Beginning the evening of Friday, February 28, 2025 until March 30th, many of the 2 billion Muslims around the world will participate in Ramadan. So, what is Ramadan, and how can Christians pray for Muslims around the world during the month?
What is Ramadan?
In 610 A.D., Muslims believe Muhammad—the founder of Islam—received visions from Allah through the angel Gabriel. Muhammed told scribes about these visions, leading to the writing of the Quran. The Quran is Islam’s 114 chapter holy book, or Surah, filled with commandments, prayers, and stories.
Ramadan celebrates Muhammad’s visions and the creation of the Quran. It takes place during the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar, so Ramadan’s dates shift slightly every year, like Easter for Christians.
Remember that God has the power to make himself known and transform the hearts of Muslims around the world.
Similar to Lent, Ramadan is a time for fasting. From sunrise to sunset for a month, Muslims don’t drink or eat anything, including water. (One of the five pillars of Islam is Sawn, referring to the fasting done during Ramadan.) During the month of Ramadan, Muslims wake up and eat Suhoor—a hefty breakfast—each morning before dawn. They fast all day until sunset when they have a feast called Iftar. The last day of Ramadan is marked by Eid al-Fitr, meaning the feast of fast breaking. Throughout the month, Muslims recite special daily prayers, spend extra time reading the Quran, and give to charity.
The purpose of Ramadan in Islam is to help Muslims learn compassion, gratitude, restraint, and self-control. Ultimately, the goal of Ramadan is for Muslims to grow in submission to Allah as they become more devoted to their faith through their actions.
How Can Christians Pray for Muslims During Ramadan?
1. Pray for the Lord to reveal himself to Muslims.
As Muslims are hoping to win favor from Allah and draw closer to him during Ramadan, we can pray that the Lord may draw near to Muslims, revealing himself and his truth to them.
2. Pray for Muslims in the midst of crisis and suffering.
In many areas where there is a large population of Muslims, there is violence and poverty. A main facet of Ramadan is fasting from food and drink. Yet Yemen—a country with a majority Muslim population—suffers from a famine. We can pray for Muslims’ safety, health, and for their physical needs to be met.
3. Pray that Muslims will know that salvation comes from Christ alone.
While the spiritual discipline of fasting is a good thing, our works cannot save us from sin and death. As Muslims are performing various spiritual disciplines and good works during Ramadan in an attempt to save themselves and prove themselves worthy to Allah, we can pray that they may know that salvation comes from Christ alone.
4. Pray for opportunities for Christians to share the gospel with Muslims.
All Christians know the gospel because somebody once shared the gospel with them. We can pray for the boldness of Christians with Muslim neighbors as they seek to share the gospel. Also, we can pray that Muslims may have an open mind and willing spirit as they learn about Jesus.
5. Pray for the Church to grow in areas with large Muslim populations.
In many areas of the world where there are large Muslim populations, there is little to no gospel presence. We can pray for missionaries to be sent and for their safety as they work to grow the Church. Additionally, we can pray for churches to be planted and for the Bible to be available.
As Muslims seek salvation and hope to prove their devotion to Allah during Ramadan, we pray that they may know that only Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Let us remember that God has the power to make himself known and transform the hearts of Muslims around the world.
Selah Lipsey is a Content Writer at Radical. She is a graduate of Samford University where she studied Journalism and Spanish. Selah and her husband Jeremy are members of Redeemer Community Church.
