Ramadan 2022 timetable UK: dates, prayer times, what time to have Iftar and Suhur - and when is Eid?

The holy Islamic month of Ramadan is expected to start on 2 April 2022, and the week before sees Muslims around the world preparing to observe the fasts.

However, as the days grow longer as we head towards summer, each fast varies differently from the day before.

This means, for this year, each fasting day grows a few minutes longer every day with the difference in length between the first fast and the last fast being almost an hour.

When does Ramadan 2022 start? 

The beginning of Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar, like all Islamic months, it depends on the sighting of the crescent moon, which appears one night after the new moon.

On the evening of Friday 1 April, Saudi Arabia confirmed that the crescent moon had been sighted, meaning that Ramadan will begin in the early hours of Saturday 2 April.

Every year Ramadan moves 10-11 days forward, as the Islamic calendar is shorter than the Gregorian calendar.

Ramadan lasts between 29 and 30 days until the sighting of the next crescent moon marks Eid al-Fitr, which always falls on 1 Shawwal, the Islamic month after Ramadan.

When are Iftar and Suhur?

Ramadan is one of the holiest months in the Islamic faith, and it is during this time many people reflect on their faith and spiritual development.

For some people, this means the five daily prayers have more significance, and the two marking dawn and dusk, Fajr and Maghrib, also provide a guideline when fasts are to be opened and closed.

Suhur is the morning meal that is eaten before the sun rises and acts as the closing of the fast, and culminates into the day’s first prayer, Fajr. The fast is then opened with the Iftar meal, just before the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib.

The Central London Mosque has compiled a Ramadan timetable that helps people in the capital observe their fast.

The Key timings day-by-day for Fajr and Maghrib, and when the fast begins and ends in London are as follows:

• Sat 2 April: 4.59am, 7.38pm
• Sun 3 April: 4.57am, 7.40pm
• Mon 4 April: 4.55am, 7.42pm
• Tue 5 April: 4.52am, 7.44pm
• Wed 6 April: 4.50am, 7.45pm
• Thu 7 April: 4.48am, 7.47pm
• Fri 8 April: 4.46am, 7.49pm
• Sat 9 April: 4.43am, 7.50pm
• Sun 10 April: 4.41am, 7.52pm
• Mon 11 April: 4.39am, 7.54pm
• Tue 12 April: 4.37am, 7.55pm
• Wed 13 April: 4.35am, 7.57pm
• Thu 14 April: 4.32am, 7.59pm
• Fri 15 April: 4.30am, 8.00pm
• Sat 16 April: 4.28am, 8.02pm
• Sun 17 April: 4.26am, 8.04pm
• Mon 18 April: 4.23am, 8.05pm
• Tue 19 April: 4.21am, 8.07pm
• Wed 20 April: 4.19am, 8.09pm
• Thu 21 April: 4.16am, 8.10pm
• Fri 22 April: 4.14am, 8.12pm
• Sat 23 April: 4.11am, 8.14pm
• Sun 24 April: 4.08am, 8.15pm
• Mon 25 April: 4.06am, 8.17pm
• Tue 26 April: 4.04am, 8.19pm
• Wed 27 April: 4.01am, 8.20pm
• Thu 28 April: 4.00am, 8.22pm
• Fri 29 April: 3.58am, 8.24pm
• Sat 30 April: 3.55am, 8.25pm
• Sun 1 May: 3.52am, 8.27pm

It is worth mentioning that Ramadan timetables often differ between sects. For example, Shia Muslims may open their fast a few minutes after Sunni Muslims, as the belief when Maghrib starts differs between the two sects.

UK variations relative to London

The sun rising and setting do not happen at the same time in the UK, as light travels. Charity, Muslim Hands, have compiled this guide to help apply the timetable from where you may be in the UK.

These are the UK variations relative to London (Time Fast Begins, Time Fast Ends)

• Birmingham: (8 minutes later, 6 minutes later)
• Bradford: (9 minutes later, 8 minutes later)
• Cardiff: (13 minutes later, 12 minutes later)
• Glasgow: (22 minutes later, 40 minutes later)
• Leeds: (7 minutes later, 4 minutes later)
• Liverpool: (12 minutes later, 9 minutes later)
• Manchester: (10 minutes later, 7 minutes later)
• Middlesbrough: (8 minutes later, 14 minutes later)