When Does Ramadan Start and End in 2027?
Every Muslim wants to know two dates each year: the day Ramadan begins and the day it ends. The first tells us when to start preparing our hearts and homes. The second tells us when to make the most of the final nights, pay Zakat al Fitr and get ready for Eid. Ramadan 2027, which is Ramadan 1448 AH, is expected to start on Monday, 8 February and end on Monday, 8 March, according to the Umm al Qura calendar used in Saudi Arabia. These dates are based on astronomical calculation, though, and the final word always comes from moon sighting. So let us look at both ends of the month, the start and the finish, and at the simple Islamic rules that decide them.
Ramadan 2027 at a Glance
DateUmm al Qura CalendarPossible Date in Pakistan and IndiaFirst TaraweehSunday, 7 February 2027 (evening)Monday, 8 February 2027 (evening)First fastMonday, 8 February 2027Tuesday, 9 February 2027Last ten nights beginSaturday, 27 February 2027 (evening)Sunday, 28 February 2027 (evening)27th nightFriday, 5 March 2027 (evening)Saturday, 6 March 2027 (evening)Moon sighting for ShawwalMonday, 8 March 2027 (evening)Tuesday, 9 March 2027 (evening)Last fastMonday, 8 March or Tuesday, 9 March 2027Tuesday, 9 March or Wednesday, 10 March 2027Eid al FitrTuesday, 9 March or Wednesday, 10 March 2027Wednesday, 10 March or Thursday, 11 March 2027
All of these are expected dates, not official announcements. The Pakistan and India column simply moves each date one day later, since these countries usually begin Ramadan after a local sighting of the crescent. The two possible dates for the last fast and for Eid depend on whether Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days.
When Does Ramadan 2027 Start?
The Umm al Qura calendar places the first day of Ramadan 1448 on Monday, 8 February 2027. This means the month begins at sunset on Sunday, 7 February, when Muslims pray the first Taraweeh, and the first fast is kept on Monday.
The reason for this date is simple. The new moon is expected to be born on the afternoon of Saturday, 6 February 2027, too late for a crescent to be seen that evening. When the crescent is not seen on the 29th of Sha’ban, the month of Sha’ban is completed as thirty days, and Ramadan starts the day after.
In Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, where Ramadan usually starts with a local sighting, the first fast may be on Tuesday, 9 February instead. In Pakistan, the final announcement will come from the Central Ruet e Hilal Committee.
When Does Ramadan 2027 End?
This is the question many people forget to ask until the last week of Ramadan. The end of Ramadan is not fixed in advance either. It is decided by sighting the crescent of Shawwal, the month that follows Ramadan. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ, gave a clear rule for this:
الشَّهْرُ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ لَيْلَةً، فَلَا تَصُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْهُ، فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ ثَلَاثِينَ (Sahih al Bukhari, Book of Fasting, Hadith 1907)
The month can be twenty nine nights, so do not fast until you see it (the crescent). And if it is hidden from you, then
complete the count of thirty.
This one Hadith settles how the month ends. On the evening of the 29th of Ramadan, Muslims look for the new crescent. If it is seen, Ramadan has ended at 29 days, and the next day is Eid. If it is not seen, Ramadan is completed as 30 days, and Eid comes the day after that.
By the Umm al Qura calendar, the 29th of Ramadan 1448 falls on Monday, 8 March 2027. The Umm al Qura calendar itself counts Ramadan 1448 as 29 days, which would make Monday, 8 March the last fast and Tuesday, 9 March the day of Eid. If the month runs to 30 days instead, the last fast will be on Tuesday, 9 March and Eid on Wednesday, 10 March.
In Pakistan and India, if Ramadan begins on Tuesday, 9 February, then the 29th of Ramadan will fall on Tuesday, 9 March. Eid would then be on Wednesday, 10 March after a 29 day month, or Thursday, 11 March after a 30 day month.
Why Is Ramadan Sometimes 29 Days and Sometimes 30?
A lunar month is the time it takes for the moon to go from one new moon to the next, which is roughly twenty nine and a half days. Since a month cannot end in the middle of a day, some months come out as 29 days and others as 30. This is exactly what the Hadith above describes.
There is no reward lost when Ramadan is 29 days. A Muslim who fasts the whole month, whether it turns out to be 29 or 30 days, has fasted Ramadan in full. What matters is following the moon, not counting a fixed number of days.
Why Do Countries End Ramadan on Different Days?
Just as Ramadan can start on different days in different countries, it can also end on different days. The crescent may be visible one evening in one part of the world but not in another. Some countries follow their own local sighting, some accept a sighting from another country, and some fix the date in advance through astronomical calculation.
This difference is an old and well known discussion among scholars, and each approach has its own reasoning. For an ordinary Muslim, the practical answer is to follow the announcement of the trusted religious authority in your country or community. Fasting and Eid are shared acts of worship. It is far better for the Muslims of one city to start and end Ramadan together than for each person to follow a different date.
Don’t Fast on the Day of Eid
Once the Shawwal crescent is confirmed, Ramadan is over, and fasting on the day of Eid al Fitr is not allowed. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَیْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ forbade fasting on the two days of Eid, as reported in Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Eid is a day of thanks, food and family, and the Sharia wants Muslims to celebrate it.
This is one more reason to stay alert on the evening of the 29th of Ramadan. Keep an eye on the official announcement so that you do not fast on Eid by mistake, or break your fast a day early.
What to Do Before Ramadan Ends
The end of Ramadan is not only about dates. It brings some important duties with it.
Make the most of the last ten nights. In 2027, the last ten nights are expected to begin on the evening of Saturday, 27 February by the Umm al Qura calendar. These nights include Laylat al Qadr, the Night of Decree, which the Quran describes as better than a thousand months. They are the most precious nights of the whole year.
Pay Zakat al Fitr on time. Zakat al Fitr is a small charity due from every Muslim who can afford it, on behalf of himself and his dependants. Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ made it obligatory and ordered that it be given before people go out to the Eid prayer (Sahih al Bukhari, Book of Zakah, Hadith 1503). Since the exact day of Eid depends on the moon, it is wise to pay it a day or two before the expected end of Ramadan, so that it reaches those in need in time for Eid.
Make up any missed fasts later. If you miss any fasts during Ramadan because of illness, travel or another valid reason, remember that you will need to make them up after Ramadan, before the next one arrives.
A Final Word
Ramadan 2027 is expected to start on Monday, 8 February and end on Monday, 8 March, with Eid al Fitr on Tuesday, 9 March, according to the Umm al Qura calendar. In South Asia, each of these dates may fall a day later. Yet the start and end of Ramadan are only the frame of the picture. What fills it is the worship, patience and sincerity we bring to the days in between. The moon will decide when Ramadan arrives and when it leaves. How much we gain from it is up to us.
