The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is set to commence on 11 March and will span 30 days, announced Gad El-Qadi, the director of the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) in an article reported by Ahram Online on 21 February.
“According to [astronomical] calculations, Ramadan will end on April 9,” El-Qadi was quoted saying.
He also highlighted that the crescent moon indicating the start of Ramadan will be sighted on 10 March, also known as 29 Shaaban in the Hijri calendar.
Despite the NRIAG’s calculations, the final decision on when Ramadan begins rests with Dar al-Ifta – the country’s primary religious authority. The Islamic authority bases its decision on the sighting of the crescent moon.
Ramadan always falls on the ninth month of the Hijri calendar, but its date on the Gregorian calendar shifts every year. The Hijri calendar is based on the lunar cycle, which is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar Gregorian calendar. This causes Ramadan to shift 11 to 12 days earlier each year.
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