Many countries are gearing up to see the crescent moon to determine the official date for the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
Some countries have already announced when their religious authorities will sight the crescent moon.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court called on Muslims to sight the crescent moon of Ramadan on Friday, corresponding to the 29th of Shaaban in 14446 Hijri year.
UAE’s Council of Fatwa also called on the entire population of Dubai and other emirates to observe the crescent moon on Friday evening.
The Qatari Crescent Sighting Committee at the Islamic Affairs Ministry made the same appeal, announcing that they would investigate the sighting of the moon on Friday.
Other countries, including Morocco, are still to determine when the sighting will take place. But many expect Morocco to also sight the crescent moon on Friday.
The sighting might take place on the same day but Morocco and Saudi Arabia might announce a different starting date, depending on the result of the moon sighting.
Astronomers expect Morocco to declare the moon as invisible on Friday evening, and therefore Ramadan will be on March 2.
But other countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE will announce Saturday as the first day of the holy month.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar; it is a special and blessed period when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and strive to live up to the spiritual guidelines of their religion.