle, which is usually 29 or 30 days. Adult Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk every day throughout Ramadan. [People read the Quran at the Grand Mosque in Sana'a, Yemen ahead of Ramadan]
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Those who are ill, elderly, diabetic, pregnant, menstruating, or breastfeeding are not required to fast. [People read the Quran at the Grand Mosque in Sana'a, Yemen]
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During the month, fasting Muslims will head to mosques for 'Taraweeh' prayers – one of the specialities during Ramadan. [Muslim worshippers perform evening prayers called 'Taraweeh' during the eve of the first night of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Al Azhar mosque in the old Islamic area of Cairo, Egypt.]
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Taraweeh is derived from the Arabic word which means ‘to rest and relax’, as it is seen as a special form of Islamic meditation. [Muslim women offer 'Taraweeh' mass prayers at Sheikh Zayed Grand mosque in Solo, Central Java province, Indonesia.]
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The Taraweeh prayers take place after Isha prayers around mid-evening. [Muslim women offer 'Taraweeh' mass prayers in Cairo, Egypt.]
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Ramadan also features month-long iftar tents and majlises, shopping markets and more. Here, a vendor sells traditional "fanous" lanterns as Muslim devotees prepare for the start of Ramadan, in Khan Yunis town in the southern Gaza Strip .
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Members of Muslim Scout Association play drums during a rally to welcome Ramadan, in Sidon, Lebanon.
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Muslims attend 'Taraweeh' mass prayers during the first evening of Ramadan at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
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