Worshippers perform taraweeh prayers after Ramadan 2025 confirmed

Muslims in Abu Dhabi gathered at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque shortly after the start of Ramadan 2025 was confirmed on Friday.

They performed taraweeh prayers, the nightly prayer performed by Muslims in the holy month that follows the obligatory isha prayer. One such worshipper was Mohammed Mohi Udden, from Bangladesh. "Ramadan is a month of good and blessings," he told The National.

"Tomorrow will be the first day of fasting and we prayed taraweeh today. The dua we say in taraweeh makes me feel good, I love saying dua in Ramadan. I look forward to it every year.“

“We are blessed to be able to pray here every year," Saad Mahfoud, from Egypt, added. “Ramadan to me embodies goodness, tolerance, and goodwill. I like to practise these virtues in this month to the best of my ability."

Taraweeh prayers amount to a voluntary act of worship, unlike the five daily prayers, and can be performed in an intimate setting at home or in the communal atmosphere of the mosque. The taraweeh prayer consists of a minimum of eight rakats – the set of movements carried out by worshippers when prayers are performed – and is similar to normal prayers.

Mohammed Mohi Udden, from Bangladesh, during the first taraweeh prayers at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Ramadan begins

It comes after it was confirmed that Ramadan will begin in the UAE on Saturday. The Moon-sighting committee met in Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi, after maghrib (sunset) prayers on Friday and announced that they had sighted the new crescent moon.

"As the holy month of Ramadan begins, I wish all those observing in the UAE and around the world a blessed month," President Sheikh Mohamed wrote on X. "Together, we pray for God to bestow His mercy on us and grant peace, harmony, and unity to all."

The reason worshippers gathered on Friday evening for taraweeh prayers is because, unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Islamic calendar operates on the lunar cycle. As with each day in the Islamic calendar, the next day begins after maghrib prayer (just after sunset) of the same day. So, as per the Islamic calendar, maghrib on Friday marked the end of Shaban and beginning of the month of Ramadan.

Watch: A guide to respecting Ramadan

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills