On a serene Friday, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan declared with clarity that the moon heralding the sacred month of Ramadan was not sighted in the expansive skies of Pakistan, leading to the announcement that the first day of fasting will commence on Sunday, March 2.
Under the vigilant leadership of Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, the committee convened in the historic city of Peshawar to undertake the crucial task of moon sighting.
During a formal press conference after deliberations, Maulana Azad conveyed that no evidence or testimonies regarding the moon’s sighting had been obtained from any region of the nation.
This resolution emerged after various zonal committee gatherings in their respective areas concluded without any moon sighting reports.
In contrast, Saudi Arabia has proclaimed the sighting of the new lunar crescent, signifying the start of Ramadan within the kingdom’s borders.
Saudi Arabia frequently spearheads the moon sighting for Islamic months, with other Arab, Middle Eastern, and Western nations, along with parts of India, often following suit.
As the Muslim community globally embraces Ramadan with deep devotion and enthusiasm, over a billion faithful individuals will participate in fasting to cultivate virtues of patience and self-discipline, while also encouraging acts of charity and aiding those in need.
The Islamic month, which spans either 29 or 30 days, commences or concludes based on the sight of the crescent, and therefore, Ramadan doesn’t have a fixed start date each year.
Ramadan stands as the ninth of the 12 months in the Islamic calendar, which, despite sharing an equal number of months with the Gregorian system, is approximately 10 days shorter, given its reliance on the lunar cycle.
Hence, the timing of Ramadan shifts annually within the Gregorian calendar framework. Tomorrow, Saturday, marks the beginning of fasting for the people of Saudi Arabia.