Why does Ramadan start at different times?
Because the Muslim calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian calendar year, Ramadan begins 10–12 days earlier each year, allowing it to fall in every season throughout a 33-year cycle.
What has Ramadan got to do with moon sighting?
Ramadan is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, which begins with the sighting of the crescent moon.
Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries rely on the testimonies of moon sighters to determine the start of the month.
How is the Ramadan moon sighted?
For the moon to be visible, the crescent must set after the sun. This allows the sky to be dark enough to spot the small slither of the new moon.
After the sun sets, moon sighters face west, with a clear view of the horizon to look for the new moon.
In Saudi Arabia, testimonies of people who have spotted the moon are recorded, and the Judicial High Court decides when Ramadan should begin.
The moon phases of Ramadan
Lunar months last between 29 and 30 days, depending on the sighting of the new moon on the 29th night of each month. If the new moon is not visible, the month lasts 30 days.
Why is Ramadan holy?
Muslims believe that Ramadan is the month in which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.
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.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayers, charity, and performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, if physically and financially capable.
In many Muslim-majority countries working hours are reduced, and most restaurants are closed during fasting hours.
Various Muslim-majority nations have a personalised greeting in their native languages. “Ramadan Mubarak” and “Ramadan Kareem” are common greetings exchanged in this period, wishing the recipient a blessed and generous month, respectively.
At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr. In Arabic, it means “festival of breaking the fast”.
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