May 05
Ramadan will begin in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries on Monday as moon observers said there was no sight of the Ramadan crescent on Saturday.
The Islamic world follows a lunar calendar, and the traditional moon-sighting methodology can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart, reports Arab News.
In Kashmir, the Pakistan Ruet e Hilal committee, headed by Mufti Muneeb u Islam, responsible for finding the crescent, is followed. However they declared that the crescent has not been sighted yet.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five obligatory pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, annual charity – known as “zakat” – and performing the Hajj pilgrimage.
Along with Saudi Arabia, Muslims in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Malaysia, the UK, the USA, Australia and Singapore will also start fasting on Monday.