If a Muslim colleague has mentioned Ramadan, you probably have practical questions: can I eat in front of them, should I move the team lunch, what do I say? This guide answers them. Your colleague is the best person to ask about their own needs, but most will appreciate that you looked it up.
What Ramadan is
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The Qur'an makes fasting during it an obligation for adult Muslims who are able [1]. Because the Islamic calendar follows the moon, Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days and starts about 11 days earlier each year. The exact start and end often depend on the sighting of the new moon, so your colleague may only know the date the evening before.
Fasting means no food and no drink, not even water, from dawn until sunset [2]. Most people eat a meal before dawn (suhoor) and break the fast at sunset (iftar), often with dates and water, following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad [3].
Who doesn't fast
The Qur'an excuses people who are ill or travelling, who make up the days later [4]. Islamic law also excuses others, such as the elderly and people for whom fasting would cause harm, and women don't fast during menstruation. So if a Muslim colleague is eating, don't ask why. It is private and entirely normal.
What actually helps at work
- You don't need to stop eating or drinking around them. Most fasting Muslims say it doesn't bother them, and they would rather you behaved normally.
- Book meetings that need sharp thinking in the morning. Energy usually dips in the afternoon.
- Avoid scheduling working lunches or team meals during the day for the month, or make them optional.
- Be flexible near sunset. Someone may want to step away briefly to break their fast, or start and finish earlier.
- Expect some late nights. Many Muslims attend extra night prayers in Ramadan, especially in the last ten nights.
- Plan for Eid. The festival at the end of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, may need a day off at short notice because of the moon sighting.
What to say
A simple "Ramadan Mubarak" ("blessed Ramadan") or "Ramadan Kareem" ("generous Ramadan") is warmly received. Curious, respectful questions are welcome too. Many Muslims enjoy explaining why they fast. If you are invited to an iftar meal, say yes: it is one of the best ways to understand what the month means.
The Qur'an says fasting was prescribed "so that you may become mindful of Allah" [1]. It is about self-discipline, gratitude, and empathy with people who go hungry, not only about food.
Want to read the Qur'an itself?
Thirty short passages, ten minutes a day.