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Ways to support your team and patients throughout Ramadan

BDJ In Practice volume 37, pages 80–82 (2024)Cite this article

A Correction to this article was published on 08 April 2024

This article has been updated

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and is prescribed during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims, of whom there are approximately 4 million in the United Kingdom,1,2,3 observe this spiritual month by fasting, self-reflection and prayer for approximately 30 days. Muslims fast from dawn to sunset abstaining from eating, drinking and other prescribed activities within these hours. Typically, those fasting have a large meal after their fast at sunset and a further meal before sunrise. It is also a time for increased charity, reading the Quran and attending special night prayers at the Mosque called Taraweeh. The last ten days mark a more spiritual period within the month, with increased prayer and staying at the Mosque late into the night.

The Islamic year is based on a lunar calendar, so the start date falls approximately 11 days earlier each year. Daily fasting times are dependent on sunrise and sunset and these will vary throughout the month. In recent years, the duration of fasting in the UK has been more than 16 hours a day, especially if it falls in the summer months. Muslims around the world will have different times of fasting which will vary between different countries.

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References

  1. Office for National Statistics. 2020 Census data. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/religion/bulletins/religionenglandandwales/census2021 (accessed February 2024).

  2. National Records of Scotland. Scottish Census 2022 data. Available at: https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/census-results/at-a-glance/religion/ (accessed February 2024).

  3. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Northern Ireland Census 2021 data. Available at: https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/census/2021-census/ (accessed February 2024).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rotherham Hospital, Rotherham, United Kingdom

    Nadia Ahmed

  2. Cardiff Dental Hospital, Cardiff, United Kingdom

    Mohammed Shriki

  3. King´s College London, London, United Kingdom

    Tashfeen Kholasi

  4. Edinburgh Dental Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Aman Ulhaq

Authors
  1. Nadia Ahmed
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  2. Mohammed Shriki
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  3. Tashfeen Kholasi
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  4. Aman Ulhaq
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Correspondence to Nadia Ahmed.

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Ahmed, N., Shriki, M., Kholasi, T. et al. Ways to support your team and patients throughout Ramadan. BDJ In Pract 37, 80–82 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-024-2640-y

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