Ramadan during December

1. The Islamic Calendar is Lunar, Not Solar

Islamic jurisprudence and the determination of months-especially Ramadan-are based on the lunar calendar, not the solar (Gregorian) calendar. Allah (SWT) states in the Qur’an:

This verse establishes that Muslims rely on the phases of the moon to determine the Islamic months. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri lunar calendar, not fixed to any particular season or solar month.

The Islamic calendar-often referred to as the Hijri calendar-is fundamentally based on the cycles of the moon rather than the position of the earth relative to the sun. To understand why this is crucial in Islam, let’s break down what this means and its implications:

1. Defining a Lunar Month:
   In a lunar system, each month begins and ends with the sighting of a new crescent moon. As the moon orbits the earth, it goes through phases: starting from a thin crescent, becoming a full moon around the middle of the month, and then waning back to darkness before the next crescent appears. This cycle of phases typically lasts about 29 to 30 days.

   In contrast, a solar month is determined by the earth’s position relative to the sun, such as the familiar Gregorian months (January, February, etc.), which are fixed in length and tied to seasons.

2. Scriptural Basis for Using the Moon:
   The Qur’an explicitly references the moon as a means to measure time for people, especially for determining religious observances. For example:

   "يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ..."

   "They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, 'They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj...'"

   📔 (Qur’an 2:189)

   This verse indicates that Allah ordained the moon’s phases as a natural tool for organizing important religious events, including Ramadan and Hajj. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) reaffirmed this by instructing Muslims to begin fasting in Ramadan and end it based on the moon’s visibility.

3. Consistency in Worship and Practice:
   Because Islamic months are tied to the lunar cycle, they “move” through the seasons over a 33-year lunar-solar cycle. For instance, Ramadan may occur in the winter months in one phase of your life and in the summer decades later. This is seen as a blessing and a test from Allah because it ensures that acts of worship like fasting are not fixed to a particular climate or seasonal convenience. Everyone, regardless of where they live, experiences Ramadan in various contexts over their lifetime.

4. No Seasonal Bias or Geographical Advantage:
   By using a lunar calendar, Islam ensures fairness and universality in its obligations. In a solar-based system, fasting in a fixed month (for instance, always in December) would mean that one part of the world might always fast during cooler, shorter days, while another always contends with long, hot summer days. The lunar system prevents this kind of imbalance.

5. Historical and Unbroken Tradition:
   Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), Muslims have relied on the lunar method. The earliest generations of Muslims determined months by physically sighting the crescent. This practice has continued generation after generation. If there were an intention to tie the Islamic calendar to the solar year, it would have been explicitly stated by the Prophet or implemented by the rightly guided caliphs, who meticulously preserved religious practices. No such instruction exists.

In essence, the Islamic calendar’s lunar nature is divinely ordained and deeply rooted in the primary sources of Islam. It ensures an equal spiritual experience for Muslims worldwide, safeguards the authenticity of religious observances, and maintains a direct connection to the natural phenomena Allah created as signs for humankind.

2. The Sunnah’s Clear Instruction on Determining Ramadan

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) provided explicit guidance on how to determine the beginning and end of Ramadan by observing the moon:

This hadith is well-known and universally accepted. Had Ramadan been permanently fixed to a certain solar month (like December), there would be no need for moon sighting every year.

The Sunnah provides unmistakably clear guidance on how to determine the start and end of Ramadan. Islamic law is sourced primarily from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). In this regard, the Sunnah preserves numerous authentic narrations that explicitly instruct Muslims to rely on the visibility of the crescent moon. For example, the Prophet (ﷺ) is reported to have said:

Here, “it” clearly refers to the crescent moon that signals the start and end of the sacred month. If weather conditions hinder the sighting of the moon, Muslims are guided to complete the preceding month’s thirty days, ensuring a consistent and practical system for every generation and community.

The emphasis on moon sighting reflects the Prophet’s (ﷺ) wisdom. This method was accessible to all Muslims, regardless of their level of education or the sophistication of their tools, for anyone could look towards the sky to determine the month’s beginning. This universal and egalitarian approach has ensured that the essential religious duty of fasting is grounded in something simple and observable: the natural cycle of the moon. Had the Prophet (ﷺ) intended that Ramadan be fixed to a solar month or a particular time of year, he would have articulated such a system. Instead, he provided a method that transcends geography, technology, and the passing of centuries.

