Ramadan working hours: Public sector | Private sector
DUBAI// Ramadan will begin on Sunday, June 29, officials at the Sharjah Planetarium have announced.
The new moon of the month of Shawwal 1435 AH, which marks the end of Ramadan, will appear on Sunday, July 27, at 2.42am. The sun will set on that day at 7.05pm, meaning Monday, July 28, will mark the beginning of Eid Al Fitr and the month of Shawwal.
Astronomers said the crescent moon of the holy month will appear on Friday, June 27, at 12.08am. The sun will set that day at 7.12pm, reported WAM, the state news agency.
The Planetarium added that daylight hours at the beginning of Ramadan will amount to 13 hours and 45 minutes and the fasting period will be approximately 15 hours and 15 minutes. At the end of Ramadan, daylight hours will amount to 13 hours and 25 minutes and the fasting period will be approximately 14 hours and 55 minutes.
Summer officially begins on June 21, marking the beginning of the summer solstice. Average temperatures in the UAE during summer reach an average of 43 degrees Celsius. This drops to 41 degrees at the end of the season.
Muslims in some countries will be bracing for longer days during the summer solstice.
For instance, daylight hours in the UK will last for about 16.5 hours from 4.42am to 9.21pm, whereas in Tokyo sunrise will be around 4.25am and sunset will be at 7pm. However Reykjavik, Iceland, which lies just a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle, will experience 24 hours of daylight.
Experts said Muslims should fast in moderation in such countries.
“If the day is so long, do they require to fast for so long hours?” said Hasan Ahmad Al Hariri, the chief executive of the Dubai Astronomy Group.
“For people in London, they can follow the time of Morocco. About 14-15 hours of fasting, which we do in the UAE, is bearable and easy. Islam is based on moderation. It is never extreme.
“Are we trying to make people go hungry? The idea is to obey God the way he likes. Internal meditation is important and the idea is to complete a month in a simple, straight way.”
newsdesk@thenational.ae
Ramadan working hours: Public sector | Private sector
