How do Muslims fast in a Nordic summer?
Most Muslims in Nordic countries fast from local dawn to local sunset, even when the day is very long. Where the sun barely sets or dawn never clearly appears, scholars allow following the times of a nearby city or of Mecca instead. Local mosques usually publish a timetable based on one of these approaches.
Why the days get so long
Ramadan follows the lunar calendar, so it moves about 11 days earlier each year. When it falls in June, places like Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Reykjavik have sunsets close to midnight and very short nights. In the far north, above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set at all. Fasts of 19 to 21 hours have happened in recent summer Ramadans.
The good news: Ramadan 2027 is expected to start around 8 February 2027, so the next several Ramadans fall in winter and spring, with short, easy days in the north. See When does Ramadan start in 2027?
What scholars say
- Where there is a real sunrise and sunset: the majority say you fast the local day, however long, because the Quran ties the fast to dawn and night. Anyone who can't manage it because of health may skip and make up the days later, like a sick person.
- Where night disappears or dawn can't be told apart: scholars allow estimating the times by the nearest place with a normal day and night, or by Mecca. They point to the hadith about a day "like a year" in the time of the Dajjal, where the Prophet ﷺ said to estimate the prayer times (Sahih Muslim 2937).
- A minority of contemporary scholars also allow following a moderate reference city when local fasts become extremely long, even with a visible sunset, to avoid hardship.
Follow your local mosque
Rather than picking an opinion alone, it's wise to follow the timetable of your local mosque or national Islamic council, so you fast and break your fast with your community. Prayer apps often use different calculation settings, which can give very different Fajr times in summer. See Can I trust prayer time apps?
Practical tips for long days
- Drink water steadily between iftar and suhoor, not all at once.
- Eat slow-release food at suhoor: oats, eggs, wholegrain bread.
- Nap during the day if you can; nights are short.
- Keep exercise light and schedule it after iftar. See How do Muslim athletes fast in Ramadan?
If you have a health condition, follow your doctor's advice about long fasts.
- Most scholars say fast local dawn to sunset if they exist.
- With no real night, estimate times by a nearby place or Mecca.
- Follow your local mosque's Ramadan timetable.
- The next few Ramadans fall in winter and spring.
People also ask
Does an injection or vaccine break my fast?
No, most injections and vaccines do not break your fast, including insulin and blood tests. Nutritional drips are different; see why here.
Read the full answer →Does showering break my fast?
No, showering does not break your fast. You can shower or do ghusl while fasting; just don't swallow water or sniff it deep into your nose.
Read the full answer →What is i'tikaf?
I'tikaf is staying in a mosque for worship, especially in the last ten days of Ramadan. It's a sunnah, and even one night or a few hours can count.
Read the full answer →Can women fast on their period?
No, women don't fast on their period and a fast kept during it isn't valid. Missed Ramadan days are made up later, unlike prayers, which are forgiven.
Read the full answer →What is kaffarah for breaking a fast?
Kaffarah for breaking a fast is 60 days of fasting in a row, or feeding 60 poor people, for deliberate intercourse on a Ramadan day.
Read the full answer →