Today, Monday, March 11, marks the commencement of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, across the UAE. Muslims across the country have begun their first fast as the crescent Moon, indicating the start of the month in the Islamic Hijri calendar, was sighted on Sunday evening.
Despite astronomical calculations suggesting otherwise, the Moon was sighted, affirming the start of Ramadan. The International Astronomy Centre has assured that the crescent will be visible again tonight (Monday) without special equipment, especially in the western sky about 15-25 minutes after sunset, for a little over an hour.
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Islamic months can last either 29 or 30 days, contingent upon the sighting of the crescent in the night sky. The act of sighting the Moon to determine the start of the month is considered a confirmed Sunnah, or prophetic teaching.
The variability in the start date of Ramadan arises from the different methods used to calculate the visibility of the new Moon and the specific geographic locations considered. Khadijah Ahmed, operations manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group, highlighted that traditional moon sighting practices add to this variability, as they depend on actual human observation, which may not always align with astronomical models. As such, the confirmed start of Ramadan is contingent upon the physical sighting of the Moon, which can either affirm or adjust the predicted date.
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As Muslims embark on this month-long spiritual journey of fasting, prayer, reflection, and charity, the sighting of the crescent Moon symbolizes the beginning of a period of heightened spirituality and devotion for millions around the world.
