The great mosque of Paris will decide, during the night of doubt, on the date on which the Ramadan 2025 begins in France.
The big Paris Mosque set the date of the night of doubt 2025. This institution “remains attached to this tradition of the night of doubt, which preserves the unity of Muslims at the threshold of the blessed month of Ramadan, and allows them to prepare for it”, She said in a press release. The religious committee organizes this event in order to define the exact day to which Ramadan 2025 will begin in France.
For Ramadan, one of the pillars of Islam, believers are invited to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex to raise until sunset. Fasting can also be accompanied by the Zakât El-Fitr, an alms of nine euros per person living in the same home of which each family must pay.
Note that according to the CFCM, it is not necessary to organize a night of doubt: according to astronomical calculations, the new moon will be visible in the sky, in France, on February 28. The first day of Ramadan is therefore on Saturday March 1st according to this institution.
How is the night of doubt organized at the Great Mosque of Paris “?
The night of doubt organized at the Great Mosque of Paris, is held on the 29th day of the monthly lunar month in the Hegian calendar, and makes it possible to determine the beginning and the end of a month. The events that are the night of the doubt at the start and the night of the doubt at the end of Ramadan for the believers of Islam are generally broadcast via the official website of the Grande Mosque de Paris.
The tradition of the night of doubt refers to “hadith”, an oral declaration of the Prophet in which he notes: “Do not fast when you see the lunar crescent and break the fast when you see it too”. In the Muslim calendar, the “night of doubt” marks the end of a lunar month, and the beginning of the following lunar month. It therefore plays a role both in the formalization of the start date of the Ramadan fast, but also in the confirmation of the end date of this “holy month”.
This night is of deep spiritual importance for practicing Muslims, because it marks the beginning of this blessed month. Its name stems from the fact that it determines the official start of Ramadan, the month of fasting and devotion for Muslims around the world. This night is so named because it is the moment when the religious authorities observe the moon To determine if the lunar crescent, symbol of the beginning of Ramadan, is visible.
According to Islamic tradition, the Muslim calendar is lunar, based on the phases of the moon. Consequently, the observation of the new moon is crucial to mark the beginning of each Islamic month, including Ramadan. The night of doubt is therefore devoted to this observation, where religious scholars scrutinize the sky in search of the slim crescent moon which will signal the beginning of the holy month.
The ritual of the Moon observation
The practice of observation of the moon during the night of doubt is anchored in Islamic tradition since the early days of Islam. Religious scholars and competent authorities come together in mosques and community centers to monitor the sky after sunset. They scrutinize the horizon in search of the slim lunar croissant, whose appearance will determine the official start of Ramadan.
If the lunar croissant is seen, it means that Ramadan will start the next day, and Muslims will start their month of fasting and prayer. In the event that the moon is not visible due to weather conditions or other factors, the night of doubt continues until the next evening, and Ramadan will start the next day.
The night of doubt is of considerable spiritual and community importance for Muslims. She embodies for believers the beginning of a sacred month of devotion, reflection and purification of the soul. For many believers, it is a moment of anticipation and preparation to start fasting and devote oneself to a more intense religious practice.
The night of doubt also strengthens community ties, because Muslims meet in mosques and Islamic centers to participate in the observation of the moon together. This is an opportunity for the community to come together, to pray together and to strengthen their spiritual connection pending Ramadan.