The acting Director of Sharia and second Deputy Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa has asked the Muslim community to look out for the crescent on Friday evening in preparation for the commencement of the holy month of Ramadhan.
He has asked any Muslim who sights the crescent on Friday evening to inform the leadership of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council-UMSC specifically the office of the Directorate of Sharia to announce the commencement of the fasting period.
Muslims across the world fast during the 9th month of the Hijri lunar calendar in fulfilment of the fourth pillar of Islam.
Sheikh Waiswa explains that when the moon is sighted on Friday, then fasting shall start on Saturday.
Sheikh Waiswa further urged Muslims on longer journeys or those who are ill to take provisions in the Qur’an. He says that Muslims with terminal illnesses should not fast until they have recovered while others can feed the poor.
According to Crescent Moon Watch, a moon tracker run by the United Kingdom, the new moon to signal Ramadhan shall arrive on Friday 1st April 1, 2022, but will likely be clearly visible in most parts of the world on 2nd April 2022.
The visibility of the moon shall depend on atmospheric conditions, cloudiness and the distance between the sun and the moon on the horizon. Saudi Arabia uses moon sighters. Many other countries including Bahrain, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and others look forward to Saudi Arabia for moon sightings. Uganda, like several African countries, also bases on Saudi Arabia’s moon sighters.
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