The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), the earliest generation of Muslims, learned directly from him and implemented these instructions, passing them down faithfully to subsequent generations. For over fourteen centuries, Muslims have adhered to this practice, as no credible Islamic authority has ever advocated for tying the month of Ramadan to a fixed solar date. The unanimous agreement across all major schools of Islamic jurisprudence further demonstrates the clarity and permanence of this Sunnah-based system. It remains an enduring hallmark of the Islamic faith that fasting commences and concludes not with arbitrary calendars or altered dates, but with the timeless and universally visible sign of the crescent moon.

3. The Prophet (ﷺ) Never Linked Ramadan to Any Solar Month

During the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) and the early Muslim community, Ramadan was always determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, causing Ramadan to shift throughout all seasons over the years. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not restrict it to a certain portion of the solar calendar. If there were a "true" Ramadan in December, the Prophet (ﷺ)-the final messenger of Allah-would have instructed the Ummah accordingly. He did not.

Throughout his life and Prophethood, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) established the observance of sacred times through the lunar calendar. Nowhere do we find any instruction from him that would link Ramadan to a solar month like December. Instead, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of the moon’s phases in determining the times of fasting and breaking fast. For example, he said:

This directive, like many other hadiths, binds the commencement and conclusion of Ramadan exclusively to the appearance of the lunar crescent. If the Prophet (ﷺ) had intended for Ramadan to be permanently anchored to a solar month or fixed season, he would have declared it unambiguously. Rather, his unchanging guidance focused on the moon, and the earliest generations of Muslims understood and practiced accordingly. Over the centuries, not a single reputable source or scholarly commentary has suggested that Ramadan was meant to be observed during any particular month of the Gregorian calendar. The silence in both foundational texts and scholarly works on linking Ramadan to a solar month is itself a powerful testament to the authenticity and permanence of the lunar methodology.

4. The Continuous Practice of the Muslim Ummah

From the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, through all generations of Muslims until today, Ramadan has always been observed in accordance with the lunar calendar. Historically and continuously, the Islamic world’s scholars and jurists have unanimously agreed on this method. The concept of shifting Ramadan to December has never been recognized by any reputable Islamic authority, past or present.

From the earliest generation of Muslims to the present day, the Ummah’s practice of determining Ramadan based on the lunar calendar has remained unbroken. After the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) passed away, his Companions and their followers continued to observe Ramadan by sighting the crescent moon. They did so without alteration or innovation, passing this tradition faithfully through the generations. Every century and every Islamic region-spanning continents, languages, and cultural backgrounds-has adhered to the same fundamental principle: the timing of Ramadan is determined by the moon, not by a fixed position in the solar calendar.

This continuous practice creates a powerful consensus, or ijma’, among the scholars and common believers. Had there been an alternative directive from the Prophet (ﷺ) to fix Ramadan to a particular solar month, such instructions would have surfaced and would have been preserved and followed by at least some group among the earliest Muslims. Yet the extensive body of Islamic scholarship-covering hadith, Qur’anic exegesis, jurisprudence, and historical works-contains no indication that Ramadan should be linked to December or any other solar month. Instead, it confirms the uninterrupted adherence to the lunar determination of Islamic months.

The weight of this historical continuity cannot be overstated. Muslims over fourteen centuries have agreed on these foundational principles of their faith. If any deviation were warranted, it would be reflected in the authoritative texts or the consensus of the leading scholars. Instead, we find universal agreement on how Ramadan should be ascertained. As the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

These earliest generations, whose righteousness and knowledge are universally celebrated by all Muslims, maintained and transmitted the lunar method of determining Ramadan. Their steadfastness and the absence of any contrary precedent leave no room for disputing the established tradition. The continuous practice of the Muslim Ummah is therefore a living testament to the authenticity, purity, and permanence of the lunar basis for observing Ramadan.

5. The Uninterrupted Chain of Transmission (Tawatur)

The methods of determining Ramadan are established through a well-documented and uninterrupted chain of transmission (tawatur) from the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions to the succeeding generations. This has resulted in a universal consensus (ijma?) among the Muslim Ummah. Such an extraordinary consensus rules out the possibility of an “altered” Ramadan month being rediscovered centuries later.

