Saudi Arabia announced Sunday that the holy month of Ramadan will begin on Monday, March 11, following the sighting of the crescent moon, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Muslims, who follow a lunar calendar comprising 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days, mark the start of Ramadan with the sighting of a crescent moon.
This ninth month of the Islamic calendar is known for dawn-to-dusk fasting and is a time of increased spirituality for more than 1.8 billion Muslims around the globe.
The determination of Ramadan’s commencement is based on lunar calculations and the physical sighting of a new moon.
In a related note, the Taliban have announced plans to hold their moon sighting possibly on Sunday and will declare the start of Ramadan based on the decision of their council.
