Ramadan generates a complex network of reciprocal relationships between individuals who, despite their heterogeneity, recognise themselves as interdependent. In fact, through Ramadan, Muslims strengthen their bonds and reaffirm their specific identity, drawing a symbolic boundary between themselves and the society in which they live as immigrants, thus making Ramadan a clear expression of social identity.
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Ramadan is a complex religious-festive ritual with a characterisation similar to that of a rite of passage. The break with the previous time occurs with 'the night of doubt', the initial moment of Ramadan. This is followed by a long and marked liminal period, corresponding to the whole month, which ends with the integration into normal time, through a festival marking the end of this process and the return to daily life.

This long liminal period, which gives its name to the entire process, is composed of a series of successive phases in which homogeneity and equality (in fasting) alternate with diversity and inequality (at night). It is a period in which community is emphasised and the individual has meaning only as a member of the group.​

​ Ramadan forms a cycle in which society is structured and de-structured in succession over the course of an entire month, and which aims to re-establish social order through definition, restructuring and cohesion within the community.

Photo by Jean-Louis Heckly, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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amadan is, therefore, also an important pedagogical system, a synthesis of Islamic practices and beliefs; it teaches and trains both the individual and society as a whole in the practice of religion; but it is also, and above all, a time apart from daily life, an exercise in social life in which the entire community participates and in which the alternation of the ideal order and the transgression of that order affects both the individual and the group; it is a time of celebration that Muslims look forward to and welcome with great joy every year.

Fasting is also perceived as a purification process (physical and spiritual) that strengthens self-esteem, self-control and discipline, reinforces faith and instills a sense of group belonging. In addition, the completion of Ramadan is followed by one of the most important festivals in Islam (Eid al-Fitr), which involves large celebrations in the company of family and friends.

In Spain, in order to protect both the Muslim community on the peninsula and employers with Muslim employees, an agreement has been reached between the Spanish state and the Islamic Community. The agreement allows members of Islamic communities who wish to do so, to request a break from work on Friday of each week, the day of obligatory and solemn collective prayer for Muslims, from 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., as well as the end of the working day one hour before sunset, during the month of fasting. In both cases, a prior agreement between the parties is required, and the hours lost will be made up without compensation; it is therefore a right subject to negotiation, which seeks to reconcile fasting and work.
There is also another right, not included in the agreement, that of not being discriminated against. In fact, an employer cannot dismiss an employee or force him to take forced leave because he fasts during Ramadan; such dismissal would be null and void as it is based on personal beliefs. ​