RAMADAN. The date of the beginning of the Muslim fast of Ramadan 2022 (1443) is already known astronomically. It will be made official at the end of the week. Date, rules, calendar, recipes… Check out our special page!
The essential
In the Hijri lunar calendar, the one on which Islam is based, it is the new moon that marks the beginning of each new month of the calendar. And two methods exist to determine the date of this new moon: astrology, which allows you to do it in advance; and that of sky observation, which takes place in real time, on the 29th day of the current month in the lunar calendar. According to the astrological method, the one claimed by the body representing Islam in France, the CFCM, Ramadan begins on Saturday April 2 because the conjunction of the crescent moon takes place on Friday Chaâbane 29 / April 1, 2022. The mosque de Paris also gives this date, but wishes to confirm it during the “Night of Doubt” lunar observation on Friday April 1 in the early evening. According to the astronomical calculations of the end date of Ramadan, which will also have to be confirmed by a lunar observation at the end of the month of Ramadan, the feast of Eid el-Fitr is theoretically fixed for Monday May 2. 2022.
Questions answers
What is the significance of Ramadan fasting?
Fasting (saum) is precisely described in the Quran. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are advised not to eat, drink, smoke, or have sex between dawn and sunset. More generally, asceticism concerns all behavior considered contrary to Islam. This restriction is to celebrate the month when the holy book was revealed to Muhammad. At night, celebrations (including meals) are permitted, if not encouraged. The evening meal, iftar, is a key moment: many Muslims gather at home, in cultural centers or mosques to share food.
Does Ramadan always take place at the same time each year?
Ramadan 2022 takes place in spring this year. The period forming part of the five pillars of Islam takes place a little earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar (the one used today administratively in France). The Hijri lunar calendar on which believers base themselves differs from the Gregorian calendar used administratively in France.
What is the date of Ramadan?
Ramadan is actually the name of the ninth month of the year in the Hijri calendar, a month of fasting in the Muslim tradition. And as with every month of this lunar calendar, it begins precisely when the first crescent of the new moon is visible in the sky. According to the Koran, on the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim who observes it must perform a great ablution – that is to say, carry out a purification with pure water – and formulate his intention to fast every day. of the holy month. In other words, refrain from eating, drinking, having sex or smoking, from dawn until sunset.
Why does the night of doubt at the start of Ramadan 2022 take place on April 1?
In a press release dated March 4 (see below), the Great Mosque of Paris explains that the first day of the month of Chaabane (the month preceding, in the lunar calendar, the month of Ramadan) taking place on March 4, the night of doubt of lunar observation takes place on April 1: these observations always take place on the 29th day of the month of the current Hijri calendar.
How many Muslims are there in France?
According to several studies on the subject, France has between five and six million practicing and non-practicing Muslims. This estimate makes Islam the second largest religion in the country.
What is zakat al fitr?
As the CFCM (French Council of Muslim Worship) recalled in mid-March, zakat al-fitr, “religiously payable by any Muslim family”, is “intended for the poor regardless of their religious affiliation”. Third pillar of Islam, it went from 5 to 7 euros per person in 2018 (an increase mainly due to inflation).
Welcome to our Questions / Answers dedicated to Ramadan 2022!
When does Ramadan 2022 start? What are the methods to determine it in France? When will we know the date of the start of the Muslim fast with certainty? And its end date? What are the rules of Ramadan, or what is zakat al-fitr? This Questions / Answers page offers you some insight into all the questions you are likely to ask yourself on the subject!
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Ramadan 2022 (1443) begins, according to its date estimated by astronomical calculations, on Saturday April 2, 2022 in France. According to a press release dated March 13 and relayed by the group franceinfo, the CFCM (French Council of Muslim Worship), representative body of Islam in France, announced the astronomical date of the beginning of the month of Ramadan in these terms: “In accordance with scientific data, the conjunction of the new moon of Ramadan 1443H will take place on April 1, 2022 at 06:24 hours (UTC). The visibility of the moon will be possible on the same day on the American continent and part of the African continent”, affirmed the office of the instance. As a result, “Saturday April 2, 2022 is the first day of Ramadan in the year 1443H”.
