What Time Does Ramadan 2016 End Tonight in the US?

eid al-fitr 2016 date, eid al-fitr 2016 time, when does ramadan end

Men attend the first Friday prayers of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan at the East London Mosque on June 19, 2015 in London, England. (Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

What time does Ramadan 2016 end tonight in the United States? Ramadan is the month believed to be when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. After a month of fasting, Muslims celebrate with Eid al-Fitr.

Ramadan dates change every year, and so does Eid al-Fitr.

The reason that the dates change every year is because Islam follows a lunar calendar. The dates of the lunar calendar change every year because there’s not a set amount of days in the lunar calendar. The lunar calendar reflects the cycles of the moon, and when it is compared to or tried to fit into a 12-cycle solar calendar (that most of the Western world uses), there are slightly more than twelve lunations (or moon phases) in a solar year.

This year for American-Muslims, Ramadan ends at sundown on Wednesday, July 5. This was decided by the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), which “recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’i method for determining the beginning of lunar months including the months of Ramadan…” However, this is a change from their previous observance, which had Ramadan ending at sundown on July 6. This may have been done to coincide with the announcement by Saudi Arabia that Eid al-Fitr will begin on July 6.

Sundown in the United States begins at 8:30 EDT in New York. To view a complete Ramadan fasting timetable, click here.

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