Ramadan, also pronounced Ramzan, is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, where Muslims observe fasts from dawn to dusk. It is also the month when Muslims are seen spending more time in remembrance of Allah and exercising self-discipline and helping the poor. The holy month commences with the sighting of the crescent, which wasn't sighted in India on Wednesday.
Unlike other festivals that are based on Gregorian calendar, Ramadan, like all other Islamic months, follows lunar cycles, where a new moon sighting marks the beginning of a new month. Ramadan crescent will be sighted in India and neighbouring countries on Thursday, which means fasting commences on Friday. The Hilal Committee New Delhi, Islamic authority for India, confirmed that the crescent moon was not sighted anywhere in India on Wednesday. The committee announced that the first day of Ramadan will be observed on Friday, March 24.
Significance of Ramadan
Muslims around the world see the month of Ramadan as the holiest Islamic month of the year. During this month, healthy individuals observe mandatory fasting, which is one of the five pillars of Islamic faith, and also perform other religious activities such as praying, giving charity, reciting the holy book of Quran, helping the poor, and more. At the end of the month, Muslims who dedicated themselves to the way of Islam are believed to be get rewarded handsomely by Allah. Muslims mark the end of Ramadan with grand celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr.