The Night of Doubt organized on Friday April 1 in the early evening at the Grand Mosque of Paris should make it possible to confirm this date officially.
If the Paris Mosque approves the astronomical date of Ramadan 2022 (1443) in France, it will however be necessary to wait for the lunar observation taking place during the Night of Doubt for the formalization of the start date of Ramadan.
Two methods coexist in France to determine the start of the month of Ramadan: traditional lunar observation and astronomical calculations. In its press release of March 15 entitled “Announcement of the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan”, the Coordination of National Muslim Federations (FFAICA, GMP, MF and RMF) for which these two methods are “complementary”, specifies on this point that during the “Night of Doubt”, the “Theological Commission of Coordination (…) will take into consideration the results of the work on the adoption of scientific calculation and universal astronomical data for the determination of the beginning and end of the blessed month of Ramadan”.
Regarding the representation of Muslims in France, an important change took place in March 2021, with the split between the French Council for Muslim Worship, the institution representing the Muslim faith in France and four of its former Muslim federations (the famous FFAIACA, GMP, MF and RMF). Since that thunderclap in the sky of Islam in France, the CFCM is once again relying on scientific data to formalize the dates of Ramadan, several weeks in advance. It is also the modus operandi followed by the Muslim Theological Council of France (CTMF, a body of imams particularly close to the Muslim Brotherhood, but who do not replace the representative bodies).
Another recent twist, the four dissident federations of the CFCM established their “National Council of Imams” at the end of November 2021. The Elysée had made this request to the CFCM in the fall of 2020, as part of the fight against Islam radical and “separatism”. The four federations which have taken their independence therefore wish to “label” the imams practicing in France by themselves, a role which the CFCM is already contesting as related 20 minutes.
In a statement dated March 15, the coordination made up of the four Muslim federations (FFAIACA, GMP, MF and RMF) announced that it would meet at the Grand Mosque of Paris for the “Night of Doubt”, Friday evening April 1 . This date corresponds to the 29th day of the month of Chaâbane, the month preceding the month of Ramadan in the Muslim calendar. In this lunar calendar, the year 2022 corresponds to the Hijri year 1443. The “Night of Doubt” at the end of Ramadan at the Grand Mosque of Paris will take place on Sunday May 1, 2022.
During the month of fasting, Muslims honor five prayers a day: Fejr, Dhuhr, Asser, Maghreb and Icha. The Ramadan calendar allows you to know the times of the prayers in question.
What is the end date of Ramadan 2022 / 1443 (current year in the Islamic lunar calendar)? According to astronomical forecasts, the theoretical date of Eid al-Fitr, the feast of breaking the fast, corresponds to Monday evening May 2 (first day of the month of Shawwal 1443, the lunar month following that of Ramadan). Depending on the year, and once again depending on the sighting of the moon, it takes place 29 or 30 days after the start of Ramadan. Dates that must be confirmed on the night of the announcement, aka night of doubt.
The prohibitions of the month of Ramadan are quite strict. Deliberately eating, drinking, smoking, or having sex during the day invalidates his fast. Since forgetting cannot be punished, on the other hand, drinking or eating something inadvertently does not invalidate the fast. Deliberately having sex during the day of Ramadan is considered a “great sin”. It is completely allowed to swallow saliva, and of course, to brush your teeth. The only real prohibition in this area is to swallow anything other than your own saliva.
It is forbidden to wear make-up, although it may sometimes be tolerated in Muslim countries. It is also forbidden to make obscene remarks, swear words, give false testimony and even engage in “stupid” behavior. A healthy diet and good hydration are also to be favored when breaking the fast. Overall, taking a nap, avoiding exposure to the sun and limiting physical exertion are also part of the practices to follow to stay healthy.
In concrete terms, the practice of fasting is extended to all Muslims, excluding the elderly, children, the sick (whether they are suffering from mental or physical disorders), pregnant women, or women breastfeeding or having their periods. . Some travelers may also delay their fast. For these people, helping the poor is seen as a valid substitution for ritual.
“Ramadan Mubarak” is the formula used in the Muslim religion to wish a happy Ramadan to loved ones.
For the fast-breaking meal, Ramadan practitioners prepare tasty meals. Discover recipe ideas on the women’s diary.