Each year as Ramadan approaches, more than 2 billion Muslims around the world prepare for a month of fasting, prayer and communality. But Ramadan does not begin on the same day everywhere in the world.
This year, some countries commence the month of fasting on Thursday, February 19, whereas others begin it a day earlier. Similarly, at the end of Ramadan, different communities will celebrate Eid on different dates.
The reason for this lies in the nature of the lunar visibility calendar – the new crescent Moon is not always visible everywhere on the same date. The prophet Muhammad is reported to have said: “Observe fast on sighting it [the crescent] and break fast on sighting it [the next crescent] – but if the sky is cloudy for you, then complete the number [30 days].”
