Fiqh Council: Ramadan 2023 To Start on March 23 in US, Canada.

 Rabat - Muslims in the US, Canada, and other countries across North America are expected to celebrate the first day of Ramadan on March 23, according to astronomical calculations.

The calculations, confirmed by the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), show that the “Astronomical New Moon is on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at 17:23 GMT. On That day, there is no place on earth where at sunset the elongation is 8 degrees and the moon is 5 degrees above the sun. So, the first day of Ramadan 1444 is on Thursday, March 23.”

The Fiqh council announced that the Tarawih prayer will start a day prior to Ramadan starting on Wednesday, March 22.

Tarawih or Tarawih are special extra prayers that Muslims perform throughout Ramadan – the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.

Tarawih includes many rakats (cycles of movement in Islamic prayer), which is part of a special form of Islamic meditation.

During Ramadan Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, abstaining from eating food, and drinking any kind of drink –including water. Chewing gums or taking medicines are also prohibited during fasting hours.