The beginning of the Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan, is announced when the crescent moon is sighted. And that is likely to be on Tuesday, April 13 in India.
The new moon was not sighted on Monday, indicating that Muslims in India will observe the first Roza (fast) on Wednesday, April 14.
This annual observance is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam. It lasts between one sighting of the crescent moon and the next. It is said that Ramadan is the commemoration of Prophet Muhammad’s first revelation.
10:30 am: Indonesia Muslims open Ramadan
Muslims in Indonesia began marking Ramadan with communal prayers Tuesday in a socially distanced contrast to the empty mosques of a year ago when Islam’s holiest month coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 cases are spiking in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, but vaccines are being administered and the government is loosening restrictions.
10:00 am Saudi Arabia moon sighting
To declare the beginning of Ramadan, Saudi Arabia, and other Muslim-majority countries depend on the testimonies of local moon sighters.
Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are all expected to follow Saudi Arabia’s sighting of the new moon.
For Muslims, Ramadan is the month in which the first verses of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, were revealed to Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.
Throughout the month, observing Muslims fast from just before the sunrise, or Fajr, prayer to the sunset prayer, Maghrib.
Fasting is a must for all adult Muslims, unless someone is sick, is traveling, is having their menstrual cycle, is pregnant, diabetic, or elderly. During this time, the pre-dawn meal is referred to as ‘suhur‘ or ‘sehri‘, and the feast that happens after a fast is broken at night is called ‘iftar‘.
Muslims are expected to read the Holy Quran (Holy books of the Muslims) during the month of Ramadan. As stated above, Allah’s (God) teachings came from heaven to the earth in the form of the Quran and were first revealed to Prophet Muhammed during this month.
