Muslims begin Ramadan as moon sightings vary across nations

Muslims around the world marked the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan on Saturday, as Saudi Arabia, other Arab countries, and several Sunni-majority nations observed the beginning of the month.  

Ramadan begins when the month of Sha’ban, the eighth month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar, ends and is traditionally confirmed by the sighting of the crescent moon.  

Observing the Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring believers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual activity during daylight hours.  

Practising Muslims are also encouraged to donate to the poor during this holy month. 

During the holy month, hundreds of millions of Muslim worshippers around the world observe a daytime fast. 

Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s two holiest sites, was joined by its neighbouring Gulf Arab neighbours in announcing that the crescent moon had been sighted on Friday. 

“The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Saturday, is the first day of the month of Ramadan,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, the Palestinian territories, and Sudan announced that they will also begin the fast on Saturday. 

 In the multi-confessional country of Lebanon, the grand mufti declared Saturday as the first day of Ramadan for Sunnis, according to state media reports.  

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, will also begin fasting for the Islamic holy month on Saturday.  

However, the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, declared Sunday as the first day of Ramadan.  

Morocco, which has a Sunni Muslim population, will be the only country to start observing the daytime fast on Sunday, according to its Islamic Affairs Ministry. 

While Ramadan was expected to begin on Saturday after the crescent moon is first sighted in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and some Western nations, the exact dates can shift slightly depending on the timing of the new moon sighting. 

For the moon to be sighted, the crescent must set after the sun, allowing the sky to be dark enough to spot the small sliver of the new moon.  

In countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, the moon is often sighted a day later. 

Different nations rely on moon-sighters, typically astronomers and religious scholars, as well as astronomical calculations to determine the start of Ramadan.  

However, this can also depend on global geography, time zones, and even local weather conditions. 

On Friday, US-based MENA expert Scott Kugle told US news channel CNN that “there really is no central authority among Muslims.”

He added: “It’s all very local, it depends on what mosque you go to, what your family network is.”

 Kugle highlighted that variations in the start date can occur even on a national or citywide level due to differing Islamic interpretations.  

As a result, the actual start date can sometimes fall one day earlier or later than the predicted date.  

While the sighting of the moon phase is central, Kugle noted that “in the Muslim world, you’ve got Sunnis, you’ve got Shi’a, and you’ve got others. And these groups may make their own determination of when the moon is sighted. And it might be on different days.” 

The daylong fasting during Ramadan is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and remind them of the suffering of the poor.  

Muslims are expected to strictly observe daily prayers and engage in increased religious reflection.  

They are also urged to refrain from gossip, fighting, or cursing throughout the holy month. 

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the current Grand Imam of al-Azhar, issued a statement to the Arab and Muslim world to mark the start of Ramadan, emphasising the importance of unity during the holy month.

In a post on X, al-Tayeb urged Muslims worldwide “not to forget their Palestinian brothers,” advocating for justice for Palestinians and their right to return to their homeland amid Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.

His statement also condemned “the unjust displacement plans that do not value the land and do not understand the meaning of belonging to the homeland,” referring to former US President Donald Trump‘s Gaza ‘ethnic cleansing plan,’ which proposed that the US “take over” Gaza and expel Palestinians to reconstruct the territory as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

As head of the Sunni Islamic authority, al-Tayeb has consistently taken a firm stance against Israel’s brutal wars on Gaza and Lebanon, openly condemning Arab leaders for their inaction.