Ramadan 2023 begins tonight with Muslims starting to fast on Thursday

Ramadan 2023 will start in the UK tonight as Muslims around the world prepare for first day of fasting on Thursday

  • Ramadan 2023 will begin across the UK and around the world tonight
  • The religious festival marks the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar
  • Read more: Is fasting during Ramadan healthy? Are there any risks? 

Ramadan 2023 will begin across the UK and around the world tonight, with Muslims preparing for their first day of fasting on Thursday. 

The religious festival marks the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar and is a time of worship, fasting, prayer, charity, community spirit and spiritual development.

Throughout the month, practising Muslims will be refraining from eating and drinking anything from dawn until sunset.

They will have a pre-fasting breakfast before sunrise (Suhoor) and a post-fasting dinner after sunset (Iftar). 

Ramadan’s etymology stems from the Arabic root ‘ar-ramad,’ meaning scorching heat. It is said that the wisdom behind the deeper linguistic meaning of Ramadan is is that it burns sins away.

London’s first ever celebratory Ramadan lights were switched on last night in Piccadilly Circus by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan

Ramadan 2023 will begin across the UK and around the world tonight, with Muslims preparing for their first day of fasting on Thursday

Muslims believe that in 610 A.D., the angel Gabriel appeared before the Prophet Muhammad while he was meditating in a cave on Mount Hira near Mecca and told him to read. Muhammad responded that he did not know how to read. 

Gabriel is said to have repeated the instruction to read twice more, before embracing the Prophet, upon which Muhammad began to recite the first revealed verses of the Qur’an. The Islamic holy book. 

That night of revelation became known as Laylat Al Qadar, meaning ‘Night of Power’ and is believed to have occurred during Ramadan. Muslims believe the rest of the Qur’an was revealed over the following 23 years.

Because Ramadan is viewed as a month of spiritual growth in Islam, extra time is expected to be devoted to prayer. 

There are five main prayers each day, called Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha respectively.

Ramadan timetable for London 

Below are the London timings for each of the main prayers throughout Ramadan, along with times for sunrise and sunset. 

Thursday 23 March

Fajr/Suhoor – 4.20am

Sunrise – 5.55am

Dhuhr – 12.12pm

Asr – 3.28pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 6.20pm

Isha – 7.39pm

Friday 24 March

Fajr – 4.18am

Sunrise – 5.53am

Dhuhr – 12.12pm

Asr – 3.29pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 6.22pm

Isha – 7.41pm

Saturday 25 March

Fajr – 4.15am

Sunrise – 5.50am

Dhuhr – 12.12pm

Asr – 3.30pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 6.24pm

Isha – 7.42pm

Sunday 26 March

Fajr – 5.14am

Sunrise – 6.48am

Dhuhr – 1.11pm

Asr – 4.31pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.25pm

Isha – 8.43pm

Monday 27 March

Fajr – 5.12am

Sunrise – 6.46am

Dhuhr – 1.11pm

Asr – 4.32pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.27pm

Isha – 8.45pm

Tuesday 28 March

Fajr – 5.11am

Sunrise – 6.44am

Dhuhr – 1.11pm

Asr – 4.33pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.29pm

Isha – 8.47pm

Wednesday 29 March

Fajr – 5.08am

Sunrise – 6.41am

Dhuhr – 1.10pm

Asr – 4.34pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.30pm

Isha – 8.47pm

Thursday 30 March

Fajr – 5.06am

Sunrise – 6.39am

Dhuhr – 1.10pm

Asr – 4.35pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.32pm

Isha – 8.49pm

Friday 31 March

Fajr – 5.05am

Sunrise – 6.37am

Dhuhr – 1.10pm

Asr – 4.36pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.34pm

Isha – 8.51pm

Saturday 1 April

Fajr – 5.02am

Sunrise – 6.34am

Dhuhr – 1.09pm

Asr – 4.37pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.35pm

Isha – 8.52pm

Sunday 2 April

Fajr – 5am

Sunrise – 6.32am

Dhuhr – 1.09pm

Asr – 4.38pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.37pm

Isha – 8.54pm

Monday 3 April

Fajr – 4.58am

Sunrise – 6.30am

Dhuhr – 1.09pm

Asr – 4.39pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.39pm

Isha – 8.55pm

Tuesday 4 April

Fajr – 4.56am

Sunrise – 6.28am

Dhuhr – 1.09pm

Asr – 4.39pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.40pm

Isha – 8.56pm

Wednesday 5 April

Fajr – 4.53am

Sunrise – 6.25am

Dhuhr – 1.08pm

Asr – 4.40pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.42pm

Isha – 8.58pm

Thursday 6 April

Fajr – 4.51am

Sunrise – 6.23am

Dhuhr – 1.08pm

Asr – 4.41pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.44pm

Isha – 9pm

Friday 7 April

Fajr – 4.49am

Sunrise – 6.21am

Dhuhr – 1.08pm

Asr – 4.42pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.45pm

Isha – 9.01pm

Saturday 8 April

Fajr – 4.47am

Sunrise – 6.19am

Dhuhr – 1.07pm

Asr – 4.43pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.47pm

Isha – 9.03pm

Sunday 9 April

Fajr – 4.45am

Sunrise – 6.17am

Dhuhr – 1.07pm

Asr – 4.44pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.49pm

Isha – 9.04pm

Monday 10 April

Fajr – 4.42am

Sunrise – 6.14am

Dhuhr – 1.07pm

Asr – 4.44pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.51pm

Isha – 9.06pm

Tuesday 11 April

Fajr – 4.40am

Sunrise – 6.12am

Dhuhr – 1.07pm

Asr – 4.45pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.52pm

Isha – 9.07pm

Wednesday 12 April

Fajr – 4.38am

Sunrise – 6.10am

Dhuhr – 1.06pm

Asr – 4.46pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.54pm

Isha – 9.09pm

Thursday 13 April

Fajr – 4.36am

Sunrise – 6.08am

Dhuhr – 1.06pm

Asr – 4.47pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.56pm

Isha – 9.11pm

Friday 14 April

Fajr – 4.34am

Sunrise – 6.06am

Dhuhr – 1.06pm

Asr – 4.48pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.57pm

Isha – 9.12pm

Saturday 15 April

Fajr – 4.31am

Sunrise – 6.03am

Dhuhr – 1.06pm

Asr – 4.48pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 7.59pm

Isha – 9.14pm

Sunday 16 April

Fajr – 4.29am

Sunrise – 6.01am

Dhuhr – 1.05pm

Asr – 4.49pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 8.01pm

Isha – 9.16pm

Monday 17 April

Fajr – 4.27am

Sunrise – 5.59am

Dhuhr – 1.05pm

Asr – 4.50pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 8.02pm

Isha – 9.16pm

Tuesday 18 April

Fajr – 4.24am

Sunrise – 5.57am

Dhuhr – 1.05pm

Asr – 4.51pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 8.04pm

Isha – 9.18pm

Wednesday 19 April

Fajr – 4.22am

Sunrise – 5.55am

Dhuhr – 1.05pm

Asr – 4.52pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 8.06pm

Isha – 9.20pm

Thursday 20 April

Fajr – 4.20am

Sunrise – 5.53am

Dhuhr – 1.04pm

Asr – 4.52pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 8.07pm

Isha – 9.21pm

Friday 21 April

Fajr – 4.17am

Sunrise – 5.51am

Dhuhr – 1.04pm

Asr – 4.53pm

Maghrib/Iftar – 8.09pm

Isha – 9.23pm

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