The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), declared the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan on Monday, March 11th. This announcement follows the successful sighting of the Ramadan crescent moon within the Kingdom.
Muslims worldwide adhere to a lunar calendar comprising twelve months in a year that spans 354 or 355 days. The sighting of the crescent moon marks the beginning of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Determining the precise start date for this dawn-to-dusk fasting period involves a combination of lunar calculations and confirmed sightings of the new moon by human observers.
Ramadan, observed by over 1.8 billion Muslims globally, signifies a time of fasting and intensified spiritual focus. As one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting throughout Ramadan is obligatory for all healthy Muslims. Exceptions are granted to young children, those experiencing illness, travelers, and pregnant, nursing, or menstruating women.
For millennia, Muslims have followed the tradition of seeking the crescent moon to mark the start of Ramadan, along with the two principal Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
