Ramadan 2023: Sehri and iftar times around the world

Ramadan, which is an auspicious occasion for the people in the Islam community, is celebrated during the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. While Ramadan will begin on March 22 or March 23 in India, depending on the moon sightings, it will end on April 21 or April 22. This festival is important for devotees as they believe that the first few verses of Quran were unveiled to the Prophet Muhammad during this time of the month.

While Ramadan is around the corner, the fast kept from the pre-sunrise time till the post-sunset time lasts somewhere around 12 to 18 hours, which depends upon the location one lives in. During these fasting hours, worshippers do not eat, smoke, drink, or have any intimate relations with anyone to achieve taqwa, which is also known as consciousness of the Lord. Also, Ramadan starts at least 10 to 12 days earlier every year.

Fasting and Iftar times around the globe

As the daylight hours vary from country to country, Muslims who live in the southern countries like New Zealand or Chile fast for Ramadan at least 12 hours while those who reside in the northern countries like Greenland or Iceland have to extend their fast for 17 hours. Now, those who live in the North Hemisphere will be fasting for less hours this year and this time period will continue to fall short till 2031. However, after that, the fasting hours will gradually increase.

The meal eaten during the pre-dawn time to start the daily fast is termed suhoor, while the meal taken after the sunset is called the iftar. Also, people living in the extreme northernmost places like Norway, where the sun does not go down from April 20 to August 22,  they follow the Mecca timings or any Muslim country which is near to them. While, Greenland, Scotland and Iceland, among others have 17 fasting hours, Kenya, Singapore, Angola, and Indonesia, among others have just 13 fasting hours.