Ramadan moon sighting

Ramadan, which literally means “scorching heat” in Arabic, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and marks the time when the Koran is said to have been revealed to Prophet Muhammad by God with a month-long fast.

Ramadan 2022 is nearly here, with Muslims in the UK approaching the fast without COVID-19 restrictions in place for the first time in three years.

Observers will have noticed that the position of the holy month in the calendar changes, falling around 10 days earlier each year. This is because, like other Muslim festivals, Ramadan is based on a lunar calendar, rather than the more widely used Gregorian calendar. Here’s how the sighting of the moon dictates its start date, and when it’s happening this year.

What is the Ramadan moon sighting?

Traditionally, Ramadan begins with the sighting of the crescent moon, which usually appears one night after the new moon, meaning the start date cannot be precisely predicted. There is some debate as to whether this should refer to you physically witnessing the moon in your region, which could be hampered by factors such as weather conditions.

As a consequence of this, many worshippers instead defer to sightings in Saudi Arabia or other regions.

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