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Ramadan 2025 in UAE: When will Taraweeh prayers begin?
According to Islamic tradition, Ramadan begins with the sighting of the new moon, which can happen on Friday or Saturday evening
- PUBLISHED: Fri 28 Feb 2025, 3:54 PM
[Editor's note: This article is being reshared to explain Taraweeh prayer timings for our readers]
For Muslims, Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, fasting, and increased devotion, and also signifies the start of Taraweeh prayers.
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The UAE and other countries, follow the Islamic lunar calendar to examine the exact date when Taraweeh prayers begin and that depends on one thing — the moon sighting.
According to Islamic tradition, Ramadan begins with the sighting of the new moon, which can happen on either Friday or Saturday evening. If the moon is visible tonight, then Friday, February 28, 2025 (Shaban 29, 1446) will be the first night of Taraweeh.
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However, if the moon is not sighted tonight, the prayers will begin on Saturday, March 1, 2025, (Ramadan 1, 1446) after the Ish’a prayer and Muslims in the UAE will start to observe fast on Sunday.
Time of Taraweeh prayer
The Taraweeh prayers are offered shortly after the Isha prayers, typically starting a few minutes after the completion of the Isha prayer. For today and tomorrow, the Isha adhaan is scheduled for 7.38pm. The congregation usually begins about 20 minutes after the adhaan. The Isha prayer itself takes approximately 7 to 8 minutes, which means that the Taraweeh prayers at many mosques are expected to start around 8.10pm or 8.15pm on both days, following the conclusion of the Isha prayer.
When will the fasting begin?
If the moon is sighted on Friday, Muslims will begin fasting March 1. Once the moon is sighted, the announcement will be made, and the entire community will come together to observe the fasts and nightly Taraweeh prayers, which will continue for the next 29 or 30 days.
Ramadan shifts each year
The Islamic calendar, which is based on the lunar cycle, is different from the Gregorian calendar. Each month in the Islamic year starts with the sighting of the new moon, and the month lasts for either 29 or 30 days. Since the lunar year is shorter than the solar year by around 10 to 12 days, Ramadan shifts each year in comparison to the Gregorian calendar, and that shift can make the exact start date of the month unpredictable until the moon is seen.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.