THE holy month of Ramadan will start on Thursday, authorities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia have announced, based on the expected sighting of the crescent moon.
Saudi Arabia’s supreme court declared on Tuesday evening that Wednesday would be the last day of the Islamic calendar month of Shaban, which precedes Ramadan, meaning the Muslim holy month will begin the following day, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
Ramadan is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, which begins at the first sight of the moon.
Officials in the Palestinian territories and in Egypt also announced that Ramadan would begin on Thursday.
Meanwhile, authorities in Jordan, Algeria and Morocco said they will wait until Wednesday to decide whether Ramadan would start on Thursday or Friday.
Throughout the month, observing Muslims fast from just before the sunrise prayer, Fajr, to the sunset prayer, Maghrib.
The fast entails abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual relations to achieve greater “taqwa”, or consciousness of God.
