Calendar Design 2023

The holy month of Ramadan is celebrated during the ninth month in the Hejira, or Islamic calendar. Because the Hejira calendar is 11 days shorter than the West's Gregorian calendar, the dates on which Ramadan falls vary according to the Gregorian calendar.

It is believed that Ramadan is the month in which the Koran was revealed to the prophet Mohammed.

During Ramadan, healthy Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, but children, the disabled, travellers, and those who are physically or mentally ill or pregnant are exempt. The fast, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, includes abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and sex during daylight hours. Muslims aim to maintain purity of thought and actions during Ramadan.

While non-Muslims are not required to fast while visiting or working in Saudi Arabia or other Gulf countries, and food can be purchased during daytime at the hospital cafeteria and/or restaurant, non-Muslims must avoid eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, etc. in public. During the fast, Muslim staff tend to work shorter hours.

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