The holy month of Ramadan in 2026: what prayers should Muslims read?
Ramadan is a special month in the life of Muslims, when the habitual rhythm of life is subordinated to spiritual tasks. At this time, believers observe a long fast, but its meaning is much broader than abstinence from food. Prayers, both obligatory and optional, as well as the reading of the Koran, acquire special importance during this period. Izvestia tells us why prayer is considered the heart of Ramadan and how prayer practice during the fasting period differs from the rest of the year.
What is Ramadan and what is the meaning of prayers?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is believed that it was at this time that the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, therefore the month is called sacred. During this period, Muslims are required to observe strict fasting — saum, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and mandatory for all adult believers, with the exception of those whose health or special circumstances do not allow it.
During the daytime, from dawn to dusk, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking. However, the significance of Ramadan is not limited to abstinence from food. Fasting also involves giving up bad thoughts, deeds, and words, controlling emotions, and striving for inner purification. This is a time of self-discipline, rethinking life values and strengthening faith.
Prayers occupy a special place in Ramadan. In addition to the obligatory daily prayers, believers perform additional night prayers — Tarawih, and devote more time to reading and studying the Koran. It is believed that in this month, every good deed and every prayer have a special spiritual value, and a sincere appeal to the Almighty helps to find forgiveness and peace of mind.
What are the obligatory prayers performed during Ramadan?
The basis of the daily prayer practice of Muslims consists of five obligatory prayers. They are performed throughout the year and are an integral part of a believer's life. Ramadan does not change their number or order, but during the holy month, the attitude towards prayer becomes especially reverent.
The most important condition is to observe a strictly set time for each prayer. It is determined by the position of the sun and depends on the geographical region, so the prayer schedule may vary in different cities and countries. Believers rely on special calendars or applications so as not to miss the scheduled time.
Basic obligatory prayers (namaz):
- Fajr is a pre—dawn prayer.
- Zuhr is the midday prayer.
- Asr — afternoon prayer.
- Maghreb — evening prayer (recited immediately after sunset).
- Isha is the night prayer.
Special attention is paid to collective prayer in the mosque. Although prayer is not obligatory, it is considered preferable and brings great spiritual rewards, so during the holy month mosques are filled, and the atmosphere of community and unity of believers is felt especially strongly.
Tarawih — night prayer in Ramadan
The only prayer that is not practiced in other months is called Tarawih. Tarawih means "rest" or "respite" in Arabic, because it is customary to take small pauses during prolonged prayer. It is read only during Ramadan, starting on the first night after the beginning of the month and ending on the last night of fasting.
Tarawih is performed after the obligatory night prayer (isha) and continues until dawn. Prayer usually consists of several rakats, which can be performed either individually or collectively in a mosque. In many communities, the Quran is read in full during Tarawih for a month, in parts every evening.
For Muslims, this is an important element of spiritual practice during the holy month, which helps to strengthen the connection with Allah. Despite the fact that this prayer is not obligatory, many believers try not to skip it, considering it an important stage of spiritual purification during Ramadan.
Dua in Ramadan: what prayers are recited during fasting
In addition to the strictly prescribed prayer in Islam, there is the concept of "dua" — a personal prayer with which a believer turns to Allah. Unlike obligatory prayer, dua has no rigid structure and can be pronounced in any language in its own words. The main conditions are sincerity and awareness of who the request is addressed to.
During fasting, the importance of dua increases especially. Before the start of the daytime fast, the first dua is recited — this is the intention, or niyat, which is pronounced at night, after the end of the night prayer and before dawn. The intention confirms a conscious decision to fast for the sake of Allah. The generally accepted formula in Arabic is: "Nawaytu an asuma sawma shahri Ramadan minal-fajri ilal-maghribi khalisan lillahi taala."
The second dua is recited immediately after sunset, during the iftarah. One of the common formulas is: "Allahumma lak sumtu va bikya amantu va alaikya tavakkaltu va ala rizkiya aftartu." The meaning of these words is the recognition that fasting was observed for the sake of Allah, with faith in Him and trust in Him, and the conversation takes place thanks to the sustenance given by Him.
In addition to this established prayer, the believer can add any requests for forgiveness of sins, health, family well—being, peace and tranquility, and help in difficult situations.
When prayers are recited in Ramadan
The distribution of prayers in Ramadan is subject to the daily cycle, which is determined by the movement of the sun. Unlike the generally accepted time, which is tied to the clock, the Islamic prayer schedule depends on natural landmarks — dawn, zenith, sunset and nightfall.
The countdown starts at dawn. Before its onset, Muslims take pre—dawn food - suhoor. This is an important element of fasting, which gives strength for the whole day. At this time, the believer pronounces the intention to observe fasting, after which, at dawn, he performs the morning obligatory Fajr prayer.
Two more obligatory prayers are performed during the day. The noon Zuhr prayer is recited after the sun passes its zenith. The afternoon prayer of Asr is performed closer to sunset. Immediately after sunset, it is time for the Maghrib evening prayer. After that, with the onset of complete darkness, the night prayer Isha is recited.
On the last ten nights of the month, the prayer life becomes especially intense. Muslims try to spend more time in worship, reading the Koran, and performing voluntary prayers, waiting for the Night of Predestination (Night of al-Qadr, Laylatul-Qadr), in which Allah is believed to decide the fate of people for the coming year.
Are Ramadan prayers different from regular days?
For many Muslims, Ramadan is becoming a time to return to strict observance of the prayer schedule, especially if there have been omissions during the year. At the same time, the five daily prayers — Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha — in Ramadan do not change in number, structure, or time of performance.
The fundamental difference lies in the appearance of an additional night prayer Tarawih, which is recited after the obligatory night prayer Isha and may consist of a significant number of rakats.
In addition, during Ramadan, Muslims massively return to the practice of reading the Koran. Many set themselves the goal of reading the entire Holy Scriptures in a month. This can happen both during the collective Tarawih in the mosque and individually at home.
What is the correct name for fasting and prayer in Ramadan?
In the Islamic tradition, great importance is attached to the correct use of concepts, since each of them has a theological meaning and is fixed in religious sources. For example, fasting in Islam is correctly called saum. This is the term used in the Quran and classical theological literature.
In colloquial speech in the Russian-speaking environment, the word "eid" is often used, which is of Turkic origin and is a popular designation for fasting. From the point of view of religious terminology, the designation "saum" is considered more accurate.
The name of the holy month should be correctly pronounced and written as Ramadan. The name "Ramadan" is also often found. It is widespread mainly in Turkic-speaking countries and regions. Thus, Ramadan is a phonetic feature of pronunciation, but not a canonical form.
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