The Surprising Hebrew Connections of Ramadan and Iftar

On March 1, millions of Muslims around the globe ushered in the sacred month of Ramadan, marking the start of a month of fasting, with the fast traditionally broken at sunset during an iftar meal. These two terms have fascinating connections to Hebrew.

Contrary to common belief, the word Ramadan was not originally associated with fasting.

Its root, R-M-D (ر-م-ض) in Arabic, signifies intense heat and scorched earth, evoking the searing summer sun. Strikingly, this root is linked to the Hebrew word רֶמֶץ (remetz), meaning smoldering embers or glowing coals—echoed in the Mishnah’s discussion of ‘negaim’ – ritual afflictions or skin diseases. In particular, the Mishnah discusses what is a burn:
“נִכְוָה בְגַחֶלֶת אוֹ בְרֶמֶץ, כֹּל שֶׁהוּא מֵחֲמַת הָאֵשׁ, זוֹ הִיא מִכְוָה.”
“If it was caused by a live coal, hot embers, or anything heated by fire – it is a burn.” (Negaim 9:1)

So why was the 9th month associated with intense heat?

Historically, before Islam, Arabs followed a lunar-solar calendar—similar to the Jewish calendar—where months aligned with the seasons. Back then, the 9th month, Ramadan, always fell during the scorching summer. But with the rise of Islam, the calendar shifted to a purely lunar system. As a result, Ramadan moves backward by about 11 days each year, cycling through all seasons over 33 years.

Iftar is the fast-breaking evening meal enjoyed by Muslims in Ramadan at the time of adhan, or call to prayer, of the Maghrib prayer. It traditionally begins with water, dates, and fruit, followed by prayer before the main meal.

Its root, P-T-R or F-T-R (פ-ט-ר / ف-ط-ر) , is a shared Semitic root in both Hebrew and Arabic, meaning “to break” or “to separate.” In Arabic, it gives us the word for breakfast,  futoor (فطور) because—much like in English—it refers to the meal that ends your ‘night of fasting.’

In Hebrew, this root appears in the Biblical term פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם (peter rehem), which literally means “breaking away from the womb” and refers to the firstborn (Numbers 18:15 and elsewhere).

In Talmudic and Modern Hebrew, this root expands into a range of meanings associated with exemption, separation, or breaking away:

פָּטוּר (patur), meaning ‘being exempt’—the ‘breaking away’ of an obligation.

הַפְטָרָה (haftarah) – the  reading from the Prophets on Shabbat morning, marking the breakaway point or the end of Torah reading.

נִפְטַר (niftar) – passed away.

לְפַטֵּר (lefater) – to dismiss from a job.

פִּיטּוּרִים (piturim) – termination of employment.

לְהִיפָּטֵר (lehipater) – to get rid of something.

לְהִתְפַּטֵּר (lehitpater) – to resign.

These shared roots highlight how intertwined these languages remain across history. Just as iftar symbolizes breaking a fast, let it inspire us to break down barriers—between cultures and people. Recognizing our shared heritage is the first step toward dismantling systems of ethnic supremacy and embracing true equality.