Ramadan 2025 Predicted For March 1, UAE Astronomer Reveals
Estimated dates for Ramadan 2025 in the UAE have been revealed.
UAE astronomer Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the board of directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society, has predicted the upcoming Ramadan to commence as soon as March 1, 2025, according to astronomical predictions.
“The crescent moon of the month of Ramadan 1446 AH will be born on Friday 28, 2025. Accordingly, Saturday, March 1, 2025, shall mark the first day of the month of Ramadan ‘astronomically’,” Al Jarwan announced in a statement carried by UAE Barq.
Should the crescent moon be sighted on the evening of February 28, 2025, the first day of fasting would be on March 1, 2025. Alternatively, if the moon is sighted on the evening of March 1, fasting would commence on March 2, 2025.
This astronomical prediction places the holy month of Ramadan 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar compared to Ramadan this year.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, which is determined by moon phases. This makes each month either 29 or 30 days long and the reason for the variability when the holy month begins.
Official dates for the start of the holy month will depend on the sighting of a crescent moon closer to the time.
How is the start of Ramadan determined?
In the UAE, as in many Islamic countries, the start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon. The moon sighting committee, which includes religious scholars and astronomers, convene to confirm moon sightings reported by the public.
While astronomical calculations can pinpoint the exact position of the moon and the timing of the lunar conjunction—when the Earth, moon, and sun are aligned—they do not directly address the visibility of the crescent moon from Earth. This is where the traditional method of moon sighting becomes important, involving the actual observation of the crescent moon with the naked eye.
When is Eid al-Fitr 2025?
The date of when Eid al-Fitr 2025 begins will depend on the sighting of the moon and dependent on whether Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days.
Eid al-Fitr takes place the day after the new moon is seen at the end of the month of Ramadan, and marks the start of Shawwal – the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.
If the Islamic holy month starts on March 1, 2025, then Eid al-Fitr could fall on March 29 or 30. Alternatively, if it begins on March 2, Eid al-Fitr could fall on March 30 or 31.
Eid Al Fitr will only be confirmed when a moon-sighting committee convene in the UAE and make an official declaration.
Ramadan is a significant month in the Islamic calendar, observed by millions of Muslims around the world with fasting, prayer, and charitable acts.
Muslims are required to fast from dawn until sunset each day. The fast is broken each evening with a meal called iftar, which typically includes dates and other traditional foods.
