Ramadan 2018 - When is Ramadan and What is Ramadan

By Muzna Noohu | 20, Apr, 2018
Ramadan 2018 - When is Ramadan and What is Ramadan

It’s the time of the year when Muslims all over the world refrain from eating and drinking from dawn till dusk. ‘Sawm’, or fasting during the month of Ramadan, is one of the most important things a Muslim does in his/her lifetime, as it is one of the 5 pillars of Islam.

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What is Ramadan?

Mosque with a sunset in the background

Although abstaining from food or drink is what seems like the main aspect of Ramadan, there is a much more important purpose to it. It is the time for us to better ourselves as Muslims and human beings, restrain ourselves from harmful actions, and earn our places in Jannah in the hereafter. This is the month when each Muslim sets his own benchmark that he must aim to recreate for the rest of his life. We lower our gazes, hold our tongues back, give lots of charity, pray, recite, and spend as much time as possible doing things that please our creator and bring us closer to Him.
 

When is Ramadan 2018?

Tasbih on a Quran


The Ramadan calendar 2017 is predicted to start on the evening of Wednesday, the 16th of May, 2018.

It is then predicted to come to a close on the evening of Thursday, the 14th of June, 2018.

 

The Sighting of The Moon

The moon in different stages


The Islamic calendar contains 12 months, the ninth of which is the holy month of Ramadan. These months do not coincide with the scientific calendar. Instead, they are based on the sighting of the new moon or crescent moon.

Although every month in the Islamic calendar begins and ends with such a sighting, you’ll probably hear a lot more about it just before Ramadan. This is because Muslims all over the world are eagerly waiting for its arrival so we can be sure that the holy month has arrived.

This means that although the predicted date of the start of Ramadan 2018 is the 16th of May, it may actually end up being the 17th. Similarly, the sighting of the moon signals the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid-Ul-Fitr. This could also be delayed one day, or even come one day in advance.

 

Alternative methods of Determining the Start of Ramadan

Open Quran


Although moon sighting is the most common and credible way in which Muslim communities around the world determine the start and end of Ramadan, there are also a couple of other ways in which certain communities do it.

One such method is the acceptance of a sighting in another country (most commonly Saudi Arabia) even if scholars in their own country have not confirmed it for that day. Another method is to pre-calculate the dates through the “Hijri” method. Hijri being the Islamic word for year, it just means that a prediction is made beforehand (similar to the scientific calendar) and followed. The advancement of technology has made this more reliable in recent days.

Nevertheless, Ramadan is almost here, and we pray that Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) makes it a blessed and beneficial one for all of us!

 
 
 
 

Muzna is a writer experienced in all things travel and food, influenced by her own travels, running a food blog and YouTube channel, as well as the various publications she has contributed to.

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