May 27 was officially the first day of the holiest month of the year for Muslims––Ramadan.

To my Muslim brothers and sisters who celebrate: Ramadan Kareem! May Allah give you plenty of blessings during this holy month. And to non-Muslims: though Ramadan doesn’t have any personal significance to you, it’s always appreciated when you support your Muslim friends who fast and stay on the lookout for people trying to slander the name of Islam.

Sure, Ramadan is an Islamic holiday, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t matter to non-Muslims all over the world. Ramadan has wide-ranging implications, so I’ve decided to make a list of what exactly the month of Ramadan means and entails for everyone. Here it goes:

1. Why is Ramadan important to Muslims?

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

It’s considered to be a month full of blessings during which the gates of heaven are wide open and God forgives with all his mercy.

2. It’s about more than just fasting

It’s a month of moderation, abstinence, and trying to be a good person, really. It’s like hitting the reset button on your life. During Ramadan, Muslims are expected not only to fast during sunlight hours, but to refrain from engaging in sexual intercourse, smoking, being violent (which Muslims are expected to refrain from year-round), wishing others harm, lying, cursing, watching porn, and anything considered sinful. Since this is such a blessed month, we Muslims believe that God will multiply his blessings to us if we’re good and faithful.

3. It’s about community

Ramadan is a time when people get together. Most Muslims have their entire family over for Iftar––the breaking of the fast––which is really centered around community. I don’t know many Muslims, if any, who break their fast alone or don’t want to be surrounded by family during Ramadan. We want to share the blessings of the month with others.

4. No, we can’t go out to lunch

Non-Muslims: we know you’re not fasting, but it’s much appreciated by us Muslims when our Christian or atheist friends respect the fact that we’re fasting and don’t make us feel guilty for not being able to go out to brunch. We seriously don’t care if you eat popcorn around us if we go out to the movies — go ahead. But chances are if you ask us, “You can’t even drink water?” we’ll feel even thirstier and more famished than we already do.

5. During Ramadan, Islamophobia is at a high

Sure, Ramadan is a time when Muslims convene to celebrate the beauty of their religion, but anytime a bunch of Muslims get together to do anything, people get suspicious and feel need to instigate conflict. So be on the lookout for Islamophobes attempting to tarnish the name of Islam or complain about how Sharia Law is taking over America because Muslims expect everyone to respect the fact that they’re fasting––basic human decency by the way. It’s a shame that people say shit like this about Islam even during the holy month, but it happens.

6. Terrorists try to ruin it for everyone but don’t succeed

You’d think that during the holiest month of the year, ‘Muslim’ terrorists would be suppressed at least a bit. This is actually the opposite of what happens––terrorist groups like ISIS use the name of the holy month to justify their attacks and claim they’re sanctioned by God… not true. The only good thing that comes out of this is that it proves to us that these terrorists are not Muslim in any way, shape, or form. A Muslim wouldn’t dare do what ISIS does… especially not during Ramadan.