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🌙 Moon sighting

Moon sighting in Islam

Quick Answer

Islamic months begin with the sighting of the new crescent moon (hilal), so Ramadan, Eid and every Hijri date can shift by a day between countries depending on whether they follow local sighting, global sighting or a calculated calendar such as Umm al-Qura. Global Prayer Times publishes expected dates from verified sources and marks every one "subject to moon sighting". Skip this page for a city’s prayer clock or to convert a single date.

Desk-reviewed 2026-08-13.

What are the three approaches to the month?

Local sighting (ru'yah): the month begins only when the crescent is physically seen in your own region — followed in much of South Asia, Morocco and by many scholars classically.

Global sighting: a verified sighting anywhere in the world starts the month for everyone — common among communities in Europe and North America.

Calculated calendars: astronomical criteria fix the calendar in advance — Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura and Turkey's Diyanet calendar are the best known. Dates follow the Umm al-Qura calendar; observance is subject to local moon sighting.

Which dates should you watch next?

All expected — confirmed by sighting the evening before

Upcoming Islamic events and their expected dates
Event Expected
🌙 Ramadan 2027 begins Monday, 8 February 2027
🎉 Eid al-Fitr 2027 Tuesday, 9 March 2027
🐑 Eid al-Adha 2027 Sunday, 16 May 2027

Common questions

How is the start of an Islamic month decided? +
An Islamic month begins when the new crescent (hilal) is sighted after sunset on the 29th day of the current month. If the crescent is seen, the new month starts the next day; if not, the current month completes 30 days. This is why announcements come the evening before.
Why do Ramadan and Eid dates differ between countries? +
Countries follow different criteria: local physical sighting (e.g. much of South Asia and Morocco), acceptance of a global sighting (many communities in the West), or a pre-calculated calendar (Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura for civil purposes). A crescent visible in one region may not be visible in another on the same evening, so dates can differ by one day.
What is the Umm al-Qura calendar? +
Umm al-Qura is the calculated Hijri calendar published by Saudi Arabia, based on astronomical criteria for the crescent at Makkah. It is widely used for planning; actual religious observance is still confirmed by sighting announcements each month.
When is Ramadan 2027 expected to start? +
Ramadan 1448 AH is expected to begin on the evening of Sunday, 7 February 2027, with the first fast on Monday, 8 February 2027 — subject to moon sighting. Eid al-Fitr follows on Tuesday, 9 March 2027 (expected).
Can astronomy tell us the date in advance? +
Astronomy predicts the moment of the new moon (conjunction) and where the crescent will first be visible to high accuracy — that is how expected dates are published. What it cannot replace, for those following sighting, is the actual confirmed observation, which is why every future date carries the "subject to moon sighting" caveat.
📅 Islamic Calendar🌙 Ramadan Guide🎉 Eid al-Fitr🗓️ Hijri Converter

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