Sawm (fasting) is the practice of avoiding food and drink.
Many Muslims fast between dawn and sunset every day during the month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan is the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam.
It is also a way for people to connect with Allah. Some see it as a way to avoid distractions and be better able to reflect and worship.
People also avoid smoking as part of the fast. In most cases, people who have reached puberty are expected to fast. However, there are some exceptions. For instance, if someone is pregnant, sick, or travelling they do not have to fast.
Text adapted from Simple English Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0.
"Ramadan Night" by Jdkira on Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0.
