The sacred month is set to begin this week
Within days, millions of Muslims worldwide will begin observing the sacred month of Ramadan. As the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, it represents an enormously significant period for Muslims.
Throughout Ramadan, worshippers will fast, pray, and contribute to charitable causes to mark the occasion, which concludes with a substantial prayer gathering and celebration. However, unlike other religious festivals and observances, Ramadan doesn’t take place on the same date annually. The Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, which means its months begin at varying points as years progress.
Adding to the complexity, certain people may commence Ramadan on different dates, depending on regional customs, traditions, and differing lunar sightings.
When is Ramadan expected to begin in London?
Most communities and denominations depend on Saudi Arabia’s moon sighting committee to establish when Ramadan begins. This is because they use specialist equipment to monitor the lunar cycle, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Nevertheless, Muslims living overseas are advised to follow the guidance of their nearest Muslim-majority nation. For those in the UK, this means Morocco.
Yesterday (February 15), Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court urged worshippers to start searching for the crescent moon on Tuesday evening and to notify their nearest court. In Morocco, astronomers anticipate the country will declare Thursday, February 19, as Ramadan’s opening day.
UK astronomers at HM Nautical Almanac Office have indicated that the moon will not be visible to the naked eye in Mecca on Tuesday, February 17. Meteorological experts anticipate that the crescent will be ‘easily visible’ throughout Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, February 18, suggesting Ramadan will probably start on Thursday, February 19. Nevertheless, subject to moon sightings, it may begin on Friday, February 20, for certain countries.
How to watch the moon sighting from home
If you’re uncertain which date to start observing Ramadan, you can attempt to observe the moon yourself, or get in touch with your local mosque.
For London Muslims, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich will be streaming a live astronomical moonsighting feed on their website from tomorrow evening (February 18).
The feed will be active from 5:30pm tomorrow. You can find a link to the live video feed, which will also include insight from experts, on their website here.
As part of the Observatory’s coverage, Director of the New Crescent Society Imad Ahmed and Royal Observatory astronomer Jake Foster will be presenting live from Greenwich, talking about the connection between astronomy and Islam and offering viewers tips for spotting the new crescent Moon from home.
What time will the fast begin?
Conventionally, Muslims begin their day at sunset, rather than sunrise. Therefore, they will start fasting shortly before the Fajr prayer in the early morning as the sun rises.
According to reports, Ramadan in the UK is scheduled to begin on the evening of Wednesday, February 18. This means the initial complete day of fasting will be Thursday, February 19.
Bear in mind, prayer times can vary depending on your location. Consequently, always verify with your local mosque to determine when Fajr will commence during Ramadan.
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