Muslims around the world will observe the holy month of Ramzan in 2030, twice in one year— a phenomenon that last occurred in 1997.
Saudi astronomer Khaled Al-Zaqaq, said in a video clip posted on his official account on Twitter, that the fasting month will fall twice that year, first in January and then again in late December.
This is because the Islamic Hijri calendar is based on lunar cycles, while the Gregorian calendar marks the Earth’s passage around the sun.
Al-Zaqaq pointed out that, it is repeated once every 33 years, as it happened in 1965 and 1997, and it will happen in 2030 and repeat in 2063.
In the year 1451 AH (Anno Hegirae), Ramzan will begin on January 5, 2030, and in the year 1452 AH it begins on December 26, 2030, and this means that we will fast for 36 days in the year 2030.
The number of days in the Gregorian year is approximately 365 days, and the number of days in the Hijri year is approximately 354 days. “The lunar calendar, or a lunar-based year, is 11 days shorter than the solar calendar,” he adds.
Al-Zaqaq further said that the longest periods of fasting will take place when Ramzan is in the summer, and the shortest when it falls in winter.
Ramzan 1449 AH, due to begin in 2028, will take place in midwinter. In 1466 AH, corresponding to 2044, the holy month is due to begin during the height of summer.
What is Ramzan?
In Islam, Ramzan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar— a lunar calendar consisting of twelve months beginning with Muharram, and ending with Zul-Hijjah. Each month starts with the sighting of the moon. Eid Al Fitr, on the other hand, marks the end of the month-long fast.
The calendar has been observed for more than 1,440 years and is used to date important Islamic events including the start of Ramzan, Eid-Al-Fitr, and the beginning of the Haj.
Ramzan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar and is believed to be the month during which the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and abstain from food and drink during this period.
