Summary
Almost one billion Muslims will start fasting during daylight hours for the whole month of Ramadan when it begins on March 23 of this year, marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
Every year, the holy month starts nearly two weeks earlier, and for half the globe, this means that it will transition away from the longer, hotter days of summer and into the shorter, colder days of winter.
Which nations, particularly in the Arab and Muslim world, will have the longest amount of daylight hours, and
which countries will have the smallest amount of time spent fasting?
The Ramadan fast that is the shortest in 2023
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims in Chile will have to abstain from food and drink for an average of 11 hours and 30 minutes, which is the smallest amount of time required.
Due to their location in the southern hemisphere, New Zealand, Argentina, and South Africa are considering reducing the amount of time they spend fasting throughout the month to between 11 and 12 hours each day.
The month of Ramadan with the longest fast in 2023
This year, Muslims in the city of Reykjavik, which is located in Iceland, will hold the record for being the citizens of the city that had the most hours spent fasting.
Throughout this holy month, they are obliged to abstain from food and drink for a total of 16 hours and 50 minutes each day.
How are people supposed to observe the fasting requirements of Ramadan when it never gets dark?
In spite of the fact that there is not going to be a sun that rises at midnight anywhere in Ramadan, Muslims who live in areas where the days are unusually long during the holy month are unable to fast for more than 20 hours.
So, can you tell me what they do?
In regions of the world where the time difference between sunset and dawn is less than three hours, religious authorities have issued fatwas to free locals from the constraints of their own cities’ timetables. Many, for instance, will adhere to the fasting schedule that is observed in Makkah, which is located in Saudi Arabia.
Then there are the extremes; an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates named Sultan Al Neyadi will spend the holy month of Ramadan aboard the International Space Station.
Since the International Space Station travels around the Earth at a speed of around 17,500 kilometres per hour, its occupants are treated to a total of 16 sunrises and sunsets every single day.
In a news conference held in January, prior to the launch, Dr. Al Neyadi said, “I am in the definition of a traveller, and we may truly break fast and it’s not required.”
He said that he intends to fast on certain days, but that in order to remain focused on the task, he will need to eat on such days. Dr. Al Neyadi, like others who live in remote areas, has the option of adhering to the GMT timezone or the time in Makkah.
This year, people in Saudi Arabia and around the Middle East will be required to observe the fasting period of about 13.5 to 14 hours every day.
The fasting time for the Tunisians on this day will be the longest of the whole month of Ramadan at 14 hours and 55 minutes.
Times of breaking fast during Ramadan 2023, from earliest to last, throughout the Arab world
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The shortest day in Tunisia lasts for 13 hours and 44 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 55 minutes.
The shortest day in Algeria lasts 13 hours and 30 minutes, while the longest day in Algeria lasts 14 hours and 56 minutes.
The shortest day in Libya is 13 hours and 42 minutes long, while the longest day in Libya is 14 hours and 42 minutes long.
The shortest day in Morocco lasts for 13 hours and 37 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 41 minutes.
The shortest day in Egypt lasts for 13 hours and 39 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 34 minutes.
The shortest day in Iraq lasts for 13 hours and 39 minutes, while the longest day in Iraq lasts for 14 hours and 41 minutes.
The shortest day in Bahrain lasts exactly 13 hours and 30 minutes, while the longest day lasts exactly 14 hours and 17 minutes.
The shortest day in the United Arab Emirates lasts 13 hours and 30 minutes, while the longest day lasts 14 hours and 13 minutes.
The shortest day in Saudi Arabia lasts 13 hours and 29 minutes, while the longest day lasts 14 hours and 11 minutes.
The shortest day in Oman lasts for 13 hours and 31 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 13 minutes.
The shortest day in Kuwait lasts for 13 hours and 31 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 23 minutes.
The shortest day in Lebanon lasts for 13 hours and 45 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 48 minutes.
The average length of a day in Jordan is 14 hours and 40 minutes, with the shortest day being 13 hours and 40 minutes.
The shortest day in Palestine lasts for 13 hours and 53 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 52 minutes.
The shortest day in Syria lasts for 13 hours and 44 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 47 minutes.
The shortest day in Qatar lasts for 13 hours and 29 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours and 13 minutes.
The shortest day in Mauritania lasts for 13 hours and 28 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 14 hours.
Sudan: Shortest day – 13 hours and 20 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 46 minutes
The shortest day in Yemen lasts exactly 13 hours and 23 minutes, while the longest day lasts exactly 13 hours and 45 minutes.
The shortest day in Somalia lasts for 13 hours and 22 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 13 hours and 27 minutes.
The shortest day in Djibouti lasts for 13 hours and 25 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 13 hours and 45 minutes.
The shortest day on Comoros lasts for 13 hours and 21 minutes, while the longest day lasts for 13 hours and 5 minutes.