Masjid Noticeboard for Ramadan: What to Put Up and When
A Ramadan noticeboard checklist: printed timetable with QR code, iftar rota, tarawih schedule, zakat al-fitr and Eid prayer times, with a volunteer timeline.
This guide explains common views and sources. It is not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a scholar or imam you trust.
A good Ramadan noticeboard answers the five questions people ask the volunteers every evening: when is iftar today, when does tarawih start, how much is zakat al-fitr, when is Eid prayer, and who is cooking on Thursday. If those answers are on the board, in large print, the volunteers can stop being an information desk and go and pray.
This guide is for the person who has been handed the job. It lists what goes on the board, where to get each item, and a timeline that starts two weeks before Ramadan 2027, which is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027 (the actual date in your country depends on moon sighting or the local authority and may differ by a day).
What goes on the board
| Item | Source | Update |
|---|---|---|
| Ramadan timetable (Fajr, imsak, iftar, all five prayers, jama'ah times) | Printed A4 or A3 from the Ramadan timetable | Once, before Ramadan |
| QR code to import the timetable to phones | Printed on the same poster | Once |
| Tarawih schedule: start time, rak'ahs, juz' per night, reciter | Imam and committee | Weekly, or when a reciter changes |
| Iftar rota: who provides, how many portions, contact | Volunteer coordinator | Daily or weekly |
| Zakat al-fitr amount and deadline | Masjid or local council of mosques | Once, when announced |
| Eid prayer: expected date(s), times, venue, parking | Committee | Expected times early; confirmed the night before |
| I'tikaf sign-up for the last ten nights | Imam | Two weeks before the 21st night |
| Laylat al-Qadr programme | Imam | By the 20th of Ramadan |
| Neighbour and parking notice | Committee | Once |
The timetable poster
Generate the month's timetable for your city from the Ramadan timetable page, using the calculation method the masjid already follows, then print it as an A4 or A3 poster. The printing a masjid timetable guide covers method choice, jama'ah columns and print settings. Add the masjid's name and the congregation times by hand or in the print dialogue; a timetable without jama'ah times is only half useful.
Print a stack of A4 copies for people to take home. Elderly members especially want a paper copy on the fridge; see elderly parents and Ramadan for a large-print version.
The QR code
The poster includes a QR code. When someone scans it with a phone camera, their phone receives the same timetable, so the mosque's times and the phone's times agree. Apps that accept a shared masjid timetable by QR code include free ones such as Jamaah Lock, which can also rest chosen apps during each prayer window and bring them back after a short dhikr. The sharing prayer times with family guide explains how one scan at the masjid can be passed on to a whole household.
Place the QR code at eye level and not behind glass that reflects the ceiling lights; a code that does not scan is worse than none.
Tarawih schedule
Three details prevent most questions: the start time (usually 10 to 15 minutes after Isha jama'ah), the number of rak'ahs the masjid prays (8 or 20 are both widespread; neither needs defending on a noticeboard), and the juz' covered each night, so that people following in a mushaf can keep up. If the masjid completes the Qur'an in tarawih, state the expected khatm night. The tarawih guide has background for anyone new to it.
Iftar rota
A simple table: date, provider (family or business), approximate portions, contact number. Iftar at the masjid in February 2027 will be around 17:00 to 18:30 in most of Europe and North America, which is a working-day time; a rota with a named contact lets the kitchen plan rather than hope. Remember the hadith on hastening the iftar (Bukhari 1957; Muslim 1098): dates and water should be on the tables before Maghrib, with the cooked meal after the prayer.
Zakat al-fitr
The amount is set locally from the price of staple food; many masjids or councils announce it in the first week of Ramadan. Print the figure, the currency, the deadline (before the Eid prayer, as in Bukhari 1503 and Muslim 984) and how to pay: cash box, bank transfer, or card. If the masjid distributes it on behalf of donors, say so, and say when the last collection is. The zakat al-fitr article explains the amounts and who pays for whom.
Eid prayer
For Ramadan 1448 the Umm al-Qura calendar gives 29 days, so Eid al-Fitr is expected on Tuesday 9 March 2027, or Wednesday 10 March in countries that complete 30 days or sight the moon later. Print both lines from the start:
- If Eid is Tuesday 9 March: prayers at 08:00 and 09:30 (example).
- If Eid is Wednesday 10 March: same times.
Add the venue if the masjid uses a hall or park for the larger Eid congregation, and a parking note. Confirm on the board and by announcement after the moon news on the evening of 8 March. The Eid prayer guide covers the prayer itself.
Timeline for volunteers
| When | Do |
|---|---|
| 25 Jan (2 weeks before) | Confirm calculation method and jama'ah times with the imam. Print the timetable poster and 50 A4 copies. Put up the neighbour and parking notice. |
| 1 Feb | Post the tarawih schedule and the first week of the iftar rota. Open the sign-up sheet for iftar providers. |
| 7 Feb (evening) | Moon announcement on the board: "Ramadan begins Mon 8 Feb (expected)" or the alternative. First tarawih tonight. |
| Each Friday | Next week's iftar rota. Check the QR code still scans and the poster is not torn. |
| 14 Feb | Zakat al-fitr amount once announced. I'tikaf sign-up sheet. |
| 25 Feb | Laylat al-Qadr programme for the last ten nights (from the evening of Sat 27 Feb). |
| 5 Mar | Eid prayer times (both dates) and venue. Zakat al-fitr deadline reminder. |
| 8 Mar (evening) | Confirmed Eid date and times, large print, top of the board. |
Layout tips
- Big type. Timetable rows at 12 point minimum; headline items (iftar today, tarawih start, Eid) at 36 point or more.
- One board, one order. Timetable top left, tarawih and iftar top right, money and Eid below.
- Date every sheet. "Updated 14 Feb" in the corner stops people acting on last week's rota.
- Two languages where needed. A second-language copy of the timetable is more use than a decorative banner.
- A photo of the board in the masjid's group chat each week reaches those who pray at home.
Ramadan is the month the Qur'an calls a month of ease, not hardship (the meaning of 2:185). A noticeboard that is accurate, large and current is a small part of making it that for your congregation.
Useful tools
Questions and answers
Which calculation method should the printed timetable use?
The one your masjid already follows for its daily prayer times. A Ramadan timetable that disagrees with the mosque clock by five minutes causes confusion every evening. If your masjid has no fixed method, the imam or committee should choose one before Ramadan and state it on the poster.
What size should the poster be?
A4 is enough for a noticeboard read at arm's length. A3 is better for a hall where people read it from a few metres away or for elderly readers. Print both if the printer allows; the A3 goes in the main hall, the A4 copies go home.
How often should the board be updated during Ramadan?
Once a week is enough for the fixed items. The iftar rota and any changes to tarawih (a guest reciter, a late start on a snowy night) should be updated the same day and announced after Isha.
Who sets the zakat al-fitr amount?
Your masjid or local council of mosques, based on the local price of staple food. Do not copy a figure from another country or from last year's poster; the amount changes with food prices.
Should the Eid prayer time go up before the moon is sighted?
Yes, as an expected time with both possible dates. Many masjids print two lines: if Ramadan is 29 days, Eid on Tuesday 9 March 2027; if 30 days, Wednesday 10 March. Confirm the night before by announcement and on the board.
Sources
- Qur'an 2:185; 2:187
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1503; Sahih Muslim 984 (zakat al-fitr before the Eid prayer)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2012 (tarawih in congregation)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1957; Sahih Muslim 1098 (hasten the iftar)