February 2, 2026

We were so surprised when we visited a Muslim family during Ramadan in our first year on the field. They offered us tea and cookies! We said, “Oh, I thought you were fasting?” They replied that they were, but they wanted to be hospitable to us. They insisted, and so we reluctantly agreed, but then it became very awkward as they watched us eat and drink! We decided that from then on, whenever we visited during Ramadan, we would politely decline anything to eat or drink. 

Ramadan is again just around the corner, starting February 18 this year. It is the month in the Islamic calendar that Muslims will not only fast from food and drink, but also abstain from worldly pleasures during daylight hours—or at least that’s the goal. It is much easier to keep the fast during the shorter days of the winter months than during long, hot summer days. Either way, it is still difficult. Muslims believe that by fasting and spending extra time in prayer during this month, they will earn favor from God.   

Keeping and Breaking the Fast 

Many families gather in the evening with other families to celebrate the breaking of the fast. This tight-knit community helps because there is peer pressure to keep the fast. Travelers, sick people, pregnant women, and children do not need to fast, but they are expected to complete it later when they return or recover. I have known many wealthy Muslims who suddenly needed to travel for business during this time and then conveniently did not have time to fast when they returned. 

In Muslim countries, state and federal governments grind almost to a halt, and trying to get any official documents processed can take forever. Shopkeepers also keep different hours, opening later in the day and staying open later in the evening. Many Muslims, if they can, tend to flip their days and nights. They sleep during the day and stay awake at night. 

Some will eat a large meal as soon as the sun goes down; others break their fast with dates and a small snack and then eat a larger meal later in the evening. In both cases, the women of the house will get up and prepare another large meal to be eaten at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m., before the light dawns for the next day. Shopkeepers report that more food is purchased and consumed during the month of fasting than in any other month! 

If you are living in an area with many Muslims, you should also be careful as the day draws to a close. I have seen many vehicles (and bikes) rushing down the streets, even running red lights, to get home before the fast breaks! Shopkeepers and food vendors do brisk business in the 30 minutes preceding the end of the fast, as shoppers pick up last-minute items for dinner. 

Engaging Muslims through Prayers and Conversations 

Although it can be a difficult time for ministry as many people are not so pleasant when they are very hungry and tired, it can also be a time when some Muslims are more spiritually sensitive. Prayer and spiritual discernment are definitely needed for those seeking to share during this time. This is why it is so urgent for us to be committed to prayer, lifting up our friends, and asking the Lord to soften their hearts and draw them to seek him. See the prayer links below.

The Islamic calendar is shorter than the Western calendar, so each year it advances by about 11 days. Next year, Ramadan will start around February 7, and the following year it will be around January 27. Ramadan ends each year with the final week being special, as prayers offered at the mosque are regarded as the weightiest of all prayers during the entire month. We will look more closely at the final week of Ramadan in next month’s SHL.