Published in www.gulfnews.com on July 13, 2012
Manama: Ramadan is expected to start on July 20, a Kuwaiti astronomer has
said.
“According to calculations, the first day of the month will be on Friday,
July 20,” Salah Al Ajairi said. “Muslims will fast for 15 hours and 18 minutes
on the first day and the fasting period will decrease gradually until it
reaches 14 hours and 33 minutes on the 30th and last day,” he said, quoted by Al
Aan news site.
The lunar month is decided in most Muslim countries upon the sighting of the
crescent, and not on astronomical calculations. Most Muslim countries follow a
lunar calendar and adopt the premise that fasting should begin when one new
moon is sighted and end when the next is sighted.
However, Muslims have disagreed whether the sighting should be with the
naked eye or based on astronomical calculations.
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink and sensual pleasures from
sunrise to sunset and focus instead on their relationship with God.
The month is used by devout Muslims to donate to charity and increase
benevolent work. However, the authorities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
countries, keen on avoiding misuses of financial donations, often warn
charitable trusts against collecting cash during Ramadan.
Religious groups regularly report an increase in the number of people who
embrace Islam during the month.
Last year, a Kuwaiti association said that 195 people embraced Islam in the
first five days of Ramadan in Kuwait.
“The number of foreigners who declared that they embraced Islam was 195 in
the first five days of the sacred month,” Jamal Al Shatti, the head of the
Committee to Promote Islam, said.
“We believe that many more people will announce their conversion before the
end of the month,” he said.
Kuwait is a predominantly Muslim country, but thousands of non-Muslims,
mainly foreigners from Asian countries, live in the country.
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