Ramadan 2024 moon sighting: When crescent moon is expected to be sighted in India, Saudi Arabia
Ramadan 2024 moon sighting: The sighting of the crescent moon marks the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. The exact timing of the moon sighting can vary depending on geographical location and local moon sighting traditions. The beginning of Ramadan 2024 is determined by the Islamic calendar which is based on the lunar cycle and is 29-30 days long.
During Ramadan 2024, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, refraining from food, drink, and other physical needs. The fast is broken each day with the iftar meal, usually starting with the eating of dates and followed by a larger meal. The crescent moon sighting is expected on March 10 in the Middle Eastern nations of Saudi Arabia and UAE, which means that Asian countries like India and Pakistan can expect the moon sighting on March 11 and the Ramadan fasting will begin on March 12.
Notably, Islam employs the lunar, or Hijri, calendar, distinct from the widely used solar or Georgian calendar worldwide. The Hijri calendar, with 354 days and rooted in the phases of the moon cycle, results in Ramadan being observed approximately ten or eleven days earlier each year in relation to the solar calendar. In 2023, the sighting of the crescent moon in India occurred on March 24, marking the commencement of Ramadan 2023.
The Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia has issued directives and asked the people of the Kingdom to observe the sighting of the crescent moon of Ramadan 2024 on the evening of Sunday, March 10, 2024. The Muslims of the Kingdom are encouraged to see the crescent moon through binoculars and start the holy month of Ramadan 2024. If the crescent moon is sighted on a Sunday evening, the fasting will begin on Monday, March 11 in Saudi Arabia.
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