First day of Ramadan will be Saturday, August 22, 2009 according to Islamic Society of North America.
Some rules and recommendations pertaining to fasting
B) Fasting according to the Sunnah:
1) Take sahur (pre-dawn meal). It is Sunnah and there is a great reward and blessing in taking sahur. The best time for sahur is the last half hour before dawn or the time for Fajr prayer.
2) Take iftar (break-fast) immediately after sunset. Shari'ah considers sunset when the disk of the sun goes below the horizon and disappears completely.
3) During fast abstain from all false talks and deeds. Do not quarrel, have disputes, indulge in arguments, use bad words, or do anything that is forbidden. One should try to discipline oneself morally and ethically, beside gaining a physical training and discipline. One should also not make a show of one's fasting by talking too much about it, or by showing dry lips and hungry stomach, or showing bad temper. The fasting person must be a pleasant person with good spirit and good cheer.
4) During fast one should do acts of charity and goodness to others and should increase his/her worship and reading of the Qur'an. Every Muslim should try to read the whole Qur'an at least once during the month of Ramadan.
C) Things that invalidate the fast:
One must avoid doing anything that may render one's fast invalid. Things that invalidate the fast and require qada' (making up for these days) are the following:
1) Eating, drinking or smoking deliberately, including taking any non-nourishing items by mouth, nose or anus.
2) Deliberately causing oneself to vomit.
3) The beginning of menstrual or post-childbirth bleeding even in the last moment before sunset.
4) Ejaculation out of sexual excitement from kissing, hugging, etc.
5) Eating, drinking, smoking or having sexual intercourse (while fasting) after Fajr (dawn) on mistaken assumption that it is not Fajr time yet. Similarly, engaging in these acts before sunset on the mistaken assumption that it is already sunset time.
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...=1119503546140