Ramadan Fasting; Saudi Arabia Announces Date For Commencement

The birthplace of Islam (Saudi Arabia), has announced that the Muslim
fasting month of Ramadan will begin on Saturday 27 May. Ramadan is the
ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by


Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the
first revelation of the Quran to Prophet Mohammed according to Islamic
belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars
of Islam.


According to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths,
Ramadan lasts 29 to 30 days based on the visual sightings of the
crescent moon. The beginning and end of Islamic months are determined
by the sighting of the new moon.
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Lebanon's top Islamic authority, the mufti, said Ramadan would also
begin in the country on Saturday.
A similar statement was made by officials in Iraq's Muslim Sunni minority.


The President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Sultan Saad
Abubakar, has asked Muslims in Nigeria to look out for the new moon
from Friday, May 26.