One month left for Ramadan 2022 in UAE: Likely date of Sha’ban announced

Sha’ban, which precedes the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic (Hijri) calendar, is likely to begin on March 4.

As per astronomical calculations, the crescent moon — which signals the start of a Hijri calendar month — of Sha’ban can be spotted on Thursday, March 3. Therefore, Friday, March 4, will be Sha’ban 1, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society.

Muslims around the world start preparing for the dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fasting in the month of Sha’aban. Many fast on some days of the month to prepare their bodies for Ramadan.

Jarwan had earlier said that, astronomically, April 2 will mark the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in 2022.

Islamic months last either 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the crescent. This year, Ramadan is expected to last 30 days till May 1. This means that May 2 is likely to be the first day of the Islamic festival of Eid Al Fitr.

Al Jarwan had said that fasting hours during Ramadan would be 13 hours and 40 minutes at the start of the month. By the time the month ends, the hours would have increased to 14 hours and 20 minutes.