RAMADAN. Estimated at the beginning of May by astronomical calculations, the end date of Ramadan 2022 must be confirmed by a “Night of Doubt” at the Grand Mosque of Paris. Here is what we know on this point, and answers to key questions about the month of fasting in France…
The essential
- The night of doubt at the end of Ramadan takes place on Saturday evening April 30. A theological commission meeting at the Grande Paris Mosque will confirm at its conclusion the end date of Ramadan.
- According to astronomical calculations, the month of Ramadan 2022 / 1443 (current year in the Hijri calendar) should last 30 days this year, ending on Monday May 2 with the feast of Eid al-Fitr (breaking the fast) for 4 to 5 million Muslims in France.
- Here are the answers to some key questions about Ramadan.
Questions answers
Can we be exempted from fasting in Ramadan?
Yes. Some people may be exempted from practicing the Ramadan fast: travelers for whom it is a question of a long journey where the prayer is reduced by half, pregnant or breastfeeding women, the elderly, men or women and sick people .
How does the “Night of Doubt” of lunar observation take place?
In its press release of April 26, the Grand Mosque of Paris details the course of the “Night of Doubt” of lunar observation at the end of Ramadan, which will take place on Saturday April 30. And gives the following information on its progress: “A religious commission will meet at the Great Mosque of Paris at 6:30 p.m.”. A “public announcement” of the “end of the month of Ramadan and the date of Eid al-Fitr then takes place”.
The dates of Ramadan are closely linked to the Moon. What are the secrets of the star of the Night?
Through the content below, dedicated to all facets of the Moon, you will discover what the different phases of the Moon mean or even why it can be called pink moonred, blue or even black…
What is the “Night of doubt at the end of Ramadan” for?
As specified in the press release from the Grand Mosque of Paris dated April 26, 2022, the “Night of Doubt” makes it possible to determine the “end of the month of Ramadan and the date of Eid el-Fitr” (feast of breaking the fast ). As a reminder, the lunar month of Ramadan can indeed last 29 or 30 days.
Where and when does the Night of Doubt at the end of Ramadan take place?
In a press release dated April 26, the rector of the Great Mosque of Paris Chems-Eddine Hafiz informs that “the Night of Doubt” of lunar observation allowing to record the end date of Ramadan will take place “on the 29th day of the month blessed with ramadan 2022-1443” at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 30, 2022at the Great Mosque of Paris.
Should children observe Ramadan?
The annual fast is not an obligation for children. Symbolically, some parents make their children observe a day of fasting but no more, which is also a way of getting the youngest used to their future obligations. On the other hand, from the age of puberty reached, that is to say at about 15 years of age, Ramadan therefore becomes an obligation for practicing Muslims.
What is the difference between the night of fate and the night of doubt?
Be careful not to confusenight of fate” and “night of doubt/announcement”. These two events are quite different (but related) for Muslim believers. Occurring between the 26th and 27th day of Ramadan, the night of fate, or Laylat Al -Qadr, symbolizes the night when the revelation of the Quran was made in Mohammed, but also the prophet’s night journey to the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The night of the announcement / of doubt marks the announcement of the start date of Ramadan, but also represents in the broad sense all the nights marking the end of a lunar month in the Muslim calendar.
Can we go swimming during Ramadan?
It is quite possible to go to the swimming pool, as it is authorized to take a shower or a bath during Ramadan. It can even be advisable to cool off when it’s hot. However, you have to be careful not to drink the cup! Nor to inadvertently swallow water in your bathroom. Because it is strictly forbidden to swallow anything other than your own saliva during the day.
Learn more
The end of Ramadan 2022 (1443) is estimated at Monday, May 2, 2022 in France. The Great Mosque of Paris even wrote black on white, in a press release published in March, that Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, took place on this date of May 2. The lunar month can last 29 or 30 days. Still according to the Great Mosque of Paris, which is associated with the Coordination composed of the four Muslim Federations (FFAIACA, GMP, MF and RMF) in its press release, “precise astronomical calculations confirm that the conjunction will take place on Saturday April 29, 2022 at 23:28 GMT. The month of Ramadan will therefore last for thirty days”. These calculations refer to the crescent of Shawwal for the year 1443 AH. The CFCM, the representative body of Islam in France, of which four Muslim federations split in 2021, confirmed this same date.
The Mosque of Paris generally approves the astronomical dates of Ramadan 2022 (1443) in France following the lunar observation during the Night of Doubt. You should know that two methods coexist in effect 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) meeting at the Great Mosque of Paris, specifies that these two methods are “complementary”. . She adds on this point that during the “Night of Doubt”, the “Theological Commission of the Coordination (…) takes 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”.
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.
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.