Thursday Marks First Day of Fasting in Canada

Rabat – Ramadan 2023 will commence on March 23 in Canada, according to the Muslim Association of Canada, which follows the Fiqh Council of North America.

Like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain, as well as European countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, and France, Muslims in Canada will be committed to fasting the holy month on March 23.

Ramadan has come again bringing its traditional rituals to Muslims around the world, who will have been busy preparing for the event beforehand.

Among the preparations Muslims make is doing the shopping needed to receive the sacred month of Ramadan. However, Ramadan is a month that makes its annual visit to remind people of Allah’s bounty on them.

On this golden occasion, which lasts 29 to 30 days, Muslims must abandon evil deeds and implore Allah’s blessings through fasting, prayer, and reading the Quran, among other beneficial acts.

Fasting during Ramadan starts from the prayer of dawn (fajr) to the prayer of dusk (maghrib). In this period, people refrain from eating, drinking, and the practice of any activity considered immoral such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or engaging in sexual intercourse.

In some regions of Canada, Muslims fast up to 20 hours a day. In other areas where the sun does not set in further north, people follow the times of the nearest city.

“The challenge can be that they work long shifts, they don’t get enough time to sleep, not enough time to rest,” said Arqum Riaz, a youth religious advisor at the Canadian Ministries for Islamic Learning Edmonton. He added: “It can be really hard to worship and benefit from this blessed month.”

Muslims in Canada exceed 1 million according to statistics.

As the country is known for its diversity and fight against discrimination, “Our government is taking action to tackle hate and discrimination by renewing the federal Anti-Racism Strategy, working on the creation of a new National Action Plan on Combating Hate, and appointing a Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia,” Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen stated on Canada’s government’s website last year.

The Muslim Association of Canada also announces Eid al-Fitr to fall on April 21.