Riyadh/Islamabad: The holy month of Ramadan has officially begun in Saudi Arabia and several Gulf states, where Muslims are observing the first fast today. Meanwhile, Pakistan is likely to begin fasting tomorrow, subject to the official moon sighting announcement.
Spiritual scenes were witnessed last night at Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi, where thousands of worshippers gathered to offer the first Taraweeh prayers of Ramadan. Devotees from around the world were seen engaged in special prayers for forgiveness, peace, and blessings at Islam’s holiest sites.
Along with Saudi Arabia, the first fast is being observed today in United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Afghanistan.
In contrast, Ramadan will begin tomorrow in Iraq, Oman, Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia, following their respective moon sighting decisions.
Several Central Asian countries, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, are also expected to commence Ramadan from Thursday. Meanwhile, Muslims in Bangladesh, India, Japan, Singapore, Australia and France are expected to observe their first fast tomorrow.
In Pakistan, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is scheduled to meet in Peshawar under the chairmanship of Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad to sight the Ramadan moon. Zonal committees across the country will also convene, and the final decision will be announced based on collected testimonies.
According to meteorological experts, the chances of moon sighting in various parts of Pakistan are strong, raising expectations that the official announcement for the start of Ramadan will be made following the committee’s meeting.
