Astronomer reveals likely Ramadan and Eid start dates

Ramadan 2020 is likely to begin on April 24…

There’s a strong chance Ramadan will begin on April 24 this year. Although the official dates can only be confirmed by the moon sighting committee, Gulf Business reported that Ibrahim Al Jarwan of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, was able to confirm the date ‘astronomically’.

Al Jarwan told local Arabic daily Emarat Al Youm, “The crescent moon of Ramadan will be born on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 6.26am.”

This should mean that for the UAE’s location, the moon should be detectable by the committee on that evening of April 23, signalling that the Holy Month will commence the following day, on April 24.

Based on Al Jarwan’s calculations, the daily fasting period should last less than 15 hours this year in the UAE, and will last for a duration of 30 days.

Eid Al Fitr, the end of Ramadan and the start of the Shawwal month, is expected to begin on Sunday, May 24.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It’s a time when Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and smoking between sunrise and sunset.

Lasting about a month, it marks the time when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Extra tarawih prayers are performed at the mosque throughout Ramadan and each evening 1/30th of the holy book is recited. By the end of Ramadan, many observers have read the entire Qur’an.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of the religion. The pillars are the framework by which Muslims everywhere live, and Ramadan is considered the holiest time in the Islamic calendar. It is a time for prayer, reflection and religious devotion, to cleanse past sins and to focus on Allah through good deeds.

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