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Abu Dhabi: The Ramadan Crescent Sighting Committee announced that today is the first day of Ramadan. This announcement came in a communiqué released by the committee after its meeting yesterday in the Sharia Judicial Department in Abu Dhabi, headed by Mohammad Bin Nakhira Al Daheri, Minister of Justice.
The committee extended their warm greetings to President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Time for restraint and tolerance
By Samir Salama Bureau Chief and Abbas Al Lawati Staff Reporter
Ramadan might seem like a time for sales, late nights and full dinner tables, but it is much more. The month of fasting is in fact a time of giving, patience and tolerance for Muslims.
For more than a billion Muslims around the world, it is the time for devotion to God and self-restraint, when communal nightly prayers are conducted and the basic teachings of Islam are emphasised and Ummah (Islamic nation) consciousness is heightened.
As the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar, Ramadan comes 11 days earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar and the duration of the fast changes depending on which season the holy month falls in.
The start of Ramadan, as that of all Islamic months, is based on the sighting of the new moon, the hilal, which is why the crescent is often used as an unofficial symbol of the month. The moon sighting is also the reason that the start of Ramadan differs from one country to another, but many opt to follow Saudi Arabian sightings to be able to mark the holy days together.
Obligatory
As one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting during Ramadan, which is considered one of the highest forms of worship, is obligatory for those Muslims past the age of puberty who are mentally and physically fit and not travelling, as long as it does not cause them physical or mental harm.
Those who cannot fast during Ramadan, owing to health or other reasons, may fast in other months, or feed the poor.
But a Ramadan fast is not a simple abstention from food, drink and sex during daylight hours. A fast consists of a true and verbal intention that must be recited, as well as a package of do’s an don’ts which are specifically emphasised during the month.
Fasting, or sawm (literally: refrain), which did not become obligatory until AD 624, offers an opportunity for Muslims to cleanse the body and mind. It promotes the principle of sincerity by keeping the individual away from arrogance.
Among the greatest benefit is the lesson in self-restraint and discipline that could be carried forward to other aspects of a person’s life, such as work and education. The lengthy nightly prayer, called Taraweeh is an important element of rituals during the month of Ramadan.
Changes in everyday life for Muslims
Work hours in the private sector are shortened by two hours for Muslims and non-Muslims. The public sector will function from 9am to 2pm
Live music is banned through the month
Shopping malls and supermarkets are expected to be open late at night
A typical day of fasting begins with waking up before dawn to have a meal called the suhoor before the start of the fasting day. At sunset, Muslims usually break their fasts upon the call for Maghreb (sunset) prayers with another meal called iftar. Prayers are conducted five times through the day, as they are on all days, and an extra set of prayers called Taraweeh is conducted after iftar.
Forbidden during fasting hours
Eating and drinking
Sexual intercourse
Smoking
Tips for non-Muslims
Avoid eating, drinking and smoking in public, thus being considerate to those fasting.
Since it is a time of piety and high religious consciousness, it would be considerate to dress and behave modestly, avoiding animated behaviour that could cause offence.
Those who want to understand the holy month better could consider involving themselves in the spirit of the month, which would be welcomed by most Muslims. Saying ‘Ramadan Kareem’ to Muslims and attending a fast-breaking feast, or Iftar, would be appreciated by most.
Since cultural consciousness is also high during the month, Ramadan can be a good time to connect with the local and Muslim cultural scene by attending the various musical and social events, as well as trying local and regional cuisine that is popular during the month of fasting.
Arabic speaking non-Muslims wishing to learn more about the region and its people will notice that Arabic television channels change their programming to a new schedule dedicated for Ramadan, when some of the most popular celebrities in the Arab world feature in some of the most-watched soap operas, historic series, as well as religious, cultural and musical shows.
For further Information about Ramadan you can check out our earlier article Holy Month Of Ramadan. The Dubai Informer says ‘Ramadan Kareem’.
I wish ‘Ramadan Kareem’ to everybody
Assalamu’alaikum,
May Allah accept the fast of every muslim Ameen…..
Gulf News reports the following today:
Sighting of crescent not before Monday, says expert
Abu Dhabi: After the confusion surrounding the dates of the the Eid Al Fitr holidays comes another round of debate as to when the crescent would be sighted, signalling the end of Ramadan.
Mohammad Shawkat Odeh, engineer at the UAE Astronomical Society, explained that Muslim countries typically begin to look for the crescent on the 29th of lunar months, which falls on Saturday, October 21, during Ramadan for countries, including the UAE, that began fasting on Saturday, September 23.
“It would be impossible to sight the crescent on Saturday anywhere on earth because the moon would set before sunset,” said Odeh. “It would also be impossible to see it on Sunday, as the moon would also set before the sun or with the sun in most Islamic countries. Eid should technically start on Tuesday, but that is impossible, as a lunar month can only be 29 or 30 days.” According to Odeh, the moon on Sunday would set before the sun by two minutes in Abu Dhabi and by one minute in Riyadh.
Odeh added that generally, the beginning of Eid is based on the actual sighting of the crescent, which in this case would be on Monday, October 23. “In the UAE and all countries that started Ramadan on Saturday, Eid would most probably start on Monday. Hopefully no one would claim to have seen the moon on Saturday night, or if they do, I hope the authorities don’t accept those claims.”
The new moon would occur on Sunday morning, at 9.14am local time.
Odeh explained that the crescent typically begins to appear 12 to 24 hours after the new moon.
“After sunset on Monday, the crescent would appear, but it would still be difficult to see with the naked eye, especially here. We would go to Jebel Hafeet to see it by telescope.”