Ramadan 2026

Ramadan 2026 is expected to start on February 18, 2026. The exact date may vary by one or two days depending on the moon sighting method used in your country. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Southeast Asian countries may announce different start dates based on their respective Hijri authorities.

Ramadan dates differ because Islamic countries use different methods to determine the start of the lunar month. Saudi Arabia follows the Umm al-Qura calendar with official sighting corrections, Turkey uses the Diyanet astronomical calculation, while countries like India and Pakistan rely on local physical moon sighting. These methods can produce dates that differ by one or two days.

Muslims fast from the Fajr (pre-dawn) prayer until the Maghrib (sunset) prayer. Fasting hours vary significantly by location and time of year. Near the equator, fasting is roughly 12-13 hours. In northern latitudes during summer, fasting can exceed 18 hours. The prayer timetable for your city shows the exact Fajr and Maghrib times.

Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) is the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed. The Quran states it is "better than a thousand months" (Surah Al-Qadr, 97:3). It falls on one of the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan, most commonly sought on the 27th night. Muslims spend this night in prayer, supplication, and recitation of the Quran.