night to perform Tarawih (special evening prayers), after the new moon was sighted in the evening.
The Hilal committee, the moon sighting committee of Delhi that met this evening announced the new moon has been sighted.
Kashmir’s Grand Imam Mufti Bashir-ud-din announced sighting of moon on state broadcast television, Doordarsahan.
Mufti of different states also announced the arrival of Ramazan this evening. However the faithful in Kerala began observing the month on Monday.
Believed to be the month when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad, (SAW), Muslims fast every day for an entire month, abstaining from food and water from dawn to dusk, besides devoting more time to prayer and more resources to charity.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The start of the holy month is determined by the appearance of the new moon. The month ends with a celebration called Eid al-Fitr.
People were seen greeting each other on the beginning of the holy month during Tarawih at various mosques.
The word Tarawih comes from Arabic word which means to rest and relax.
About Ramzan:
Ramadan (Arabic pronunciation: Ramadhan, Ramadaan, Ramazan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 to 30 days.
It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God.
Muslims fast for the sake of God (Allah) and to offer more prayer than usual. Compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards by about eleven days each year depending on the moon; thus, a person will have fasted every day of the calendar year in 34 years’ time.
Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.