Kashmiri Muslims pray inside the shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani on the first Friday of Ramadan in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Muslims worldwide will begin daily fasting from dawn to sunset as Ramadan starts, marking a period of worship, reflection and charity. The holy month, the ninth in the Islamic lunar calendar, brings families together for meals to break the fast. Ramadan begins Wednesday or Thursday, varying by country due to differing moon sighting practices.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Devotees pray at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)Volunteers prepare free Haleem soup to distribute to people breaking fast at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, at Nwe Aye Mosque in Yangon, Myanmar, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)People pray before breaking their fast during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at a free food distribution point, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)Shiites read the Quran at the holy shrine of Imam Ali during the holy month of Ramadan in Najaf, Iraq, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)Muslim worshipers break their fast on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan at the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Rishi Lekhi)Worshippers attend Friday prayers during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan at Al Rahman mosque, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)Muslims attend Friday prayers during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the historic Wazir Khan mosque, in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)Palestinian worshippers line up to pass through the Israeli military Qalandia checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem on their way to attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)Muslims rest after the first Friday prayer of the fasting month of Ramadan at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)A stray cat sits nearby as people break their fast during the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)Palestinians sit at a long table amid the rubble of destroyed buildings as they gather for iftar, the fast-breaking meal, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)Palestinians read verses of the Quran during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Sayed Al-Hashim Mosque in Gaza City, Thursday, Feb 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)People eat food to break their fast during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, at a free food distribution point in Peshawar, Pakistan, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)A person recites the Quran during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, at a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)A worshipper rests as others perform the night prayer known as “Tarawih” on the eve of the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)A worker sets a giant crescent-shaped decoration on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)A volunteer prepares food plates which will be distributed among families for pre-dawn meal or ‘Sehri’ to start their fasting during the Muslim’s holy fasting month of Ramadan, at a free meal distribution center run by a charity group, in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)Palestinians sit at a long table amid the rubble of destroyed buildings as they gather for iftar, the fast-breaking meal, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)Displaced Palestinian struggle to receive donated food for iftar, the fast-breaking meal, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)Balloons released by children float into the sky to mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)A man sings traditional Ramadan chants as residents prepare for the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Al-Jazmatiya market in Damascus, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)A worker sets decorations in preparation for the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)A man tries on a traditional cap which will be used while praying during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, at a shop, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)People buy traditional lanterns in Sayyeda Zeinab market ahead of the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)Muslim worshippers perform the evening Tarawih prayers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, next to the Dome of Rock shrine at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)A man walks past a neon light decoration with wording ‘Ramadan Kareem’ placed by local authorities in connection with upcoming Muslims holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)People gather to sight the Ramadan crescent moon marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan at the foothills of Mount Qasioun near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Damascus, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)People shop for decorations in preparation for the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan at a store in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)A painter gives finish touches to an artwork as workers clean an area of the historic Mahabat Khan mosque in preparation for the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)Palestinians hang decorations beside the rubble of destroyed homes as they prepare for the holy month of Ramadan in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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