Doha – As the Muslim world observes the holy month of Ramadan, now underway in many countries, the differing durations of daily fasting pose a unique spiritual challenge depending on location.
Astronomical calculations show that Muslims living in Porto Montt, Chile will have the shortest fasting period of only 12 hours and 44 minutes per day during Ramadan this year. In contrast, believers in Nuuk, Greenland will fast a marathon 17 hours and 26 minutes every day – the longest period in the world.
In the Middle East and Arab region specifically, the capital city with the least fasting hours will be Moroni in the Comoros at 13 hours and 4 minutes. Meanwhile, observant Muslims in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, will fast 14 hours and 23 minutes – the highest in the Arab world.
The number of fasting hours is linked to the length of the day, which in turn depends on latitudes. The closer a country is to the north pole, the longer its fasting hours are at this time of year, and the further it is from the equator toward the south, the shorter the day is.
Fasting in the land of the midnight sun
The obligation of fasting for Muslims during Ramadan remains even in countries where daylight can last 18-23 hours in the summer months, such as Iceland, Norway and Finland. Islamic scholars have ruled that as long as night and day can be distinguished, Muslims must fast from dawn until sunset, no matter how long the day is. This is based on Quranic verses and hadiths specifying the fasting period.
However, fasting 20+ hours can be extremely difficult. So some Islamic organizations have proposed alternative solutions for Muslims in the extreme northern latitudes where the sun may not set at all. These include: following the sunrise/sunset times of the nearest Muslim-majority country like Turkey, the nearest country not near the Arctic circle, or the times of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Muslim communities in places like Iceland include a mix of native-born citizens and immigrants from various countries. They face a unique challenge in deciding how to observe the fasting requirements. Different mosques and individuals choose different approaches based on their circumstances and interpretations. The long fasts are a test of faith, but the cool northern weather makes it more bearable compared to the extreme heat faced by Muslims fasting in the Middle East and Asia.
Ranking of fasting durations in Arab capital cities
Amid this range of commencement dates, below is a ranking of approximate fasting hours from shortest to longest expected next year across key capital cities in the Arab world:
Moroni, Comoros – 13:04
Mogadishu, Somalia – 13:19
Djibouti, Djibouti – 13:31
Sana’a, Yemen – 13:39
Nouakchott, Mauritania – 13:41
Khartoum, Sudan – 13:44
Muscat, Oman – 13:53
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 13:56
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 13:56
Doha, Qatar – 13:57
Manama, Bahrain – 13:59
Algiers, Algeria – 14:02
Kuwait City, Kuwait – 14:07
Amman, Jordan – 14:11
Cairo, Egypt – 14:14
Baghdad, Iraq – 14:16
Tunis, Tunisia – 14:17
Beirut, Lebanon – 14:17
Jerusalem – 14:17
Damascus, Syria – 14:18
Tripoli, Libya – 14:21
Rabat, Morocco – 14:23
Within countries, fasting durations will increase through the 29 or 30 days of Ramadan as the summer solstice approaches in the Northern Hemisphere. Astronomical projections currently pinpoint Eid al-Fitr, the celebratory feast ending the month of fasting and charity, to begin on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. This date may also shift in various locations pending moon sighting confirmations to mark the start of the month of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar that follows Ramadan.
