UAE moon sighting committee to meet Friday evening to announce Ramadan
Ramadan is expected to start on Saturday…
The UAE moon-sighting committee will meet on Friday, April 1 in the evening to indicate the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
According to Emirates News Agency (WAM), the committee will meet after the maghrib (one of the five mandatory Islamic prayers) prayer at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department under the chairmanship of Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice. A number of other senior officials will also be present.
The Shariah courts across the nation will inform the committee of any sightings, while the Lunar Calendar Committee at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department will also continue to collect evidence and will inform the Moon-Sighting Committee with any findings.
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At the moment, the first day of Ramadan is forecasted to fall on Saturday, April 2, 2022. Ramadan is typically 29 or 30 days long and is then followed by a public holiday, Eid Al Fitr. In 2022, Eid Al Fitr is expected to fall from Monday, May 2, and the Eid holidays will be from Ramadan 29 until Shawwal 3, based on the Islamic calendar.
If Monday, May 2 does mark the first day of Eid, then it looks set to be a five-day weekend for those who have adopted the new UAE weekend, with public and private sector residents off for their regular weekend on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, as well as three additional days from Monday, May 2 to Wednesday, May 4. Work would then resume on Thursday, May 5.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is a time when Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and smoking between sunrise and sunset. Non-Muslims as well are obliged to respect the fasting practices in public, so if you do have to leave the house for any reason during the day, please ensure you refrain from any of the above activities.
Ramadan marks the time when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Traditionally, extra tarawih prayers are performed throughout Ramadan and each evening 1/30th of the holy book is recited.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of the religion. The pillars are the framework by which Muslims everywhere live, and Ramadan is considered the holiest time in the Islamic calendar. It is a time for prayer, reflection and religious devotion, to cleanse past sins and to focus on Allah through good deeds.