Crescent Moon Sighting Marks Start of Ramadan 2026

The crescent moon was confirmed sighted in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, signaling the commencement of Ramadan 1447, which will begin on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The taraweeh prayers are scheduled for the night before, coinciding with the isha prayer.

Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates will observe their first fast at dawn on this date. However, Japan will begin Ramadan on Thursday, February 19, 2026, as the crescent moon was not sighted there.

Similarly, Oman, Singapore, and Turkey have officially declared that their first day of Ramadan will also be on February 19, following the traditional lunar observation practices. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, consists of 29 or 30 days, and fasting during this month is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Approximately 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide are expected to observe daily fasts from sunrise to sunset throughout Ramadan.