Ramadan and Iftar

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14 March 2025

Ramadan is currently going on, the fasting month for Muslims. In 2017, some 7.6% of Belgium’s population is said to be Muslim, which is 870,000 people (figures via VRT NWS). So it is an important month for a significant part of our society. President Johan Leman gives some additional information on what Ramadan and Iftar just means.

In fact, one speaks of “the month of Ramadan,” which, in the Islamic lunar calendar (different from our solar calendar), represents a period of 29 to 30 days derived from r-m-d (ramida: to glow, to be hot). According to Islamic tradition, it was during this month that the Quran (i.e., God’s message to the world, that one is asked to recite) was revealed. Every year, Muslims are invited during this month—which shifts in timing due to our solar calendar—to make a special effort to internalize this divine message. This is done by refraining from eating or drinking, abstaining from sexual relations, performing the prescribed ritual prayers, paying extra attention to those in need, and living as ethically as possible from the first prayer at sunrise until the prayer at sunset. The iftar in the evening is a festive moment when the meal is taken, preferably together with many people with whom one feels a sense of community.

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