RIYADH – The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has asked its citizens to keep an eye out for the crescent moon on Tuesday, which, if sighted, would mark the beginning of the month of Ramadan on Wednesday.
If the Ramadan moon is not sighted on Tuesday, the month of fasting will begin on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia has called on Muslims to immediately report the sighting of the crescent moon with a court or an authority.
The moon sighting committee astronomically decides about the first day of Ramadan and the same practice is repeated to predict astronomically the last day of the Ramadan or Eid -ul- Fitr.
Normally Islamic/Hijiri calendar is found 10 to 12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar because of lunar cycles. So, it has been estimated that first day of Ramadan in Gulf countries will be on June 18.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the Hadiths.
The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ, which means scorching heat or dryness. Fasting is fardh (“obligatory”) for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travelling, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or going through menstrual bleeding.
Fasting the month of Ramadan was made obligatory (wājib) during the month of Sha’aban, in the second year after the Muslims migrated from Makkah to Medina.
Fatwas have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with natural phenomenon such as the midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Makkah.
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