This year, Ramadan, the sacred ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, collides with Harvard's fall exam schedule, forcing Islamic students to balance their religious practices with their study time.

The Islamic calendar is based on the moon, so Ramadan falls at different times every year. Because each year the month shifts back 10 days, the fasting also coincided with first semester exams and reading period last year.

The month of Ramadan falls almost exactly during winter break and reading period, beginning Dec. 20 and ending Jan. 18 or 19. The precise date for the end of the month is difficult to ascertain because the time is dependent upon the stages of the moon.

Secretary of the Harvard Islamic Society (HIS) Abdur-Rahman Syed '99, explained the basic Muslim practices of the month of Ramadan.

"It's primarily fasting from dawn to sunset. No food, no drink, no intercourse. Refrain from lying and fighting. It's a time to work on spiritual development," Syed said.

Fasting for Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. HIS President Aamir A. Rehman '99 said that while fasting has no direct correlation to the revelation of the Koran, the practice has a basis as a method of worship in earlier religions, like Yom Kippur in Judaism.

"We believe in the prophethood of earlier prophets because all were sent with some universal truth," Rehman said.

The month of Ramadan (whenever it falls) has significance to Muslims because it was during this period that Mohammed first revealed the Koran, the holy book of the Islamic people. To commemorate this revealed, it is traditional to read part of the Koran for an hour each day throughout the month until it is finished.

During Ramadan, many Muslims wake up before sunrise to prepare for the fast by eating a meal before a prayer at dawn. Dawn is currently around 5:30 a.m. University Dining Services can provide students with prepared breakfasts for this repast, but many students say that this year they have been grabbing fly-by lunches or a nutri grain bar. After eating, individuals say the morning prayer. The next daily prayer is at sunset.

Jeloni M. Shabazz'00 said he lost about 12 pounds last year during Ramadan.

"It's always the skinniest guys who lose weight," he said.

For many of the people who fast, the nighttime meals are a chance to eat more than they normally would, resulting in some heavy consequences.

"I manage to gain weight because I eat more than I should," Haque said. "I'll often be ordering pizza late at night."

Because Ramadan is in the middle of the winter this year, the days are extremely short and therefore the fasting is not as arduous as it is when Ramadan falls in the lighter months. With the sun setting at around 4:30 p.m., the requirement of abstaining from food and drink is certainly less pressing.

Traditionally, Muslims do not break the daily fast alone. In Muslim countries during Ramadan, people from all walks of life gather in mosques and pray together. To recreate this atmosphere for the Harvard community, HIS sponsors a collective prayer every night at sunset in Boylston Halls Ticknor Lounge, where up to 40 undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and community members join for the prayer and dinner.