When Is Ramadan 2018?

When is Ramadan 2018?
When does Ramadan start?
Can I get a Ramadan Calendar or timetable?

It’s that time again. Ramadan 2018 is just around the corner and we’re all asking the same question.

When will it start?

Ramadan 2018 Start Date

Ramadan is set to begin on Wednesday May 16th 2018 (TBC), which means fasting begins on Thursday 17th May 2018.

Huh? Wednesday or Thursday?

In Islam, the new day actually begins at night, starting at the time of Maghreb. Sunset on Wednesday will mark the first night of Ramadan, Muslims will then begin fasting the following day.

But only once the moon is sighted

The Islamic months are based on the lunar calendar and therefore a new month is determined only when the new moon has been sighted.

Do we need to see the moon?

This is a common debate that pops up before Ramadan every year.

Many scholars claim that the moon must be searched for physically instead of relying on calculated methods.

According to Dr Zakir Naik, the ability to forecast the arrival of the new moon is nothing new. In fact the ancient Greeks had a way of doing this during the time of the prophet.

When the prophet was asked about calculation, he claimed that it was better to see the moon with your eyes as they were not a learned nation.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “We are an illiterate nation; we neither write, nor know accounts. The month is like this and this, i.e. sometimes of 29 days and sometimes of thirty days.” (Book of Fasting, 1913)

Further evidence from Zakir Naik:

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf argues the same view but from a different angle. The moon is so phenomenal that we should seek to look for it, as a reminder of the magnificent creation of Allah.

Dr Yasir Qadri gives some points around how this debate developed, and goes into detail about the various factors at play:

Any arguments against the physical method?

In many countries it is almost impossible to see the moon due to cloud and pollution.

The issue of sighting can spike debate amongst Muslim communities, and some feel it’s better to stay united. Others say that we are now a learned nation and should therefore start using the calculated methods.

Middle Ground

If the precise day at which Ramadan begins was so important, we would have been given more detail about how to search for it’s start date.

Diving the religion is a no go zone, so we should respect all views.

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided“ (Quran 3:103)

Mufti Menk takes this middle approach, he argues that we should allow people to start Ramdan / Eid according to their preferred method. As long as we do not fight!

Islamic Music Hub During Ramadan

As always, Islamic Music Hub will be bringing you new Islamic Music reviews.

We will also be streaming a live UK radio, playing the latest from the Islamic Music industry, lectures, Quran and more.

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