Ramadan 2023, Saudi Arabia Calls on Muslims to See the New Moon on Tuesday

JAKARTA - The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has called upon Muslims across the kingdom, to see the new crescent moon (hilal) as a sign of the Holy Month of Ramadan on Tuesday Evening, the state news agency (SPA) reported on Sunday.

The Supreme Court has asked anyone who sees the crescent moon, either with the naked eye or with binoculars, to report to the nearest court and register their testimony, or contact the nearest relevant department to guide them to the nearest court, as reported by Gulf News, March 20.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, which consists of 12 months in a year consisting of 354 or 355 days. The sighting of the crescent moon marks the start of a new month in Islam, including Ramadan.

More than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world will observe the fast, in which they abstain from eating, drinking, and various other restrictions, from dawn to sunset. They also try to avoid evil thoughts and actions.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. In addition, Ramadan is considered holy for Muslims because according to history, the holy book Al-Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad SAW in that month.

According to astronomical calculations, Ramadan is expected to start on Thursday, March 23 in several Arab countries. The International Astronomy Center has stated that the crescent moon of Ramadan will be visible on Wednesday, 22 March and therefore, Thursday, 23 March, will be the first day of Ramadan in several Arab countries.

Meanwhile, the Emirates Astronomical Society has predicted that Ramadan 2023 will begin on March 23, with the first day of Eid falling on Friday, April 21.