Ramadan 2024 moon sighted in Saudi Arabia, India; fasting to begin from March 11
THE crescent moon of Ramadan was first sighted in Saudi Arabia and some parts of India on Sunday, and hence the holy month of Ramadan will begin tomorrow, i.e. March 11. In addition to Saudi Arabia and India, the moon is visible in some Western nations as well.
The sighting of the Ramadan moon was announced by the Majmaah University Astronomical Observatory.
However, there are some Asian countries, like Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that will begin Ramadan on Tuesday after failing to see the crescent moon.
The crescent moon of Ramadan was not sighted in Oman, confirmed Oman's Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA).
“The Main Committee for Moon Sighting met this evening. The committee has not received any evidence of sighting the crescent. Therefore, it announces that Monday (11 March 2024) will mark the end of Sha’ban 1445 AH, and Tuesday (12 March 2024) will mark the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan 1445 AH," stated the ministry.
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on a 12-month lunar year of approximately 354 days. Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims.
In his sacred month, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate.
Then they enjoy an “iftar," or a large meal. They have a pre-dawn meal, or “suhoor," to sustain themselves during the daylight hours.
Muslims try to avoid conflict and focus on acts of charity during the holy month.
Meanwhile, Reuters citing reports said given the sacred month of Ramadan starting Monday, Egypt was in contact with senior Hamas and Israeli figures as well as other mediators to restart negotiations for a truce in the Gaza Strip.
Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been trying to negotiate a deal for a ceasefire during Ramadan in return for the release of Israel hostages captured in the attack that Hamas carried out on Oct. 7, sparking the war in Gaza.
