Ramadan Information Sheet 2025

February 04, 2025

Background 

Ramadan is a spiritual month for Muslims that is marked by special observations such as fasting and nightly prayer. 

This year in the New York area, many Muslims will begin observing Ramadan from sunset on Friday, February 28th and end observing the month at sunset on Saturday, March 29th. The 29–30-day lunar month is commemorated with an Eid holiday celebration, falling for many on Sunday, March 30th. Observation of the start and end dates may vary by one day depending on different locations and on different schools of thought within the Islamic tradition. Ramadan moves up about 11 days annually. 

Many practicing Muslims observe fasting and additional nightly prayers during Ramadan. Many Muslims also commemorate certain special nights in this month. Fasting is typically observed by abstaining from food and water from dawn to sunset throughout the month of Ramadan. 

For Administration and Faculty 

  • As noted, Ramadan is calculated to begin on Friday night, February 28th, and end on Saturday, March 30th. 
  • Students observing the fast may ask for a 10-15-minute break during class to pray and eat a snack if their class coincides with sunset. This year, for most Sunni Muslims, sunset during Ramadan will range from 5:48 PM at the beginning of month, to 7:18 PM at the end of month. Shia Muslims tend to observe their break of the fast about 15 minutes after the given sunset times.
  • Due to fasting practices, some Muslim students may request religious accommodations for their academics, including alternative exam times.  
  • Imam Ebad Rahman ([email protected]), Columbia’s Muslim chaplain, is available to assist faculty who receive requests for accommodations.  
  • Students on campus can dine in or take campus meals to-go to break their fast, and can be encouraged to take additional food for the pre-dawn meal. The time for beginning one’s fast (dawn) in New York at the start of the month of Ramadan will be at 5:14 AM and will be a minute or two earlier every day thereafter. Dawn at the end of the month will be at 5:27 AM. There may be slight variations in method to calculate the dawn time from which the fast begins.

For Students  

  • Students seeking religious accommodations for their observation of Ramadan should contact their professors as soon as possible.  
  • For questions about Ramadan or religious accommodations, please contact Columbia’s Imam Dr. Ebad Rahman at [email protected] and/or The Office of Religious Life at [email protected]. 

Programming 

Muslim Life at Columbia is offering a number of iftar dinners in the Earl Hall Auditorium (117th Street and Broadway).  Students are also welcome to join the nightly taraweeh prayers in the same location. There will be an Eid al-Fitr prayer and celebration on campus on the morning of Sunday, March 30th, 2025. 

Dining 

Students who are on the Columbia meal plan can pick up to-go meals for suhoor (predawn meal) from John Jay, Hewitt Hall in Barnard, and Diana’s Café. Iftar meals can be eaten at the dining halls or taken to-go. Students without a meal plan can pay for a meal through dining dollars or by credit cards. 


View a PDF of this information sheet here.