Ramadan and the role of the crescent moon

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Updated 29 August 2022
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Ramadan and the role of the crescent moon

  • The start of Ramadan is determined by the lunar calendar which, unlike the Gregorian calendar, follows a 29- or 30-day cycle determined by the cycle of the moon.
  • Sighting of the Ramadan crescent can be achieved using three methods: Through telescopes, using astronomy, and some regions are content with viewing the crescent with the naked eye.

The Supreme Court has announced that due to the inability to witness the crescent moon on May 15, the month of Shaban will continue for a 30th day, and the first day of Ramadan will therefore be on Thursday.

As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, Muslims are preparing to abstain from food and drink during daylight hours, and to discipline their minds and spirits. 

The start of Ramadan is determined by the lunar calendar which, unlike the Gregorian calendar, follows a 29- or 30-day cycle determined by the cycle of the moon. Muslims anticipate the end of Shaaban, the month preceding Ramadan, by watching for the absence or presence of the crescent moon, which respectively indicate the continuation of Shaban or beginning of Ramadan. 

Sighting of the Ramadan crescent can be achieved by three methods: Through telescopes and binoculars; using astronomy; or viewing with the naked eye. 

“Proving the beginning of Ramadan is not limited to crescent sighting,” said Sheikh Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al-Manea, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia. “There are other ways and means to determine the first day of the month, including astronomy. Astronomy is, in fact, more accurate and more convincing than moon sighting, which is only hypothetical while astronomy is conclusive and definitive.”

He said the findings of Muslims who specialize in astronomy must be taken into account because it is a proven means for confirming the crescent. The testimony of a moon sighter should not be accepted if it contradicts the astronomers’ opinion.

The crescent-screening method takes place during the emergence of the crescent moon, when it is precisely aligned with the sun and the Earth. Once it has completed a full cycle around the Earth and started a new one, the moon’s crescent is evident before the month’s first sunset. When the sun disappears below the horizon, the crescent moon remains perched in the sky where the sun went down. It has to remain visible in the sky for at least 30 minutes after sunset. 

The crescent moon cannot be seen with the naked eye until 15 hours have passed since the beginning of the cycle, and can only be seen through a telescope 12 hours after a new cycle begins. 

A record was created by Stephen O’Meara in 1990, who witnessed the closest thing to a new moon — or youngest moon — with his naked eye. The young crescent appeared in the sky 15 hours and 32 minutes after the new moon. 

Mohsen Mirsaeed surpassed that record in 2002, when he saw the crescent after 11 hours and 40 minutes of the new moon. 

To see the crescent moon clearly, it should be viewed from a high vantage point, far from heavily populated and built-up areas, and from natural and man-made obstructions that could obscure the sighting, such as mountains, hills and skyscrapers. The area should also be clear of atmospheric factors such as humidity and dust. 

Scholars and experienced astronomers are the only ones who can determine whether the crescent moon has arrived to dictate the beginning of the holy month. If they fail to witness the crescent moon on the 29th of the month, Ramadan will not start until after the 30th day of Shaaban. 

“Astronomical calculations indicate that the month of Shaaban is a 30-day full month, which means that Thursday, May 17, will be the first day of Ramadan,” said Khalid Saleh Al-Zaaq, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences. 

He said that Ramadan this year will be a 29-day month, with June 15 marking the first day of Eid.

Oman was the first country to declare that its Ramadan will begin on May 17, after no crescent was sighted on Tuesday, while Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain said they will begin fasting only once the crescent moon has been sighted and if it is not seen, they will wait until after the 30th day of Shaban.


OIC discusses draft humanitarian funds statute

Updated 3 min 18 sec ago
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OIC discusses draft humanitarian funds statute

  • It discussed the draft humanitarian funds statute
  • Taha added that it was important to make every effort to finalize the statute of these funds

JEDDAH: The general secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held a meeting of the open-ended Group of Governmental Experts in Jeddah on Thursday.
It discussed the draft humanitarian funds statute, in accordance with the Council of Foreign Ministers.
OIC Secretary-General Hussein Ibrahim Taha said that the meeting was held amid difficult and harsh humanitarian circumstances that required concerted efforts and collective action to adopt actions to help contain humanitarian crises and hardships.
In his speech, Taha added that it was important to make every effort to finalize the statute of these funds, undertake the necessary reforms to their working mechanism and support them with the financial resources to enable them to fulfil their role.
The statement delivered by assistant secretary-general for humanitarian, cultural and social affairs, ambassador Tariq Ali Bakhit, on behalf of OIC’s secretary-general, highlighted the significant challenges faced by member states in the humanitarian field.


KSrelief distributes shelter supplies in Afghanistan

Updated 6 sec ago
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KSrelief distributes shelter supplies in Afghanistan

  • KSrelief will distribute 4,882 shelter items, such as tents, blankets, plastic mattresses and other supplies

KABUL: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has launched a shelter project for people returning from Pakistan to Afghanistan and victims of the 2024 floods.

It will distribute 4,882 shelter items, such as tents, blankets, plastic mattresses and other supplies across the provinces of Kabul, Ghazni, Bamyan, Badakhshan, Kunduz, Baghlan, Parwan, Kapisa, Panjshir, Herat, Nimroz, Nangarhar and Laghman. The project will help 29,292 people.

The scheme is part of the Kingdom’s humanitarian and relief efforts, through its humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people.


