Saudi Arabia declared the sighting of the new lunar month’s crescent, initiating Ramadan in the kingdom. The news, shared via social media channels related to the Grand Mosque of Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina, came from the nation’s moon-sighting committee. Consequently, Saudis began fasting on Monday.
The Saudi Supreme Court confirmed the crescent’s observation on Sunday evening. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also reported seeing the Ramadan moon soon after Saudi Arabia. Both nations had anticipated the moon sighting on Sunday evening, urging citizens to participate in the observation and report findings.
Traditionally, Saudi Arabia announces the commencement of Islamic months, influencing Arab, Middle Eastern, Western countries, and parts of India. Ramadan, marked by piety and charity, engages over a billion Muslims in fasting, reflecting patience and self-restraint.
Islamic months, varying between 29 and 30 days, rely on the lunar cycle to determine their start and end. Thus, Ramadan’s date shifts annually in the Gregorian calendar. This discrepancy is due to the Islamic calendar’s lunar basis, making it shorter than the Gregorian calendar by about ten days, leading to Ramadan’s varying occurrence each year.
