Does Ramadhan 2026 start on Wednesday or Thursday?
Sun 15 Feb 2026
Moonsighting activity will take place on Tuesday 17 February 2026 (the 29th day of Sha'ban).
The new moon will be born around 17 February 2026 at 12:01 GMT/UT and "will not be visible by the naked eye anywhere in the UK to Morocco region on that date" according to moonsighting.org.uk.
It further states:
"However, on 18 February 2026, the moon will be easily visible in the UK and most countries of the world. Hence, Ramadan is most likely to start on 19 February 2026."
In Saudi Arabia, the new moon will be born at 3:01 pm local time on 17 February 2026. Sunset that day is approximately 6:22 pm. Moon sighting takes place just after sunset, and the official announcement is usually made later that evening, often within 1–3 hours.
That would mean any claimed sighting would occur around 4.5 hours after the birth of the new moon.
According to the Astronomical Applications Department of the United States government:
"Naked-eye sightings as early as 15.5 hours after New Moon have been reliably reported, while observers with telescopes have made reliable reports as early as 12.1 hours after New Moon" according to the Astronomical Applications Department of the United States government. That assumes you good conditions.
That assumes you good conditions.
Therefore, there is no realistic possibility of a sighting by any means on Tuesday 17 February 2026.If reliable moon sighting criteria are followed, Southall is most likely to begin Ramadhan on Thursday 19 February 2026.
Most people are aware that the Islamic calendar is lunar. Each month lasts 29 or 30 days depending on the visibility of the crescent moon.
This means the start of Ramadhan is determined by the sighting of the moon, and it is not practical to fix a date in advance.
You can follow your leaders and allow them to take responsibility for their decisions. However, there is nothing preventing individuals from making a decision based on clear and available evidence.
To say, "I knew it was wrong and no one forced me, but I still went along with it," is not a convincing position for informed people.
Ramadhan Mubarak
Update:
The London Central Mosque announced at approximately 3:30pm that, "We are pleased to announce to the whole Muslim community in the U.K. that Wednesday 18 February is the 1st of Ramadan 1447 Hijri," based on the reported moon sighting in Saudi Arabia.
However, this announcement was made only about 3.5 hours after the astronomical new moon. This would suggest that the reported sighting may have occurred roughly 2.5 hours after the new moon. Under normal astronomical conditions, even with a telescope and ideal visibility, the crescent moon typically cannot be observed until at least 12 hours after conjunction.
These timelines do not merely raise questions about the criteria and methodology used to determine the start of Ramadan. They call into serious doubt the credibility of the reported witnesses and the integrity of the verification and administrative processes behind the announcement.
The truth is stranger than fiction, when it comes to Saudi Arabia.
The moon sighting fails on all three established astronomical criteria:
- Illumination: The lower practical limit for telescopic detection is generally around 0.5%–1%. The reported illumination was approximately 0.01%.
- Elongation: Telescopic visibility typically requires a minimum elongation of about 7°. At sunset in Saudi Arabia, the actual elongation was approximately 1°, far below the accepted threshold.
- Moon age: The minimum age for a credible telescopic sighting is usually 12–15 hours after conjunction. The reported sighting occurred at only 2.5 to 3.5 hours after the new moon.
On illumination, elongation, and age, the claim falls dramatically outside established astronomical limits.
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