According to Mukimi, astronomical calculations show that the beginning of Ramadan in 2026 will also fall on February 19, which will be a Thursday.
Additionally, he noted that on February 10 of this year, a meeting of the Council of Ulema took place, where a corresponding decision was made based on data from the Institute of Astrophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan.
As a result of the meeting, it was announced that the amount of fitr-sadaqah in 2026 would be reduced compared to the previous year, while the amount of zakat increased.
Regarding fitr-sadaqah, this year each Muslim is required to pay 7 somoni, which is 1 somoni less than in 2025, when this amount was 8 somoni.
The nisab of zakat: if a person has 64,000 somoni or more, they must pay 1,600 somoni in zakat. Last year, the savings amount was 36,900 somoni, and the zakat was 880 somoni. Thus, in 2026, zakat has nearly doubled.
For those who cannot fast for valid reasons, the amount of fidya for 30 days in 2026 will be 420 somoni (14 somoni per day), which is less than in 2025 when it was 480 somoni (16 somoni per day).
Changes in the amounts of sadaqah fitr, fidya, and zakat, according to the Committee on Religion, are due to fluctuations in the prices of gold and wheat. The nisab of zakat, for example, depends on gold prices, and this year, due to rising prices, it has also increased compared to the previous year.
As for fitr-sadaqah, its amount is calculated based on wheat prices, and this year, since the price of wheat in Tajikistan has decreased, the amount of fitr-sadaqah has been reduced. Similarly, fidya has also been lowered due to the drop in wheat prices.
In Tajikistan, as in most Muslim countries, the date of the beginning of Ramadan is determined taking into account the lunar cycle. In this process, the Council of Ulema plays an important role along with the Institute of Astrophysics of the National Academy of Sciences.
It is worth noting that every year Ramadan begins 10 days earlier than the previous year. For example, in 2025, Ramadan began on March 1.
Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims fast and increase the number of prayers. This month concludes with the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which is one of the two main holidays for Muslims.
