The month of Ramadan is the most important month in the Islamic calendar. Because in that month, all Muslims fast for the whole month and also do many other practices.

When Will Ramadan be Held in 2024?

The Islamic calendar follows the rhythm of changing months, therefore, every year the start date of each month will be advanced up to 11 days earlier than the previous year. Therefore, in 2024, the month of Ramadan is expected to start from March 10 to April 9.

Even though it was founded in 1946, the Ministry of Religion only started holding isbat sessions to determine the 1st of Ramadan in the 1950s. The isbat session to determine the start of Ramadan was held on the 29th of Shaban by observing the first month at several points in Indonesia.

In the last few years, the public has also been able to find out about the mechanisms of the isbat session and take part in overseeing the process of seeing the moon at a predetermined point. You can also follow along via social media because many are also broadcast live. But it's a good idea to wait until the Government issues an official statement.

4 things that can only be found in the month of Ramadan

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is mandatory for all Muslims throughout the world who are of puberty and are physically and mentally healthy. Unlike going on the Hajj which can only be done by going to Mecca, fasting can be done anywhere during the month of Ramadan. And there are several things that are unique because they can only be found this month.

1. Congregational Tarawih Prayers
   Tarawih prayers are sunnah prayers performed after Isha prayers during the month of Ramadan. The number of rak'ahs for this prayer is even between 2 and 20 rak'ahs according to the people's ability, before closing with another evening prayer.
   
   Most people will perform the Witr prayer directly after the Tarawih prayer. But if you intend to perform the Tahajjud prayer, you can rest first after performing tarawih and perform the Witr prayer after Tahajud.
   
   
2. Many Takjil Food Sellers
   Because the majority of Indonesians are Muslims, there will be many takjil sellers during the month of Ramadan. One of the reasons is the culture of ngabuburit or waiting for the time to break the fast where most people will walk around and look for takjil to break the fast.
   
   Based on a survey conducted by Populix, Indonesian people's spending increases by 50% during the month of Ramadan. So it is not surprising that many new businesses have emerged, especially takjil sellers. There are also many special dishes that only exist in the month of Ramadan because of this phenomenon.
   
   
3. Lailatul Qadar Night
   The night that is believed to have the blessing of worshiping for a thousand months is on the odd night in the last third of the month of Ramadan. This is as explained in Surah Al-Qadar verses 1-7 which tells about the various advantages of the night of Lailatul Qadar. Among these various advantages are an infinite number of forgiveness and intercession.
   
   To get all this, you only need to increase your acts of worship during the month of Ramadan, such as night prayers and reading the Koran. However, no one can know for sure when exactly the night of Lailatul Qadar occurs. However, those who have received blessings from worship tonight will feel calmer and closer to the Creator.
   
   
4. The Day The Koran was Revealed
   The holy verses of the Koran that were first revealed were Surah Al Alaq verses 1-5. This incident at Hira Cave occurred on the 17th of Ramadan. Because of this, many Muslims consider the night of Lailatul Qadar to also occur on the day the Al-Quran was revealed.
   
   Not only that, one form of worship that is recommended to be carried out in the month of Ramadan is to read more of the Koran. So don't be surprised if many people are competing to recite the Koran within one month.

What must be Prepared for The month of Ramadan

Fasting throughout the day not only restrains oneself from hunger and thirst, but also from various emotions such as anger, irritation and other desires. Therefore, there is a lot you have to prepare to get through this month perfectly.

Starting from learning to manage your patience because you have to fast for dozens of hours. For Ramadan in 2024, Indonesia is one of the lucky regions because the time gap between sunrise and sunset is only 11 hours. Many countries in the northern hemisphere such as Europe and America have to fast for up to 17 hours.

Apart from being mentally and patient, you also have to prepare yourself physically because fasting can be quite tiring. However, fasting also has many benefits for you body healthespecially for those of you who suffer from diabetes or obesity.

Conclusion

The month of Ramadan is one of the months in Islam which is considered the holiest because it has so many advantages. For those of you who are Muslims and have fulfilled the fasting requirements, you are required to fast for a whole month.

The lunar calendar used causes the Ramadan schedule to change every year. Because of this, the Indonesian government holds an Isbat session every 29 Shaban to find out when fasting begins.

The command to fast in the month of Ramadan is just one of the many unique things that only happen in this month. Apart from physical and spiritual factors, the month of Ramadan also has an economic and social impact, especially on Indonesian society.