Because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, Ramadan begins around 10 to 11 days earlier each year.
Dubai: Ramadan does not fall on the same dates each year. Unlike Christmas or New Year’s Day, the holy month follows the Islamic lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, shifting around 10 to 11 days earlier each year. As a result, Muslims experience Ramadan in every season over a cycle of roughly 33 years.
With the last Ramadan ending in March, attention is now turning to the next one. Astronomical calculations indicate that Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday, February 8, subject to the official sighting of the crescent moon.
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle and consists of 12 months, making it around 354 days long – about 11 days shorter than the solar-based Gregorian calendar. As a result, Ramadan shifts backwards through the calendar each year, falling in winter, spring, summer and autumn over successive years.
The exact start date is confirmed only after religious authorities observe the new crescent moon, making the moon sighting an integral part of determining the beginning of Ramadan.
Current astronomical forecasts suggest the crescent moon will be sought on the evening of Sunday, February 7, 2027. If it is sighted, Muslims are expected to perform the first Tarawih prayers that evening, followed by the first day of fasting on Monday, February 8.
The month is expected to last either 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the Shawwal crescent, with Eid Al Fitr forecast to begin on Wednesday, March 10, 2027.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is regarded by Muslims as the holiest period of the year. It commemorates the month in which Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad. During Ramadan, Muslims fast each day from dawn until sunset, abstaining from food, drink and smoking, while placing greater emphasis on prayer, charity, self-discipline, family and community.
With around 160 days remaining until the expected start of Ramadan 2027, many Muslim-majority countries will begin preparations in the months ahead, from getting mosques and public services ready to announcing official moon-sighting procedures.
Despite increasingly precise astronomical calculations, the official start of Ramadan continues to be determined by the traditional sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with Islamic practice.
