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19 April 2024

'Impossible to sight the crescent on July 30'

Ramadan likely to begin on August 1 (File)

Published
By WAM

Moon will set before the sunset on 30th July, making it virtually impossible to sight the crescent moon on that day and thus the month of Ramadan will begin only on 1st August, predicted an astronomer.

Months in the lunar calendar start only after the sighting of the new moon and Islamic tradition make it mandatory that the crescent should be sighted after sunset to announce the beginning of the holy month.

Head of the Islamic Crescent Observation Project (ICOP) Mohammed Shawket Oudah, said that it is impossible to sight the new moon after the sunset on Saturday 30th July.

Islamic countries, except Oman, Syria and Egypt, will begin to survey the evening sky from Saturday 29th Shaban as a matter of principle. Many countries make sighting of the new moon a condition to announce the advent of the month of Ramadan, Oudah added.

The crescent will be clearly sighted on 31st Sunday evening, which means that Ramadan will fall on 1st August.

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