Saudi's buy dates at a shop in Jeddah ahead of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. PHOTO: AFP
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court announced on Thursday that Saturday, May 27 will be the first day of Ramazan, Al Arabiya English reported on Thursday.
“On Thursday, Saudi was not able to sight Ramazan’s crescent,” the website reported. “It is expected that Ramazan to will start on Saturday.”
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According to Al Jazeera, the holy month of Ramazan will begin on the eve of Friday, May 26 or Saturday, May 27 for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon and Ghana.
Qatar, the UAE and Lebanon also announced that they were unable to sight the moon on Thursday, and would thus sight it on Friday. Iraq was also unable to sight the moon.
Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Turkey, South Africa, Nigeria, India expect Ramazan on the eve of Saturday, May 27 or Sunday, May 28, depending on moon sighting on the evening of Friday, May 26.
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In Pakistan, the Pakistan Meteorological Department [PMD] has predicted that the Ramazan moon is likely to be sighted on May 27 [Saturday] and the first day of the holy month will begin on May 28 [Sunday].
The Central Reut–e-Hilal Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on May 26 [today] in Islamabad for sighting the crescent. But according to the Met office, there are few chances that the new moon will be visible on May 26.
According to officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, like the previous year, Ramazan will also start on the same day nationwide this year, followed by Eidul Fitr on the same day across the country, in line with the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announcement.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2017.
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