North America to Begin Ramadan Fasting Tomorrow, Most Other Regions on 19 February
The holy month of Ramadan is fast approaching. Muslims in North America will begin 1 Ramadan 1447 H/2026 CE tomorrow, whilst Muslims in other regions are predicted to start their Ramadan fast the day after.
As reported by Al-Jazeera on Tuesday (17 February 2026), Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the new moon. For the moon to be visible, the crescent must set after the sun.
This allows the sky to become sufficiently dark to observe the small sliver of the crescent moon. After sunset on the evening of 17 February — the 29th day of the month of Sha’ban in the Hijri calendar — moon observers face west with a clear horizon view to catch a glimpse of the first crescent.
If the hilal (crescent) is sighted, the month of Ramadan begins, with the first day of fasting on 18 February. If not, the month of Sha’ban completes its full 30 days and the first day of fasting falls on 19 February.
In Saudi Arabia, testimonies from those who have sighted the hilal are recorded, and the Supreme Court makes the decision on when Ramadan should begin. There are several factors involved in monitoring the hilal at sunset.
The first factor is elongation. The moon must be sufficiently far from the sun to ensure its light is not obscured. For reliable observation with the naked eye, the moon must be 10 to 12 degrees from the sun. If closer than 7 degrees, the crescent may be physically too thin to reflect enough light to be visible to the human eye.
The second factor is altitude. The higher the moon is at sunset, the less it has to compete with the thick, hazy atmosphere and sky glow near the horizon. An altitude of 10 degrees is typically sufficient for clear naked-eye observation, whilst lower altitudes of 3 to 5 degrees may be adequate with the aid of optical instruments.
The third factor is lag time — the interval between sunset and moonset. For reliable naked-eye observation, at least 45 minutes is typically required for the sky to become dark enough to see the moon. A longer duration is even more favourable.
So when will Ramadan begin in various countries around the world?
According to Crescent Moon Watch, a moon tracker managed by the United Kingdom’s Nautical Almanac Office, the new moon of Ramadan will appear on 17 February at 15:01 Makkah time (approximately 19:01 Western Indonesian Time).
On that evening in Makkah, the sun will set at 18:19 and the moon will only be visible for 3 minutes. With the new moon being just 3 hours and 18 minutes old, it is highly unlikely that anyone anywhere in the world will see the crescent that evening, meaning the first day of Ramadan will begin on 19 February.
On the evening of 18 February, however, the new moon will be visible in most regions of the world. By that time, the moon will be nearly 26 hours old. It will be higher in the sky and remain visible longer after sunset, making it easily observable.
The following are predictions for 1 Ramadan 1447 H across various regions of the world:
North America
The Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), which follow astronomical calculations, have officially announced that Ramadan will begin on 18 February 2026. Their calculations stipulate that at sunset at any point on earth, the moon’s elongation must be at least 8 degrees and the moon must be at least 5 degrees above the horizon to be considered visible.
Europe
The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) has declared that Thursday, 19 February, will be the first day of Ramadan. The ECFR noted that although the astronomical birth of the moon occurs on Tuesday, it is impossible to observe it that evening either with the naked eye or through telescopes and observation instruments. Turkey has also declared 19 February as the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, citing the same reasoning.
Middle East
Most Middle Eastern countries, led by Saudi Arabia, will not make a final announcement until Tuesday evening, 17 February. If the Saudi Supreme Court receives testimony of a sighting on Tuesday evening, it may designate Wednesday as the first day of Ramadan. However, this is highly unlikely for the reasons previously explained.
Asia
Across Asia, the start of Ramadan 2026 will most likely fall on Thursday, 19 February, as the moon will set before the sun in that part of the world on Tuesday evening.
Singapore has officially confirmed the start of Ramadan on Thursday, whilst South Asian countries including India and Pakistan anticipate Thursday, 19 February as the first day of fasting. Additionally, Indonesia will determine 1 Ramadan through an isbat (official moon-sighting deliberation) session this afternoon.
Africa
In Africa, the start of Ramadan follows a pattern similar to the rest of the world. Most African countries anticipate Ramadan will begin on Thursday, 19 February.
Oceania
The National Imams Council of Australia has announced that Ramadan will begin on 19 February.