The crescent moon of Ramadan was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Sunday (10 March). 

The sighting was announced by the Majmaah University Astronomical Observatory.

Saudi Arabia has declared that the holy month of Ramadan will begin on Monday, March 11. 

Other countries including UAE, India and Pakistan have also reported sightings of the moon. It is worth pointing out that The Gambia has yet to report on the sighting of the moon. 

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on a 12-month lunar year of approximately 354 days. Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. 

In his sacred month, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate. 

Then they enjoy an “iftar,” or a large meal. They have a pre-dawn meal, or “suhoor,” to sustain themselves during the daylight hours.

Muslims try to avoid conflict and focus on acts of charity during the holy month.