Ramadan

Today is the fifth day of Ramadan. It’s Monday, February 23, and it’s an extra day off in my country, so I decided to spend most of the day resting. I woke up at 4 a.m. for suhoor and started my fast. After suhoor, I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I spent about two hours working on my laptop and managed to finish a few tasks. By the time I finally went to bed, it was already 6 a.m., and it was starting to get light outside. Honestly, it felt unusual because I never go to bed when it’s already bright. I woke up again at 10 a.m. and took my time with my morning routine.

I stayed indoors for the majority of the day, and only went out for a short walk of about 30 minutes. The walk wasn’t very productive—I couldn’t visit all my usual spots. The wind was bitterly cold, and the sidewalks hadn’t been properly cleared. I didn’t want to trudge through the snow, and as usual, the wind froze my face. These conditions made walking around the city a challenge, so I stuck to the city center and returned home quickly. My usual park has been covered in snow since late January, and no one seems willing to clear it. Now, I can only reach it by car or by walking along the main road—which I prefer to avoid. I’ll just wait for spring.

I decided to create this fasting timetable so that I always have it at hand and can easily check the times. It might also be interesting to my readers, but most importantly, it is useful for me. I obtained this information from a brochure published by our local mosque. I noticed that the brochure uses Kazan time. Honestly, I am not sure why they use Kazan time instead of my city’s local time. My city is not far from Kazan — it is about an hour and a half away — so the time difference should not be significant. Perhaps it is simply for convenience, similar to how Kazan follows Moscow time.

Finally, I went on a trip to the village, visited my relatives, and used the bathhouse. If I remember correctly, the last time I visited them was during the New Year holidays. It was approximately two months ago, and at that time there wasn’t much snow. So today, when I arrived for the first time in a long time, I was a bit surprised because the streets were covered with snow. It was impossible for two cars to pass each other.

However, the main road before the village had been cleared well enough, although it was still snowy and a bit icy. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I liked that road. It felt comfortably soft and quiet, and the car just glided along without any noise.

I woke up earlier than usual, around 4:10 a.m., before the fast began. However, it didn’t feel very comfortable because I had to rush through my routine. Fortunately, it was easier than the first day. I realized that if I want to manage everything without rushing, I should wake up no later than 4 a.m.

I also need to keep in mind the main rule of Ramadan: each day the fasting time begins slightly earlier than the previous day. For example, if today’s fasting time is 4:48 a.m., tomorrow it will be 4:46 a.m. The same applies to the time when the fast ends. If today it ends at 4:59 p.m., tomorrow it will be 5:01 p.m. This is because the fasting schedule depends on sunrise and sunset, and those times change a little every day.

Today marks the beginning of the sacred month of Ramadan for Muslims. During this month, every healthy adult Muslim is required to fast from dawn until sunset. However, those who suffer from health conditions or are traveling long distances are permitted to postpone their fast and make it up later.

Many people assume that fasting is simply about abstaining from food and drink. However, this understanding is incomplete. Ramadan is not only about physical discipline — it is also about spiritual purification and self-control. Muslims are expected to guard their thoughts, control their emotions, maintain good behavior, and avoid physical intimacy during fasting hours. Therefore, fasting represents not merely physical restriction, but a deeper commitment to moral and spiritual growth.