When Is Ramadan 2027? Expected Start Date, Moon Sighting and Why Countries Differ
Every year, as the month of Sha’ban draws to a close, millions of Muslims around the world ask the same question: when is Ramadan? This is more than a search for a date. It is the eager wait for a guest we prepare for with clean homes and clean hearts. Astronomers have already worked out the expected dates for Ramadan 2027. To read those dates correctly, though, it helps to know how a month begins in Islam, and why the same Ramadan can start on different days in different countries. So in this article we will cover three things in order: the expected date, the basis for it, and the reason for the differences.
When Is Ramadan 2027? The Expected Date
In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan 2027 is Ramadan 1448 AH. According to the Umm al Qura calendar, the official calendar of Saudi Arabia, Ramadan 2027 (Ramadan 1448) begins at sunset on Sunday 7 February, and the first fast is Monday 8 February. That means the first Taraweeh prayer will be on Sunday evening.
This date comes from astronomical calculation, not a final announcement. So it is important to remember that where Ramadan starts when the new crescent is seen locally, the first fast can be Tuesday 9 February instead. This is usually the case in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. One estimate expects the first fast in these countries on February 9, 2027, based on local moon sighting.
Key Expected Dates for Ramadan 2027
OccasionUmm 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)Eid al FitrTuesday, 9 March 2027Wednesday, 10 March 2027
All of these dates are expected, not confirmed. By the Umm al Qura calendar, the last ten nights of Ramadan 2027 begin at sunset on Saturday 27 February, and the 27th night begins at sunset on Friday 5 March. As for Eid, Eid al Fitr is expected on Tuesday 9 March 2027 (or Wednesday 10 March if the month has 30 days). The Pakistan and India column simply assumes every date falls one day later there. The actual dates will depend on local moon sighting, and the date of Eid also depends on whether Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days
Why Does Ramadan Come About Eleven Days Earlier Each Year?
Islamic months are lunar, which means they follow the cycle of the moon. The everyday calendar we use is solar. A lunar year is about eleven days shorter than a solar year, which is why Ramadan moves in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year. In 2026, Ramadan began in mid February. In 2027, it arrives at the start of February.
There is real wisdom in this system. Over a lifetime, a Muslim meets Ramadan in every season, sometimes in the long, hot days of summer and sometimes in the short days of winter. Ramadan 2027 falls in the last part of winter in the northern hemisphere, so fasts in Pakistan, India, the Gulf and Europe will be relatively short. The Quran describes the moon’s phases as a way of measuring time for people:
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ (Surah Al Baqarah 2:189)
They ask you about the new moons. Say: They are signs to mark fixed times for people and for Hajj.
How Is the Start of Ramadan Decided?
In Islam, the start of Ramadan is based on sighting the new crescent moon. Allah says: "فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ" (Surah Al Baqarah 2:185), meaning whoever among you witnesses the month should fast it. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ, explained how to put this into practice:
صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ، فَإِنْ غُبِّيَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شَعْبَانَ ثَلَاثِينَ (Sahih al Bukhari, Book of Fasting, Hadith 1909)
Fast when you see it (the crescent) and end the fast when you see it. If the sky is cloudy for you, then complete thirty
days of Sha’ban.
Two simple rules come from this Hadith. First, look for the crescent on the evening of the 29th of Sha’ban. If it is seen, fasting begins the next day. Second, if the crescent is not seen, Sha’ban is counted as thirty days. Since no lunar month is longer than thirty days, Ramadan always begins on one of these two days. This is why, even with precise astronomical calculations, there is always a chance of a one day difference in the final date.
The Moon in February 2027
This year, astronomy clears up most of the doubt about the start. According to one astronomical analysis, the new moon falls on Saturday 6 February 2027 at about 16:00 UTC, which means no crescent can be seen that evening; by Sunday evening it is more than a day old.
On the Umm al Qura calendar, the religious start is confirmed by official moon sighting on the evening of 29 Sha’ban, which is Saturday, February 6, 2027. Since the crescent is not expected to be visible that evening, Sha’ban will complete thirty days, and Ramadan will begin on Monday, 8 February. In this way, the calculation leads us straight back to the second part of the Hadith: "فَأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شَعْبَانَ ثَلَاثِينَ" (complete thirty days of Sha’ban).
In countries where Sha’ban began a day later because of local sighting, the 29th of Sha’ban will fall on Sunday, 7 February, and people will look for the moon that evening. If it is seen, the first fast will be Monday, 8 February. If not, it will be Tuesday, 9 February. In Pakistan, the final decision rests with the Central Ruet e Hilal Committee, and its announcement is the one to follow.
Why Doesn’t Ramadan Start on the Same Day Everywhere?
This question comes up every year, and it connects to a long standing discussion in Islamic law known as “ikhtilaf al matali’”, the difference in the places where the moon rises. The earth is round, so the new crescent may be visible one evening in Makkah or Morocco but not in Lahore or Dhaka. The question then is: is one region’s sighting enough for everyone?
A narration in Sahih Muslim is central to this discussion. Kurayb came to Madinah from Syria and reported that the moon had been sighted there on Thursday night, and people had begun fasting. Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that in Madinah they had sighted it on Friday night, so they would complete their fasts by their own count. He added that this is what the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ had commanded them (Sahih Muslim, Book of Fasting, Hadith 1087).
Scholars have understood this narration in different ways. Some hold that differences in the horizon between distant regions matter, so each region follows its own sighting. Others hold that a reliable sighting in one place can be enough for other places too. In modern times, a third approach relies on astronomical calculation. For example, some bodies fix the date in advance by calculation — Türkiye’s Diyanet, for example, and Muhammadiyah in Indonesia, while in most countries the final announcement still comes after an actual sighting
Each of these views rests on evidence, and the difference is one of scholarly reasoning among qualified scholars. For an ordinary Muslim, the practical answer is to follow the announcement of the trusted religious authority in your country or local community. Fasting and Eid are communal acts of worship, and it is far better for the Muslims of one city to stay united than for each person to insist on his own view.
When and How to Prepare for Ramadan 2027
Knowing the date is not just about marking a calendar. It is about getting ready. Sha’ban is the season for that preparation. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ did not fast in any month more than he fasted in Sha’ban, apart from Ramadan (Sahih al Bukhari, Book of Fasting, Hadith 1969). In 2027, Sha’ban will begin around the middle of January.
Here are a few practical ways to prepare. If you still owe fasts from last Ramadan, make them up before the new Ramadan arrives. Start a daily habit of reciting the Quran now, so that in Ramadan it feels like a joy rather than a burden. Work out your zakat in advance, since many people pay it in Ramadan. Above all, try to clean your heart of sins and mend broken relationships. A heart full of resentment cannot fully receive the light of Ramadan.
A Final Word
By astronomical calculation, Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday, 8 February, and in South Asia it may begin a day later. But more important than debating that one day is the heart with which we welcome this month. The moon sighting committee will announce the date. The decision to truly benefit from Ramadan is one each of us has to make for ourselves. For the person who starts preparing today, Ramadan will not be just a date on the calendar. It will be a fresh start in life.
