İbrahim Şerif shares Ramadan Message highlighting fasting, responsibility and spiritual renewal

İbrahim Şerif, Mufti of Gümülcine, has issued a message ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, underlining the spiritual, moral and social dimensions of fasting and its central place in the life of the Muslim Turkish minority of Western Thrace.

“Ramadan Holds a Unique Place in Our Community”

In his address titled “Ramadan and Fasting”, Mufti Şerif emphasized that Ramadan occupies a special position in Western Thrace, as it does across the Islamic world. He noted that the spiritual vitality felt during the sacred months of Rajab and Sha’ban reaches its peak with the arrival of Ramadan, often referred to as “the Sultan of the Eleven Months.”

Ramadan, he said, is distinguished not only by fasting, but also by communal worship such as iftar gatherings, suhoor, Tarawih prayers and long-standing religious traditions observed throughout the month.

The Month of the Qur’an and Self-Discipline

Mufti Şerif highlighted that Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an began to be revealed and includes Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power), described in Islamic tradition as “better than a thousand months.”

Fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, plays a key role in strengthening human willpower and self-discipline, he said.

“Fasting teaches patience, self-accountability and moral awareness,” the Mufti noted, recalling the Prophetic saying, “Fasting is a shield,” which underscores its role in protecting believers from wrongdoing.

Fasting as a Path to God-Consciousness

Quoting verse 183 of Surah Al-Baqarah, Mufti Şerif explained that the primary purpose of fasting is to cultivate taqwa—consciousness and reverence of God.

He stressed that forgetting God and losing a sense of responsibility lie at the root of many societal problems, while fasting revives both spiritual awareness and accountability toward God, family and humanity at large.

Call for Community Worship and Renewal

Mufti Şerif encouraged men, women and children to make the most of Ramadan by participating collectively in mosque life, particularly Tarawih prayers performed in congregation.

He described Ramadan as a vital opportunity to step away from worldly distractions, reassess one’s purpose in life and strengthen relationships with both the Creator and creation.

Ramadan Begins February 18 Evening

The Mufti announced that Ramadan will begin with the first Tarawih prayer and first suhoor on the night of Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

Concluding his message, Mufti Şerif prayed that Ramadan would bring health, peace and blessings to the Muslim Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, the wider Islamic world and humanity as a whole.