From the time of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to the present day, Islamic teachings and practices have been transmitted through meticulous, documented chains of reliable narrators-a process known as “tawatur.” When it comes to determining the sacred months, including Ramadan, this tawatur is especially significant. It means that the method of using the lunar crescent to begin and end Ramadan has reached us through countless individuals, over many generations, from different lands and backgrounds, all consistently affirming the same practice. Because these multiple, independent chains unanimously agree on the lunar basis for Ramadan, the practice attains a level of certainty that cannot be credibly challenged.

If, hypothetically, there had been any legitimate directive to fix Ramadan to a solar month, such a claim would need to match or surpass the well-established tawatur of the existing tradition. Instead, what we find is an absence of any such alternative tradition. The Muslim community-its scholars, jurists, historians, and everyday believers-has passed down a single, uncontested method: determine Ramadan by the crescent moon’s sighting, or complete the preceding month when vision is impaired by weather. This transmission is reflected in thousands of hadith narrations, scholarly commentaries, juridical rulings, and communal practices throughout the centuries.

In Islam, tawatur is a hallmark of authenticity. It ensures that a teaching is not based on an isolated report or a disputed source. Rather, it confirms that an essential practice-like determining Ramadan-has been known, accepted, and adhered to by a broad consensus of believers since the time of the Prophet (ﷺ). Such a deeply rooted and widely attested tradition leaves no room for late claims of a “lost” calendar or a secret instruction to move Ramadan to December. The uninterrupted chain of transmission, spanning generations and geographies, stands as an unassailable proof against these unfounded assertions.

6. No Change Due to Historical Events

The claim that after the martyrdom of Imam al-Hussein (may Allah be pleased with him) Muslims lost the true month of Ramadan contradicts the historical record. The Hijri calendar and its months continued to be observed as before. The political or religious strife that occurred after Karbala did not alter how the months of Islam’s lunar calendar were observed. This is evident from the countless books of Islamic jurisprudence, hadith collections, and historical works that have preserved the method of determining Ramadan unchanged.

Over the course of Islamic history, many profound events have taken place, including political upheavals, dynastic changes, territorial expansions, and internal conflicts. Yet, none of these historical developments altered the fundamental way Muslims determine the month of Ramadan. From the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs to the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, through subsequent dynasties and into the modern nation-states, the practice of commencing Ramadan based on the lunar crescent never changed. If history had somehow corrupted or replaced the original guidance on determining Ramadan, it would be reflected in reputable scholarly writings or historical documents. Instead, we find a steady, unbroken adherence to the lunar tradition.

The martyrdom of Imam al-Hussein (may Allah be pleased with him) at Karbala, for instance, was a tragic and impactful event in Islamic history. It deeply influenced spiritual, political, and social life, especially in the hearts of believers who continue to mourn and reflect on it. Yet, even this heartbreaking event did not alter how the Muslim Ummah determined their months. The community continued to rely on the moon for Ramadan, never shifting to a different system or attaching the sacred month to a solar timeline. Had the guidance for Ramadan changed due to historical circumstances, evidence of this alteration would appear in the scholarly consensus or in the works of authoritative historians and jurists. Such evidence does not exist.

The consistency in determining Ramadan, despite centuries of significant historical events, shows that Islam’s core rituals are safeguarded from corruption by divine promise and collective practice. Allah (SWT) says:

While this verse refers specifically to the protection of the Qur’an, the related guidance of the Prophet (ﷺ) and the religious structures built upon it are also guarded by the consensus and unwavering adherence of the Muslim community. The lack of any alteration, despite monumental occurrences throughout Islamic history, reaffirms that Ramadan’s determination through the lunar calendar is established by prophecy and preserved by practice, immune to the shifting sands of time and political circumstance.

7. Consensus of Islamic Scholars (Ijma?)

All schools of Islamic jurisprudence-Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi?i, Hanbali, Zaydi, Ja?fari, and others-concur that Ramadan is a lunar month determined by moon sighting. None have advocated for aligning it with the Gregorian month of December. Any claim to the contrary lacks scholarly support and is in direct conflict with the established Shari?a sources.

