Moon sighting: Ramazan to begin from Thursday, says Mufti Muneeb

No report of citing received from other zonal committees, Ramazan to be observed one day throughout the country.


Web Desk July 09, 2013
Ramazan is expected to begin on Thursday. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

KARACHI: The Ruet-i-Hilal Committee said on Tuesday that the Ramazan moon could not be sighted on Tuesday, Express News reported.

The first fast will now be observed on Thursday, July 11, 2013.

Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman said that they received no reports of moon sightings from anywhere in the country, including from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Hence, the first Ramazan will be on Thursday July 11, 2013.

The decision was also endorsed by cleric Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai in Pesahwar.

Earlier, Express News reported that per sources in the Ruet-e-Hilal committee, no reports of citing the moon was received from the zonal committees.

The committee had convened to form a decision on the sighting of the moon, which is to mark the beginning of Ramazan in the country.

Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman oversaw the committee proceedings in Karachi, which had convened in the meteorological department's office.

Rehman had said the decision will be formed on the basis of sightings by the zonal committees and asked everyone not to contact him before the official decision was announced.

He said the committee will come to a decision after consensus, as prescribed in Shariah law.

The session in Peshawar was presided by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department had said that the moon should ideally be sighted between 7:12 pm to 7:43 pm but chances of it being sighted are low.

Earlier, during the day, the government unveiled a Rs2 billion Ramazan relief package providing subsidies on 13 essential items and selling about 1,500 items on reduced rates through the Utility Stores.

COMMENTS (23)

MJ | 10 years ago | Reply

For those who champion local sighting, can they explain how an event is going to be written in history books using Islamic calendar? For example the day of WTC destruction in NY would be written in Pakistan as Tuesday 25 Jumaada al-THaany 1422 A.H. by a Pakistani writer while a historian in Saudi Arabia will put down the date as Tuesday 23 Jumaada al-THaany 1422 A.H. So is the Hijri calendar faulty and not suitable for application in the modern world where distances have disappeared due to air travel and telecom? Or is it the application of this calendar given to us by our creator not understood by modern Muslims who are divided by sects and pseudo geographical boundaries? I believe it is us Muslims to blame who cannot unite even to implement a simple calendar.

Eshal | 10 years ago | Reply

I assume people who want to start Ramadan with Saudi Arabia are not barred by Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman to start their fasts from todayJuly 10, 2013. All those can go for one extra roza if so concerned, after all its sawab.

The Ruet-i-Hilal Committee was there to sight moon LOCALLY i.e. in Pakistan and start of Ramadan varies according to hemisphere you live in. At least we Pakistanis should be unified at this big ISSUE of our lives!!

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