Holy month of Ramadhan

Thu, June 16, 2016 / 12:08 am

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Muslims perform the tarawih (evening prayer) on the eve of Ramadhan at the Miftahul Jannah Mosque in East Jakarta on June 5. JP/Dhoni Setiawan
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People pray on the sidewalk and footbridge outside the Miftahul Jannah Mosque in East Jakarta on June 5. JP/Dhoni Setiawan
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Children carry torches while participating in a procession to celebrate the beginning of Ramadhan on Jl. Panjang in West Jakarta on June 5. JP/Seto Wardhana
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Motorists pick up free snacks at Al Abraar Mosque in West Jakarta on June 7. The mosque provides various takjil (food to break the fast) to those stuck in traffic and needing to break the fast. JP/Seto Wardhana.
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People purchase sweets to break the fast at a Ramadhan food festival in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, on June 8. JP/ Wienda Parwitasari
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Staffer members of the Istiqlal Grand Mosque distribute snacks to those waiting to break the fast at Jakarta’s largest mosque on June 9. JP/ Wienda Parwitasari.
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People visit the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta to break the fast on June 9, 2016. JP/ Wienda Parwitasari
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Children prepare for the evening pray after breaking the fast at Istiqlal Grand Mosque, Central Jakarta, on June 6. The mosque management provides 3,000 to 4,000 meals every day. JP/Ricky Yudhistira
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A man prays while others recite the Quran during Ramadhan at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta on June 9. JP/ Wienda Parwitasari
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A woman recites the Quran following noon prayers on the first day of Ramadhan at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on June 9. JP/ Wienda Parwitasari
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People observe Friday prayers at Tanah Abang Market in Central Jakarta on June 10. Tanah Abang is the Southeast Asian biggest garment market and usually sees an influx of shoppers during Ramadhan. JP/Seto Wardhana.
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A man recites the Quran at a fuel station on Jl. Abdul Muis in Central Jakarta on June 9. JP/Seto Wardhana.

Ramadhan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar. During the holy month, while fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking and engaging in sexual relations. This annual observance is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Ramadhan, also transliterated into Ramazan, Ramzan and Ramathan, lasts 29 to 30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.

Indonesia, as a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, offers a variety of rituals and traditions during Ramadhan, such as a torch parade, ubiquitous vendors selling multifarious sweets and snacks and breaking-of-the-fast events with large numbers of family and friends, regardless of religion. The last event is known as buka bersama — or bukber for short — which means breaking the fast together.

During Ramadhan, many mosques offer free snacks for breaking the fast - popularly known as takjil - for residents and travelers. Some gatherings, called ngabuburit, are also popular. Ngabuburit is a term taken from the Sundanese language that means a tradition of engaging in activities to pass the last few hours before the breaking of the fast.