Over a billion Muslims throughout the world are marking the month of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar during which devotees fast from dawn till dusk.
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The start of Ramadan changes every year, based on the sighting of the new moon at the start of the lunar month.
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The calculation can be a show of regional clout, with senior clerics across the conflicted Mideast and the two main sects of Islam often disagreeing.
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Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
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It is believed that the central text of Islam, the Quran, was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan, which begins and ends according to the moon, meaning Ramadan moves 10 or 11 days forward each year.
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The faithful spend the month of Ramadan in mosques for evening prayers known as ‘taraweeh’, while free time during the day is often spent reading the Quran and listening to religious lectures.
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Each day for the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset to focus on spirituality, good deeds and charity.
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In this photo, Palestinian women take a picture during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, June 17, 2016.
(AP Photo)
Click next to see some of the photos of Ramadan from around the world!