RAMADAN. Thanks to astronomical calculations, we already know the date of the beginning of the Muslim fast of Ramadan 2022 (1443). A validation of this date is however planned for the end of the week, via the lunar observation of the Night of Doubt at the Great Mosque of Paris. Date, rules, calendar, recipes… Check out our special page!
The essential
The start date of the month of Ramadan 2022 / 1443 is estimated by astronomical calculations at Saturday, April 2, 2022. It is the lunar observation of the Night of Doubt which makes it possible to determine the beginning of a new month in the Hijri calendar. Two methods exist to identify the date of the new moon: the astrological method, well in advance; and the traditional method of observing the sky, on the 29th day of the current month in the lunar calendar. However, the body representing Islam in France, the CFCM, uses the astrological method to communicate the start date of Ramadan. According to these scientific data, the conjunction of the crescent moon takes place on Friday Chaâbane 29 / April 1, 2022. This means that the crescent will be visible in the sky and that the new month, and therefore the Muslim fast, can start the next day (without having to wait until the next day). The Great Mosque of Paris also provides this provisional date, but organizes, with dissident federations of the CFCM, a “Night of Doubt” Friday April 1 in the early evening in order to confirm it.
Questions answers
What are the five pillars of Islam? (including Ramadan)
The Islamic religion has five pillars. Apart from Ramadan, Muslims consider the profession of faith, the pilgrimage to Mecca, prayer and obligatory almsgiving as pillars of Islam.
What is the estimated end date of Ramadan 2022?
According to astronomical calculations on the end date of Ramadan, the breaking of the month of fasting and the associated Eid al-Fitr holiday will take place around Monday, May 2, 2022. But to know the official date, you will have to wait until Night of the doubt of the end of Ramadan.
What is the meaning of the word “ramadan” in Arabic?
Today, the month of Ramadan is very much linked in people’s minds to the month of fasting observed by Muslims. But the name of the ninth month of the Hijri calendar was actually given to it long before the very arrival of Islam. Arabic being a semantic language, with roots made up of consonants which mean a precise idea, and from which we create a whole lexical field by adding letters before or after (in general) this “base”… if we analyzes the root of the word composed of the letters rā, mīm and ḍād, we realize that it refers to “summer heat”. Could this mean that the month of Ramadan systematically fell in summer in the pre-Islamic lunisolar calendar? According to The Encyclopedia of Islam, “this question of whether the months in central Arabia were really linked to particular seasons is controversial” since a month whose name etymology could be linked to cold is found only two month of Ramadan.
Learn more
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 authority. 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 makeup, 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.