Islam requires that Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, be devoted to fasting and prayer. During this month, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset each day and eat only small meals in the evening. Muslims are banned from fighting other Muslims during Ramadan, but they may engage in combat with non-Muslims. Islamic extremists have extolled Ramadan as a month of jihad, or holy war, against nonbelievers. Many Islamic extremists believe that suicide operations (“martyrdom”), especially if done during Ramadan, guarantee the operative a place in paradise. In 2010, Ramadan begins on 11 August and ends on 9 September.

Eid al-Fitr, often called simply Eid, is a holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festival,” while Fitr means “to break the fast.” Customs differ from country to country and especially between the Arabic countries and the rest of the Muslim world, but all observances have the same basis: to break the daily fasts that were observed during Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is often known as the “lesser Eid” to differentiate it from Eid al-Adha, the “Greater Eid.” Eid al-Adha, which occurs about 70 days after the end of Ramadan, marks the end of the Hajj (the Pilgrimage). Both the Hajj and Eid al-Adha take place during the final month of the Islamic calendar.