Ramazan to commence on May 7

'If sky is clear on Monday evening, moon will be visible all across Pakistan for a longer period'

LAHORE: The Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council has predicted that there are no chances of moon sighting in any part of the country on Sunday, May 5, and after the completion of 30 days of Shaban, Ramazan will commence on Tuesday, May 7.

Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council Secretary General Aijaz Khalid Mufti said, “The new moon never shows up until it is 19 hours of age and the difference between sunset and moonrise is 40 minutes. Therefore, the moon’s distance from earth should be at an angle of six degrees and of moon to sun should be 10 degrees.”

The official said Ramazan moon would take birth in the evening between Saturday and Sunday at around 3:45am. On Sunday, May 5, at sunset in all areas of Pakistan, the age of the moon would be less than 16 hours, he added.



The difference of sunset and moonrise all over Pakistan would not be more than 29 minutes. “Therefore, if any testimony on May 5 is received, it will be untruthful, anti-Shariah and scientifically incorrect,” he added.

On Monday evening, May 6 during the sunset, moon’s age in all Pakistan cities will more than 38 hours.

On the other hand, the difference between sunset and moonrise which should be 40 minutes; in Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Islamabad will be 87 minutes; in Lahore 86 minutes and in Quetta and Karachi 87 minutes.

If the sky is clear on Monday evening, moon will be visible all across Pakistan for a longer period. People might think it’s the moon of another date but scientifically and religiously, it will be the moon of 1^st Ramazan.

The council stated that the official announcement of the moon sighting will be made by Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman.