Jumada al-Sani moon sighted; by the calendar, Ramadan could begin on 8 February 2027

The moon of the holy month of Jumada al-Sani has been sighted in the sky over Bangladesh. With this, the counting of the sixth month of the Hijri year 1448 has begun.

Earlier, on Tuesday (10 November), the Jumada al-Sani moon was not sighted in the country's sky. Later, at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee chaired by AHM Kamruzzaman, secretary (routine duty) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, it was decided that the new month would be counted from Wednesday (11 November).

In the Hijri calendar, Jumada al-Sani is the sixth month. It is followed by Rajab, the seventh month, and Shaban, the eighth. When those two months end, the ninth month, the holy Ramadan, will begin.

By the lunar calendar, a Hijri month is usually 29 or 30 days. From the start of Jumada al-Sani, Ramadan may therefore take an estimated 89 to 90 days to arrive. By that count, roughly 89 to 90 days remain before Ramadan begins.

Ramadan in 2027 could begin about 10 to 11 days earlier than in the previous year.

According to astronomical calculations, the holy Ramadan next year is likely to begin on 8 February (Monday). On that basis, if the Ramadan moon is sighted on the evening of 7 February, Taraweeh prayers will begin that night, and Muslims will fast from 8 February.

However, the starting date of Ramadan 2027 is not yet final. The first day of fasting will be determined by the sighting of the moon, and the National Moon Sighting Committee will make the official announcement in due course.