Ramadan has now begun and around 1.8 billion people from all around the world will be observing the occasion.
To mark the start of Ramadan 2021, here are seven record-breaking achievements that celebrate the month of fasting.
What is Ramadan?
Before we dive into the record titles, let’s understand what Ramadan is.
The month of Ramadan marks the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a month in which Muslims fast, reflect, pray and help around the community.
The fasting period starts from sunrise up until sunset and lasts throughout the month.
Breaking the fast is referred to as ‘Iftar’.
The holy month lasts for either 29 or 30 days, and Ramadan officially begins on the first sighting of the crescent moon and ends on the next one.
Smallest Qur'an / Quran / Koran
The Qur’an, as many might know, is Islam’s religious book.
The world’s smallest Qur’an measures at only 1.7 cm (0.66 in) long, 1.28 cm (0.5 in) wide and 0.72 cm (0.28 in) thick.
This version of the holy book was published in Cairo, Egypt back in 1982 and is kept now in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The book consists of 571 pages with 18 lines on each page.
Oldest Qur'an / Quran / Koran
The Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman is the world’s oldest written version of the Qur’an.
It once belonged to Caliph Othman (c.AD 588-656), third successor to the Prophet Mohammed.
It is currently located in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Largest samosa
So, what are some of the most famous Iftar foods out there?
Samosas are a beloved deep-fried snack originating from Asia. They can be stuffed with different kinds of fillings, but usually have a base of vegetables and spices.
The tasty triangular pastries can be found on many Iftar tables across the world.
Back in 2017, Muslim Aid charity (UK) broke the record for the largest samosa, which weighed a massive 153.1 kg (337 lb 8.5 oz).
It measured at 1.26 m (4 ft 1 in) X 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) X 1.33 m (4 ft 4 in). The height of the samosa at the centre measured 28 cm (11 in).
The snack was cooked by 12 volunteers and it took them 15 hours to complete the super-sized dish.
The entire samosa was then cut up and distributed to feed local homeless people.
Now that’s the spirt of Ramadan!
Largest qatayef
How about some dessert after Iftar?
Qatayef is an Arabic dessert that is usually served during the month of Ramadan.
You can think of qatayef as a stuffed, fried pancake with lots of different fillings such as nuts or cream. But wait, there is more! The qatayef is then drizzled with a sweet syrup or honey.
The world’s largest qatayef ever made had a net weight of 104.75 kg (230 lb).
It was cooked by the DANA bakery (Palestine) in Bethlehem back in 2010. A group of 15 people cooked the record-breaking qatayef over a period of 3 hours.
Most viewers for an Iftar YouTube live stream
One of the main highlights of Ramadan is to celebrate the month with family and friends by gathering to eat at Iftar.
Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, in 2020 a group of Saudi Arabian YouTube creators invited fans to join them for an online Iftar.
The initiative encouraged people to maintain social distancing norms but, in a way, keep the spirit of Ramadan.
Their gathering managed to smash the record for the most viewers for an Iftar YouTube live stream with 183,544 concurrent viewers.
Longest table
Pre-pandemic, back in 2019, the Administrative Capital of Egypt in Cairo, Egypt, celebrated Ramadan with the world’s longest table.
The massive table measured at 3,189.93 m (10,465 ft 7 in) and was used to serve Iftar to 7,000 people.
Largest printed Qur'an / Quran / Koran
We started our list with the smallest Qur'an, so it's only fair to end our list with the largest!
The largest printed Qur’an measures 2 m (6 ft 6.74 in) high, 1.52 m (4 ft 11.84 in) wide and 0.17 m (6.69 in) thick.
This copy of the holy book contains 632 pages and weighs a whopping 552.74 kg (1,218 lb).
The Qur’an was printed by Deaprinting Officine Grafiche, Novara, Italy, and subsequently proofread by the Mufti of the Slovenian Muslim Community in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Ramadan Mubarak!
