Riyadh/Mumbai: In a phenomenon that was absent in the Arab and Islamic world for several years, Muslims in most countries, including in Iran, Oman and Pakistan started observing the Ramadan fast along with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and other Arab States on Thursday March 24, 2023.
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen are among the Arab countries where Ramadan fasting began on Thursday after completing 30 days of Sha’ban on Wednesday in view of not sighting the crescent moon on Tuesday, Sha’ban 29.
Muslims in United Kingdom (UK), USA, France, Germany, Australia also started fasting along with Saudi Arabia on Thursday March 23, 2023.
Ruyat-e-Hilal Committee in Pakistan on the eve of 29th of Shaban 1444AH Wednesday confirmed the sighting of moon in the country and start of Ramadan from Thursday March 23, 2023.
In Iran, Hojjat al-Islam Ali Reza, member of the Moon-sighting Committee at the office of the Iranian leader, stated that Thursday will be the first day of the month of Ramadan. He said the Ramadan crescent was sighted with the naked eye after sunset on Wednesday.
Likewise, the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman announced that the sighting of the Ramadan crescent has been confirmed on Wednesday, so that Thursday will be the first day of the month of fasting.
Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories Muhammad Hussein also announced that Thursday is the first day of the month of Ramadan due to the inability to sight the crescent on Tuesday, Sha’ban 29.
In Iraq, both the office of the Supreme Shiite Authority Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani and the Sunni Endowment Office announced that Thursday is the first day of Ramadan.
The Syrian News Agency (SANA) quoted the Fiqh Academic Council at the Ministry of Endowment as saying that Thursday is the first day of the month in view of not sighting the crescent on Tuesday. The concerned moonsighting authorities in Lebanon, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and Yemen also made similar announcements about the beginning of Ramadan fasting on Thursday.
Muslims in India, Bangladesh and some other South Asian countries on the other hand started the Ramadan Fast on Friday March 24, 2023.
The beginning and end of the month of Ramadan have always been an issue of difference in the Islamic world, as the methods that each country follows in determining the sighting of the crescent varied from the other.
Sometimes it is also subject to the interpretation of the legal text, while some countries resort to relying on other countries as a religious reference for them in determining the beginning or ending of Ramadan fasting.
According to the Ramadan calendar in most Arab countries, the number of Ramadan days for the current year is 29 days.
This is mainly attributed to the fact that Ramadan comes after completion of 30 days of Sha’ban, and hence, those countries where fasting began on Thursday are expected to celebrate the first day of Eid Al-Fitr on Friday, April 21.
The exact date of Eid al Fitr however will be announced after sighting of the New Moon of the Month of Shawwal on 29th of Ramadan 1444 AH. The Arab and Islamic countries however will announce soon the Eid al Fitr holidays for the year 2023.
Meanwhile, the length of fasting was about 14 hours on the first day of Ramadan Thursday in most Arab and Islamic countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, as well as in Turkey and Iran.
Likewise, the first day of Ramadan this year is the shortest in terms of fasting hours.
The duration of fasting will gradually increase to reach 15 hours on the last day of Ramadan, with a few minutes' difference between one country to the other.
(With inputs from Saudi Gazette)
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