Ramadan Countdown

The month of Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri calendar and the month in which the Quran was sent down. Fasting it is the fourth pillar of Islam — from the first light of dawn until sunset, Muslims abstain from food, drink, and marital relations, turning to prayer, charity, and the recitation of the Quran.

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ

“The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed — a guidance for the people, and clear proofs of guidance and the criterion.”

How the start of Ramadan is determined

Islamic months begin with the new crescent moon. On the 29th night of Shaʻban, the moon is sought: if the crescent is sighted, Ramadan begins the next day; if not, Shaʻban completes thirty days and Ramadan begins the day after. The countdown above uses the Umm al-Qura calendar — the official pre-computed calendar of Saudi Arabia — as its reference, which is why the start date is described as expected: the binding announcement in each country follows the actual moon sighting.

Upcoming Ramadan dates

Expected first days of Ramadan for the coming years, per the Umm al-Qura calendar. Each is subject to the moon sighting.

Why Ramadan moves through the seasons

Because the Hijri year is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, Ramadan begins roughly 11 days earlier each year on the Western calendar. Over a cycle of about 33 years, the month of fasting passes through every season — long summer fasts give way, year by year, to shorter winter ones, so that Muslims in every part of the world share both over a lifetime.