From the earliest generations of Islam until today, determining the start of Ramadan by the sighting of the new moon (or completing thirty days if the crescent is not visible) has consistently been affirmed by a broad consensus (ijma?) of Islamic scholars. This consensus spans all recognized schools of jurisprudence-Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi?i, Hanbali, and Ja?fari-and is reflected in both classical and contemporary sources.

Offline, you can consult classical jurisprudential works such as “Al-Majmu?” by Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH) and “Al-Mughni” by Ibn Qudamah (d. 620 AH), both of which thoroughly discuss the determination of Ramadan through lunar observations and record no dissenting view that links Ramadan to any solar month. Similarly, “Bidayat al-Mujtahid” by Ibn Rushd (d. 595 AH) and “Fath al-Bari” by Ibn Hajar al-?Asqalani (d. 852 AH), a commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, reiterate the established scholarly agreement on this matter. The compendium “Al-Ijma?” by Ibn al-Mundhir (d. 318 AH) also supports the principle that there has been a unanimous consensus on determining Ramadan by the crescent sighting.

Online resources from reputable Islamic educational platforms and fatwa services echo this consensus. Websites such as Islamweb.net (a Qatari Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs project) and IslamQA.info, which feature answers provided by qualified scholars, confirm the canonical position that Ramadan is a lunar month and cannot be fixed to any Gregorian month. The Al-Mawrid Institute’s website (al-mawrid.org) and the official website of Dar al-Ifta’ al-Misriyyah (dar-alifta.org), Egypt’s premier institution for Islamic legal edicts, also consistently guide Muslims to begin and end Ramadan by the lunar crescent.

By relying on these well-regarded offline texts and reputable online fatwa and educational platforms, one can verify that there has been a continuous and undisputed scholarly consensus for over fourteen centuries regarding the lunar determination of Ramadan, leaving no room for the claim that it must be tied to a fixed solar month.

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Conclusion:

The claim that the “true Ramadan” must be observed in December finds no basis in the Qur’an, the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), the practice of the Companions, or the consensus and scholarship of the Muslim Ummah. Islam’s foundational texts and scholarly tradition unequivocally establish that Ramadan is a lunar month, determined annually by the sighting of the moon, and not fixed to a particular solar month or season.

Such an assertion that Ramadan should be in December is a clear deviation from the established teachings of Islam. It is incumbent upon believers to adhere to the guidance preserved through the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus rather than follow unfounded claims that contradict these authoritative sources.

The conclusion drawn from the Qur’an, the authentic Sunnah, the continuous practice of the Muslim community, and the unanimous consensus of the scholars firmly establishes that Ramadan is a lunar month determined by the sighting of the crescent moon. This position is safeguarded by over fourteen centuries of unbroken tradition. The claims of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, which attempt to anchor Ramadan to the solar month of December, find no support in any recognized Islamic source. These assertions contradict the explicit instructions of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), who tied the determination of Ramadan and other Islamic months to lunar observations, not to a fixed solar timeline.

Qur’anic verses, such as in Surah al-Baqarah (2:189), direct believers to use the lunar cycle as a measure of time for religious observances. The Prophet (ﷺ) further clarified this method with authenticated hadiths that have come down to us through an uninterrupted chain of transmission, accepted by all major schools of Islamic jurisprudence. The earliest generations of Muslims, who learned directly from the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions, maintained the lunar system, ensuring that Ramadan rotates through the seasons over the years. This fact alone disproves the notion that Ramadan should be anchored to any one solar month.

Furthermore, hundreds of classical sources-such as “Al-Majmu?” by Imam al-Nawawi and “Al-Mughni” by Ibn Qudamah-and contemporary fatwa bodies-such as Dar al-Ifta’ al-Misriyyah (dar-alifta.org) and esteemed online platforms like IslamQA (islamqa.info) and Islamweb (islamweb.net)-affirm this understanding unanimously. These resources offer no legal or doctrinal basis for shifting Ramadan to December or any other fixed point in the solar year.

In sum, the Ahmadi “Religion of Peace and Light” proposition does not align with the Qur’an, does not stem from the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), lacks support from the earliest Muslims, fails to appear in the classical juristic literature, and stands opposed to the consensus of authoritative Islamic scholarship. It is, therefore, an unfounded and baseless claim that should be set aside in favor of the clear and established Islamic tradition.