Turks Fast Sunday, Saudis Sight Moon

[Noor]

Turks Fast Sunday, Saudis Sight Moon

Taha Oudah, IOL Correspondent


ANKARA/JEDDAH — Turkey's top Muslim affairs authority announced Thursday, September 21, that the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan will fall on Sunday, September 24, while Saudi Arabia announced it will be sighting the new moon Thursday.

Turkish mosques will perform the first Tarawih Prayer on Saturday, September 21, Ali Bardakoglu, the head of the government religious affairs committee, said in a statement a copy of which was obtained by IslamOnline.net.

Largely Muslim but secular Turkey depends on astronomical calculations in determining the start of Ramadan.

The European Council for Fatwa and Research has also said that the first day of the holy fasting month will fall on Sunday based on astronomical calculations.

Ramadan breeze is already filling the four corners of Turkey with local markets buzzing with buyers.

Streets have been also decorated with festoons and placards welcoming the holy month.

Hanging lights and beaming ribbons were also fixed at mosques’ minarets in Istanbul, in a breathtaking scene.

Charity is also a key characteristic of the holy month in Turkey with people competing to reach out to the less-fortunate and the poor.

Sighting

Meanwhile, the Saudi supreme judicial council urged people living in the kingdom to sight the new moon on Thursday.

In a statement, it urged any person who sights the moon register his testimony with the nearest court.

Saudi Arabia depends on the sighting of the new moon in determining the beginning of Ramadan.

Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.

One group says that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia.

A second, however, believes that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country (such as Egypt's Dar al-Iftaa [House of Fatwa]) announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.

Source

[The_Mujahid]

salaamu aleykum,

i am starting to fast 2morrow

wa salaam