The crescent moon marking the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan has been sighted in Saudi Arabia, confirming that fasting will commence on Saturday. The announcement was made on Friday by local moon sighting authorities and was reported by Inside the Haramain’s official Facebook page.

According to the official statement, the moon was visible in Saudi Arabian skies on Friday evening, marking the end of the Islamic month of Sha’ban after 29 days. Consequently, Ramadan 1446 will begin on Saturday. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also confirmed the sighting of the Ramadan moon, and fasting will start there on the same day.

Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has reported that the Ramadan crescent was not visible on Friday. As a result, the country will complete 30 days of Sha’ban, and Ramadan will officially begin on Sunday, March 2. This announcement was made by Malaysian authorities in accordance with their official lunar observation practices.

Similarly, Brunei and Singapore have also confirmed the absence of a moon sighting on Friday. Therefore, both nations will begin Ramadan on Sunday, following a full 30-day Sha’ban month. Government authorities in both countries released official statements regarding this decision.

In Australia, however, the holy month of Ramadan will start on Saturday. The Australian Fatwa Council, relying on astronomical calculations, has declared March 1 as the first day of fasting. The decision was reported by Khaleej Times, highlighting that the country follows a combination of lunar sightings and scientific calculations to determine the start of Islamic months.

In Bangladesh, the official moon sighting committee is scheduled to hold a meeting on Saturday evening to determine the start of Ramadan. The meeting will take place at the National Mosque, Baitul Mukarram, in the capital city of Dhaka, at 6:00 PM local time. The session will be presided over by A.F.M. Khalid Hossain, an advisor to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Authorities have urged citizens to report any sighting of the Ramadan moon on Saturday via the provided telephone and fax numbers. The numbers released for moon sighting reports include:

Telephone Numbers: 02-223381725, 02-41050912, 02-41050916, and 02-41050917.
Fax Numbers: 02-223383397 and 02-9555951.

Muslims around the world eagerly anticipate the start of Ramadan, a sacred month marked by fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection. With different countries relying on local lunar sightings or astronomical calculations, the official beginning of Ramadan may vary across regions. As the moon sighting process continues in various countries, Muslims are preparing for a month of devotion and self-discipline.