Ramadan 2023: Ramzan crescent moon to be sighted on this day in Saudi Arabia, KSA to begin fasting from this day

The Holy month of blessing, Ramadan or Ramzan/Ramzaan/Ramazan, is upon us and more than 1.5 billion Muslims across the world are eagerly waiting to begin the 30 days of fasting to commemorate the time in which the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and as per the reports, Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on all Muslims throughout the Kingdom to sight the crescent moon this evening. As per the Crescent Moon Watch, a moon tracker run by the United Kingdom’s Nautical Almanac Office, Ramadan 2023 crescent will be sighted on March 21 at 17:23 GMT (8:23pm Mecca time) while on the night of March 22, the Ramadan crescent moon should be easily visible to the naked eye across many parts of the Middle East, North Africa, Western Europe and the United States of America.

Hence, the first fasting day is expected to be March 23 for those countries. In 2023, Ramadan may begin from March 22 if the crescent moon is sighted in Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Muslim-majority nations on the evening of March 21 that is the 29th day of Sha’ban 1444 Hijri.

If unable to sight the Ramadan crescent on March 21 after after Salat al Maghrib, the moon sighting committee in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will announce on Tuesday evening that the first day of Ramadan may be on March 23, Thursday. In lieu of the same, the Supreme Court has requested that anyone who sights the crescent moon of Ramadan on Tuesday evening, March 21 i.e. the 29th of Sha'ban (8/29/1444 AH), whether with naked eyes or through binoculars, should report to the nearest court and register their testimony or contact the nearest relevant department to guide them to the nearest court.

In the UAE too, the moon sighting committees will meet on the 29th of Sha'ban after the Maghrib prayer since the Emirates Astronomical Society has predicted that Ramadan 2023 will begin on March 23, with the first day of Eid Al Fitr falling on Friday, April 21. However, the International Astronomical Centre has stated that the crescent of Ramadan will be visible on Wednesday, March 22, and therefore Thursday, March 23, will be the first day of Ramadan in some Arab countries given the astronomical calculations.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Pakistan, South Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia will most likely sight the Ramadan moon on March 22 hence, the first fasting day of Ramadan for them will be March 23. If not sighted, then the first day of fasting will be from March 24 in India and other South Asian countries.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam during which they abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, evil thoughts and action and having marital relations from dawn until sunset.