Ramadan 2026: Muslims across the globe have started fasting daily from sunrise to sunset as Ramadan 2026 begins this week. The month-long auspicious period marks special prayers, reflection and charity.
Ramadan, also called Ramazan or Ramzan, is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which families gather for meals to break the fast. Ramadan 2026 began on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, while it began on Thursday in India and neighbouring nations.
Friday, 20 February, is the second day of Ramadan 2026 in India.
The timings vary by country due to different moon-sighting practices.
Dawn-to-dusk fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam during which devout Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, evil thoughts and actions, and having marital relations from dawn until sunset.
Sehri and Iftar timings of Ramadan 2026
Apart from special prayers, Ramadan includes two important meals each day. One: Sehri,the pre-fast meal before sunrise. The other is Iftar, the meal to break fasts after sunset.
Sehri and Iftar timings vary in different countries. The timings also vary by a few minutes each day, in accordance with sunrise and sunset. It varies from city to city in India.
In Delhi, for example, if the first roza is on Thursday, 19 February, the devotees start their fast by stopping eating and drinking at 5.37 AM – the end of Sehri. Muslims will observe a fast for about 12 hours and break the fast at 6.15 PM, called Iftar.
Sehri and Iftar timings also vary among Muslims, depending on the Sunni and Shia communities. The difference is usually of a few minutes.
Every year, Ramadan begins about 10 days earlier than the previous year. This is because dates are determined by the lunar Hijri calendar used in Islam. Each month of Hijri calendar has 29 or 30 days.
Will there be two Ramadan in 2030?
For most of the nations in the Northern Hemisphere, the fasting duration is shorter this year and will continue to decrease until 2031, when Ramadan will encompass the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, Al Jazeera reported.
For fasting Muslims living south of the equator, the number of fasting hours will be longer than last year, the report said.
Because the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan will be observed twice in 2030 – first beginning on 5 January and then on 26 December.
(With inputs from agencies)
