Ramadan 2025 update: The holy month will begin on March 1
The UAE has called on the public to search for the crescent moon on Friday evening, to determine the start date of Ramadan.
The Ramadan Crescent Moon Sighting Committee, formed by the UAE Council for Fatwa, invited residents and citizens to take part, the state news agency Wam reported. If a new crescent moon is seen, Ramadan will be declared to begin on Saturday. If a new moon is not seen, Ramadan will be declared on Sunday.
The Muslim calendar is determined by Moon phases making each month last either 29 or 30 days. Islamic years last, on average, between 354 and 355 days. Anyone who sights the Moon is asked to contact 02 777 4647 or follow the link https://forms.office.com/r/CwAUg1buUP.
"The Council prays that the blessed month of Ramadan brings goodness, prosperity, and blessings to the Arab and Islamic nations and the world at large," Wam said.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic – or Hijri – lunar calendar, because it is believed to be the month in which the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day of the holy month.
As well as abstaining from food and drink, Ramadan is a time when Muslims strengthen their faith through prayer and increased recitation of the Quran. Piety increases further during the final 10 days when Laylat Al Qadr is thought to fall. That night is believed to be when the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed.
It is traditionally celebrated on the 27th night of Ramadan but its exact date is unknown. The rewards for acts of faith carried out on this night are said to be more than those for 1,000 months of worship.
