Doha – The Spanish Islamic Commission has released an official statement regarding the commencement of this year’s Ramadan and Shawwal for the Islamic year 1446 Hijri, corresponding to 2025.
The Commission has determined that the holy month of Ramadan in Spain and other European countries will begin on Saturday, March 1.
In Spain, with its rich Islamic heritage, the month of Ramadan holds special significance. The country’s Islamic roots can be traced back to 711 CE when Amazigh Muslim General Tarik ibn-Ziyad, from the Nafza tribe in the Rif (northern Morocco), landed at Gibraltar.
This marked the beginning of the Umayyad conquest of Hispania, which led to nearly eight centuries of Islamic presence on the Iberian Peninsula. After Tarik ibn-Ziyad defeated the last Visigothic king, Roderick, at the battle of Guadalete, most of the peninsula came under Islamic rule, with areas becoming known as Al-Andalus.
Today, Spain is home to a thriving Muslim community of over 2.5 million people, representing approximately 5.32% of the country’s population of 47 million. The number of converts to Islam has increased exponentially, estimated to be ten times higher than three decades ago, according to the Spanish Islamic Commission.
Moroccans form a substantial part of Spain’s Muslim population, with approximately 1.1 million Moroccan residents currently living in the country. According to data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute, the Moroccan diaspora in Spain has reached a population level that surpasses entire Spanish provinces like Asturias, Vizcaya, or La Coruña.
In 2023 alone, 54,027 Moroccans obtained Spanish nationality, and since 2018, Spain has granted citizenship to over 237,000 Moroccan nationals.
As part of its annual program, Morocco is sending 38 religious leaders to Spain for Ramadan 2025, among a total of 272 dispatched to thirteen countries by the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Residing Abroad.
During Ramadan, Muslims in Spain gather in mosques and Islamic centers to pray, learn, and break their fast together. The month is marked by a heightened sense of spirituality and community, with special events and lectures organized to celebrate Islamic art, customs, and traditions.
The “Ramadan Nights” initiative, held in various Spanish cities, serves as a platform for Muslims to come together and share in the blessings of the holy month.
Spain has 13 major mosques located in cities including Madrid, Valencia, Córdoba, Granada, Ceuta, Melilla, Fuengirola, Marbella, and Málaga.
Granada’s Grand Mosque, located in an old Arab quarter called Al-Baicin, was opened in 2003 after approximately five centuries without a mosque in the city that was once home to the last Muslim Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
The mosque welcomes around 350 people on Fridays and offers various activities including prayers, Quran and Arabic classes, and maintains a public library.
As the Muslim population continues to grow, with significant numbers in areas such as Catalonia, Andalusia, Madrid, and the Region of Murcia, many employers have taken steps to accommodate religious practices.
Muslims are granted certain privileges, such as time off for Friday prayers and earlier work hours during Ramadan, to help them balance their Western lifestyle with their faith and obligations.
With the growing presence of Muslims in Spain, particularly the Moroccan community, Ramadan observances and Islamic practices continue to become an increasingly visible part of Spanish cultural life, reconnecting the country with its historical Islamic heritage.
