PESHAWAR: The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee on Wednesday announced that the Ramazan moon had been sighted as the holy month will begin in Pakistan tomorrow (March 23), ARY News reported.
The announcement was made after the moon sighting committee met in Peshawar with its head Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad in chair while meetings of other zonal and district committees were also arranged simultaneously.
Addressing a press conference, Maulana Azad said that the committee received moon sighting testimonies from various places in the country, including Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Swabi, Qila Saifullah and Mardan.
“It was unanimously decided that the first of Ramazan would be on March 23,” the committee chairman announced.
Muslims follow a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days, and sighting a crescent moon marks the start of Ramazan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Ramazan is the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), and the faithful observe this month of the Islamic calendar with prayers and fasting.
Fasting from sunrise to sunset during the holy month is obligatory to all healthy Muslims, although young children, sick individuals, travelers, and women who are pregnant, nursing, or menstruating are exempted.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted that there is a strong possibility of Ramazan moon sighting today.
According to the Met Department, there is a strong possibility of Ramazan crescent sighting in Karachi if the clouds are cleared. It said the new moon of Ramazan 1444 AH was expected to be born on the crossing conjunction point at 22-23 PST on March 21.
A day earlier, the Ramazan moon was not sighted in Saudi Arabia and the first day of fasting will fall on March 23 (Thursday).
According to details, March 22 (Wednesday) would be the last day of the month of Sha’ban, and the holy month would begin on Thursday, March 23.
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