Muslims worldwide commence daily fasting from dawn to sunset as Ramadan, the holy month of worship, reflection, and charity, begins. Families unite for meals to break the fast, with the start date varying by country due to moon sighting practices.
Muslims worldwide will begin daily fasting from dawn to sunset as Ramadan starts, marking a period of worship, reflection and charity. The holy month, the ninth in the Islamic lunar calendar, brings families together for meals to break the fast. Ramadan begins Wednesday or Thursday, varying by country due to differing moon sighting practices. A worker sets a giant crescent-shaped decoration on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Worshippers perform the night prayer known as “Tarawih” on the eve of the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Palestinians sit at a long table amid the rubble of destroyed buildings as they gather for iftar, the fast-breaking meal, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Displaced Palestinian struggle to receive donated food for iftar, the fast-breaking meal, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Displaced members of the Al-Zamli family break their fast on the first day of Ramadan inside their tent in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Indonesian Muslims perform an evening prayer called ‘tarawih’ marking the first eve of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
