Ramadan moon not sighted in Pakistan; first fast on Sunday

• Maulana Azad chairs Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting.
• No testimony received about moon’s sighting amid cloudy weather.
• Riyadh to observe first fast tomorrow as Ramadan moon sighted.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced on Friday that the Ramadan moon was not sighted in Pakistan, and the first fast would fall on Sunday (March 2).

The committee, headed by its chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, met in Peshawar to sight the Ramadan moon.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Maulana Azad said no testimony was received about the moon’s sighting from across the country.

The decision came after different zonal committee meetings held in their respective domains received no testimonies about the moon sighting.

Saudi Arabia to observe first fast tomorrow

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced sighting the crescent of the new lunar month marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia is usually the first country to see the moon for Islamic months, which is followed by other Arab, Middle Eastern and Western countries and some parts of India.

The Muslim world welcomes Ramadan with religious zeal and fervour. Over a billion believers will fast during the month to practice patience and self-control while also promoting charity and welfare.

The Islamic months last 29 or 30 days and the beginning or end of a month depends on the appearance of crescent, so Ramadan is not set on any specific day annually.

The month of Ramadan is the ninth of the 12 months of the Islamic calendar. Despite having as many months as the Gregorian calendar, the Islamic calendar is nearly 10 days shorter due to being based on the lunar orbit.

This is why Ramadan falls at a different time every year according to the Gregorian calendar.People in Saudi Arabia will observe their first fast tomorrow (Saturday).