Islamic calendar · United Kingdom
Moon sighting & Islamic dates in the UK
UK communities start each Hijri month by moon sighting — local UK sighting, global/Makkah-following, or astronomical calculation. When the crescent is borderline, Ramadan and Eid can differ by a day between mosques. UK Prayer Times lists expected dates; confirm with your local mosque.
Last updated
How the Hijri calendar and moon sighting work, why Ramadan and Eid dates can differ between mosques, and how the confirmed date is announced.
The basics
How the Islamic month begins
The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is lunar: each of its 12 months lasts 29 or 30 days and begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon (hilāl) shortly after sunset. Because a lunar year is about 354 days — roughly 11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar year — Islamic dates such as Ramadan move about 11 days earlier each year.
On the evening of the 29th day, observers look for the crescent. If it is seen and the testimony is accepted, the new month begins the next day. If it is not seen, the current month completes 30 days and the new month follows. This single rule — sight the crescent, or complete thirty days — governs the start of Ramadan, the two Eids, Muharram and every other Islamic month.
Why dates differ
The main methods UK communities follow
Local UK moon sighting
The new crescent (hilāl) is looked for from within the UK after sunset on the 29th day of the Islamic month. If it is seen and the testimony accepted, the new month begins the next day; if not, the current month completes 30 days. Bodies such as Wifaqul Ulama coordinate UK-wide sighting reports.
Global / Makkah-following sighting
Some communities and mosques begin the month based on a confirmed sighting anywhere in the Muslim world, most commonly following the announcement from Saudi Arabia (Umm al-Qura). This is why some UK mosques may start Ramadan or celebrate Eid a day earlier or later than others.
Astronomical calculation
A minority follow a pre-calculated calendar based on the astronomical conjunction and crescent visibility criteria, so dates are known in advance. Most UK scholars, however, require an actual or reported sighting to confirm the month.
None of these approaches is universal in the UK, which is why two mosques in the same city can occasionally begin Ramadan — or celebrate Eid — a day apart. The safest practice is to follow the announcement of your local mosque or the sighting body it relies on.
Authority stack
Who announces UK Islamic dates?
UK Prayer Times does not issue moon-sighting rulings. We publish expected dates (reviewed 2026-07-17) and ask you to confirm with your mosque. Useful reference points:
UK local sighting coordination
Wifaqul Ulama
Coordinates UK crescent-sighting reports and issues announcements used by many Deobandi and local-sighting mosques.
UK moonsighting tradition
Central Moon Sighting Committee of Great Britain
Long-standing UK committee associated with London Unified calendar practice for many London mosques.
Final congregational decision
Your local mosque / national umbrella body
Some mosques follow a global (often Saudi) announcement; others wait for a UK sighting. Always follow the body your mosque names.
Expected dates
Upcoming dates we currently publish
Dates approximate (Umm al-Qura); UK observance subject to moon sighting. Source notes are kept in our events table; Ramadan 1448 expected start 8 February 2027.
- 🌙 Ramadan 1448 begins (expected) 8 Feb 2027 · 1 Ramadan 1448
- 🎉 Eid al-Fitr 1448 (expected) 9 Mar 2027 · 1 Shawwal 1448
- 🐑 Eid al-Adha 1448 (expected) 16 May 2027 · 10 Dhul-Hijjah 1448
- 🤲 Ashura 1449 (expected) 15 Jun 2027 · 10 Muharram 1449
Full calendar: Islamic calendar · Ramadan hub
Editorial process
How we update expected dates
- Before each major season we review expected Gregorian dates against moonsighting.com and UK committee practice.
- Dates are stored once in
events.ts— pages never invent their own start dates. - Copy always says expected / subject to moon sighting; we never claim a confirmed hilāl ourselves.
- After the 29th-night announcements, we update observed history fields when a date is settled.
Finding out
How to know the confirmed date
Confirmed dates are normally announced on the evening of the 29th, once sighting reports have been reviewed. To stay up to date:
- Follow your local mosque and the sighting body it relies on.
- Check our Islamic calendar for the expected dates of Ramadan, the two Eids and other key days (all subject to moon sighting).
- For fasting and Suhoor/Iftar planning, see the Ramadan timetable for your city.
Remember: daily prayer times are calculated from the sun and are precise and known in advance — moon sighting only affects the dates of the months, not the five daily prayers.