French Muslim Leaders Announce March 1 Start Date for Ramadan 2025

This sacred month, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a time of fasting, prayer and sharing for Muslims. From sunrise to sunset, and for a month, believers are invited to abstain from drinking, eating, smoking, but also from sexual relations. A way, as the Quran says, to distinguish "a white thread from a black thread" at dawn.

"The Muslim federations of France [...] gathered this day at the Grand Mosque of Paris are pleased to confirm that the blessed month of Ramadan 1446-2025 will begin in France on Saturday, March 1, 2025," said Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector, reading a press release.

This highlight of the year is also an opportunity for the faithful to show great generosity. Mosques and prayer halls, of which there are about 2,500 in the country, receive many donations during this period. Tradition also has it that Muslims pay the Zakat el-Fitr, a charity intended for the most destitute.

In a sometimes tense context, the Muslim federations took advantage of this announcement to launch an appeal. They call on the "authorities to guarantee the security of mosques, prayer halls and all Muslim places of worship during this period so important for all Muslims in France". They also hope that this sacred month will be an opportunity to "intensify solidarity and offer appeasement and unity between the different components of the national community".