What time does Ramadan 2017 begin tonight? Ramadan is the
month when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. Its observance is
one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
This year, Ramadan
begins at sundown on Friday, May 26 and ends at sundown on Saturday, June 24,
with Eid al-Fitr, or the breaking of the Ramadan fast. These dates vary
culturally. Last year, Ramadan started on Sunday, June 5 and ended on Tuesday,
July 5.
The dates of
Islamic holidays changes every year because the Islamic calendar is a lunar
calendar. There’s not a set amount of days in the lunar calendar. The lunar
calendar reflects the cycles of the moon, and when it is compared to or tried
to fit into a 12-cycle solar calendar
(that most of the Western world uses),
there are slightly more than twelve lunations (or moon phases) in a solar year.
When the moon is
orbiting the earth, the earth is also orbiting the sun. After the earth
completes one orbit (a month) the moon must still move a little further to
achieve the same angular distance. This time period is called “the synodic
month” and it means “having a synod” or “a meeting,” meaning a meeting between
the sun and the moon.
It takes the moon about
2 days longer for it to complete its full orbit than the earth with the sun.
Depending upon which orbit you follow for a calendar is what kind of calendar
you have: a solar calendar or a lunar calendar. Most Asian countries
traditionally used some sort of a lunar calendar, including Mongolia, Korea,
Japan, and Vietnam. The ancient Hebrew calendar also follows the lunar cycles
and is why Passover and other Jewish holidays fall on
different dates every year. The observation of a new day beginning with the
moon in Islam is also reflected in the Hebrew calendar.
Ramadan is the
name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This year, Muslims are
celebrating their 1438 calendar year.
This year Ramadan
falls between May 26 and June 24. During this time, observant Muslims will fast
during daylight hours. Fasting (sawm in Arabic) is another one of the Five
Pillars of Islam. The times of fasting with sunrise and sunset vary depending
on a Muslim’s location. According to the Fiqh Council of
North America, the first full day of Ramadan is on Saturday, May 27
with the Tarawih prayers on Friday night. The Tarawih prayers are extra prayers
performed by Sunni Muslims at night in the Islamic month of Ramadan.
To find the times
of sunrise and sunset for each day of Ramadan 2017, simply go to IslamicFinder.org and enter your location
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