Ramadan 2027

Ramadan in South Africa

Name: Ramadan 2027 (1448 AH)
Start: 2027-02-08
End: 2027-03-08
Location: South Africa

Your location

Pretoria, South Africa

Sehri 4:58 AM

Iftar 5:57 PM

Time remaining —

Cities — South Africa

Pretoria View timings Johannesburg View timings Cape Town View timings Durban View timings Soweto View timings Gqeberha View timings Soshanguve View timings Pietermaritzburg View timings Evaton View timings Benoni View timings Bloemfontein View timings Thembisa View timings East London View timings Vereeniging View timings Boksburg View timings Welkom View timings Newcastle View timings Krugersdorp View timings Rustenburg View timings Emalahleni View timings Diepsloot View timings Randburg View timings Roodepoort View timings Botshabelo View timings Brakpan View timings Kariega View timings Polokwane View timings Germiston View timings Richards Bay View timings Vanderbijlpark View timings

Muslim populationAround 1.6% of the population

Arrival of Islam1650s, with exiles and enslaved people brought to the Cape

Main schoolSunni, both Shafi‘i and Hanafi communities

Calculation methodMuslim World League

Major sitesAuwal Mosque (Cape Town, 1794), Juma Masjid (Durban)

Ramadan in South Africa

Islam arrived at the Cape in the 1650s, brought by political exiles and enslaved people from the Indonesian archipelago and elsewhere under Dutch colonial rule. Sheikh Yusuf of Makassar, exiled to the Cape in 1694, is regarded as a founding figure of the community. The Auwal Mosque in Bo-Kaap, established in 1794, was the first mosque in the country.

A second and distinct community formed in Natal from the 1860s with indentured and free migration from India, which is why Durban’s Muslim traditions differ markedly from Cape Town’s.

Customs

The Cape Malay community has its own Ramadan foods: samoosas, koesisters, boeber — a warm milk drink with vermicelli and cardamom traditionally served on the fifteenth night — and daltjies. In Durban, the iftar table leans towards South Asian dishes, with haleem and biryani.

The sighting of the moon at Three Anchor Bay in Cape Town, watched by the Maan Kykers, is a long-standing tradition that decides the start of the month for the Cape community.

Hadith about Ramadan

مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 38 — Sahih Muslim 760

إِذَا دَخَلَ رَمَضَانُ فُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ وَسُلْسِلَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ

When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 1899 — Sahih Muslim 1079

كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ إِلَّا الصِّيَامَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ

Allah said: Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward it.

Reference: Hadith Qudsi — Sahih al-Bukhari 1904

لَا يَزَالُ النَّاسُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا عَجَّلُوا الْفِطْرَ

The people will remain upon good as long as they hasten to break the fast.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 1957 — Sahih Muslim 1098

مَنْ فَطَّرَ صَائِمًا كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَجْرِ الصَّائِمِ شَيْئًا

Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have a reward like his, without any decrease in the fasting person’s reward.

Reference: Jami at-Tirmidhi 807

مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِي أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ

Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 1903

لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ فَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ فِطْرِهِ وَفَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ

The fasting person has two joys: a joy when he breaks his fast, and a joy when he meets his Lord.

Reference: Sahih Muslim 1151 — Sunan Ibn Majah 1746

إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ بَابًا يُقَالُ لَهُ الرَّيَّانُ يَدْخُلُ مِنْهُ الصَّائِمُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

In Paradise there is a gate called Ar-Rayyan, through which those who fast will enter on the Day of Resurrection.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 1896 — Sahih Muslim 1152

مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

Whoever stands in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 2014 — Sahih Muslim 760

تَسَحَّرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي السَّحُورِ بَرَكَةً

Take the pre-dawn meal, for indeed there is a blessing in Suhoor.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 1923 — Sahih Muslim 1095

Sehri & Iftar Dua

Dua for Sehri (Suhoor)

وَبِصَوْمِ غَدٍ نَّوَيْتُ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

Transliteration: Wa bisawmi ghadin nawaytu min shahri Ramadan

Translation: I intend to keep the fast for the month of Ramadan.

Reference: Widely circulated wording. The established basis is the intention before Fajr — Sunan Abi Dawud 2454

Dua for Iftar

اَللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى لَكَ صُمْتُ وَبِكَ اٰمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلٰى رِزْقِكَ اَفْطَرْتُ

Transliteration: Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu wa ‘alayka tawakkaltu wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu

Translation: O Allah! I fasted for You, and I believe in You, and I put my trust in You, and I break my fast with Your sustenance.

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 2358 · Sunan Ibn Majah 1753 · Mu‘jam al-Tabarani