Today, Saudi Arabia officially reported the sighting of the crescent moon, which marks the start of Ramadan 1447.
The Hilal has been confirmed, therefore tomorrow will be the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Taraweeh prayers will take place after the Isha prayer tonight.
A tweet from @Muslim said, “BREAKING: Saudi Arabia says that the first day of fasting for Ramadan will be on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.”
“Taraweeh will start tonight, the first night of the holy month.”
“It’s best to stick to the fasting times set by your community and country.”
On Wednesday morning, Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and other places across the world will start their first day of fasting. This will mark the start of a month of prayer, reflection, and devotion.
But in Japan, Ramadan 2026 will start on Thursday, February 19. The Hilal Vision Committee confirmed the decision after they couldn’t see the crescent moon.
On Thursday, Muslims all around the country will begin their first fast. This marks the start of the holy month of prayer and fasting.
Oman, Singapore, and Turkey have also made it official that Thursday, February 19, will be the first day of Ramadan 2026.
They made the choice after not seeing the crescent moon, which is how they usually do lunar observations. As the holy month begins, Muslims in these countries will start to fast on Thursday.
The Islamic lunar calendar comprises 12 months and lasts 354 or 355 days. Ramadan is the ninth month of this calendar. The commencement date of Ramadan fluctuates every year since it follows the lunar cycle.
One of the five pillars of Islam is fasting during Ramadan, and all healthy adult Muslims must do it. But young children, sick people, travelers, and women who are pregnant, nursing, or on their period are not required to do this.
Seeing the crescent moon is an old practice that marks the start of Ramadan and the two biggest Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
During the holy month, working hours and school schedules are often shortened in many Muslim-majority countries to allow more time for worship and family activities.
More than 1.8 billion Muslims throughout the world are scheduled to fast from sunrise to sunset every day during this month.
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