KSrelief wins Global Humanitarian Achievement Award

Delano Roosevelt, CEO of National Council on US-Arab Relations, presents the award to the supervisor general of KSrelief.
Updated 14 November 2024
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KSrelief wins Global Humanitarian Achievement Award

  • Delano Roosevelt, the council’s second president and CEO, presented the award to the supervisor general of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, in Washington
  • Dr. Al-Rabeeah said the award is an international acknowledgement of Saudi Arabia’s leading role in relief efforts

WASHINGTON: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief was honored with the Global Humanitarian Achievement Award by the National Council on US-Arab Relations, in recognition of relief efforts that have made a substantial impact in crisis regions around the world.

Delano Roosevelt, the council’s second president and CEO, presented the award to the supervisor general of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, in Washington, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah said the award is an international acknowledgement of Saudi Arabia’s leading role in relief efforts.

He underlined the Kingdom’s commitment to assisting people in need, supporting those affected by crises, and assisting refugees wherever possible.

He also affirmed that Saudi Arabia has consistently been a leader in charitable and humanitarian initiatives and is at the forefront of donor countries on regional and international fronts.


4th Saudi Green Initiative Forum hosted in COP16 Green Zone in Riyadh next month

Updated 14 November 2024
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4th Saudi Green Initiative Forum hosted in COP16 Green Zone in Riyadh next month

RIYADH: The Saudi Green Initiative announced on Thursday that the SGI Forum 2024 will take place on Dec. 3-4 under the theme “Action is in our nature.” 

The flagship climate and environment action event, now in its fourth year, will return to Riyadh for the first time since its launch in 2021 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, prime minister and chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Saudi Green Initiative.

The SGI Forum 2024 will coincide with the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties, or COP16, of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, or UNCCD. 

According to an SGI press release, the Riyadh COP16 (Dec. 2-13) will be the largest-ever UNCCD conference, the first to be held in the Middle East region, and the largest multilateral conference hosted by Saudi Arabia.

At this year’s SGI Forum, hundreds of policymakers, business leaders and subject-matter experts from across the world will convene in a dedicated SGI Pavilion in the UNCCD COP16 Green Zone. 

Dozens of tailored sessions will explore best practices, innovations and progress against SGI targets, with the goal of deepening collaboration and scaling up action for a greener future.

Since the launch of SGI, a significant positive impact has been achieved, with 4+ GW of renewable energy capacity installed, more than 95 million trees and shrubs planted, and more than 1,660 endangered animals re-wilded across the Kingdom.

For the duration of COP16, the SGI will welcome the public to a 4,000 sq m SGI Pavilion, where visitors can enjoy an interactive journey through Saudi Arabia’s whole-of-society climate and environment efforts in the SGI Gallery. 

A multimedia showcase and a broad range of experts will enable guests to learn more about the more than 80 initiatives already launched as part of SGI. 

Visitors can also attend and exchange ideas during daily SGI Talks, an expert-led speaker series that launched in 2023.

The SGI was launched by the crown prince in 2021 to drive climate action across all levels of society and achieve Saudi Arabia’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. 

The initiative demonstrates the Kingdom’s dedication to improving the quality of life for current and future generations and addressing the region’s environmental challenges, including high temperatures, low rainfall, dust storms and desertification.

In 2022, the SGI Forum was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in tandem with UNFCCC COP27. The event revealed major climate action projects, including the launch of a circular carbon economy knowledge hub, and the establishment of a regional center for advancing emissions reduction with UNESCWA.

In 2023, the third SGI Forum took place in conjunction with UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai.

During the event, the Kingdom unveiled a 300 percent increase in installed renewable energy capacity since 2022, and more than 43 million trees were planted toward the goal of 10 billion.


Film review: ‘Gladiator II’ — entertaining, and a fun romp

Updated 14 November 2024
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Film review: ‘Gladiator II’ — entertaining, and a fun romp

RIYADH: After years of waiting, “Gladiator II,” a sequel to the epic saga “Gladiator” (2000), has finally hit the screen.

The film, released in VOX Cinemas, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 14, had a premiere at VOX Cinemas, Roshn Front in Riyadh on Tuesday evening.

Directed by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott, “Gladiator II” continues the epic saga of power, intrigue and vengeance in Ancient Rome.

Starring Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Fred Hechinger, the action genre release offers full entertainment, and serves as a follow-up to Scott’s “Gladiator,” released almost 25 years ago.

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.

With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

With “Gladiator II” expected to have its work cut out trying to prove it can stand toe to toe with Scott’s highly regarded epic, the film is not exactly what fans have been expecting. It is no patch on the original, to be sure, but it is still a good fun time at the movies, with Mescal and Washington stealing the show. It is entertaining, and a fun romp.

Scott’s return to the Roman arena is something of a repeat, but it is still a thrilling spectacle and Mescal a formidable lead.

Set about 25 years after “Gladiator,” we are reintroduced to Lucius (Mescal), the now grown son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (Russell Crowe). He lives with his wife and child in Numidia as a respected warrior, but a far cry from his birthright. When a battalion of Roman soldiers, led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invades his land, his wife is killed in the battle, resulting in Lucius’ capture and enslavement. Passed along, he ends up in Rome, seen as fodder for the masses.

Obviously inspired by the similar predicamen    t of Maximus, Lucius quietly resolves to fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum. His silent reasoning and overwhelming abilities are noteworthy, capturing the attention of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave. Macrinus has designs on the throne of Rome, plotting to overthrow young emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), taking Lucius under his wing in the process. As all of these people come together and realize Lucius’ connection; blood is spilt and lives are lost, but in the end Lucius takes his revenge.

“Gladiator II” is a good time at the multiplex, both for fans of the first one and those who do not have any extra affection.