Ramdan glossary

Iftar or futoor

In Arabic this means “break fast”. It is the meal at sunset during Ramadan when Muslims can break their fast.

Suhoor

The pre-dawn meal to see those who are fasting through their day.

Ramadan Kareem

A nice greeting that means “generous Ramadan”. Say it to Muslims during this special time of year.

Ramadan Mubarak

Another greeting to wish people a happy Ramadan. It basically means “congratulations, it’s Ramadan”.

Sawm

This is the word used for fasting and is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Zakat

Another one of the five pillars of Islam is zakat or almsgiving. It requires adult Muslims to pay 2.5 percent of their wealth to the poor and needy. While this can be paid at any time of the year, zakat is more prominent during Ramadan.

Salah

Prayer, another of the five pillars of Islam. Five prayer times are observed throughout the day, the first at dawn, then at noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night.

Tarawih

Special congregational prayers held each evening during Ramadan, in addition to the five daily prayers.

Eid Al-Fitr

This annual, three-day celebration marks the end of Ramadan and the start of “Shawwal” (the tenth month of the Islamic calendar) with prayers, festivities, food, gifts and family gatherings. It means “feast of breaking the fast”.