Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines have announced that Tuesday (12 March) will mark the beginning of Ramadan.
Australia officially declared that the first day of Ramadan will commence on Tuesday (12 March), reports Gulf News.
Due to its geographical positioning and lunar visibility, Australia often leads in announcing the start of Ramadan, being situated in the eastern hemisphere and ahead in time zones compared to many other countries in the western hemisphere.
Brunei has declared Tuesday as the first day of Ramadan, citing the inability to sight the crescent moon from various locations in the Sultanate.
Malaysia states the crescent of Ramadan was not visible, declaring Tuesday as the first day of the holy month.
Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs announced Tuesday as the first day of Ramadan due to the inability to observe the crescent moon at all observation points.
In Singapore, Mufti Dr. Nazirudin Mohd Nasir announced that astronomical calculations suggest the crescent for Ramadan is unlikely to be seen above Singapore's horizon when the sun sets on Sunday evening.
The Philippines' GMA News reported that the Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta’ (BDI) announced Tuesday as the start of Ramadan, as the moon was not sighted on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, in the Arab world, moon-sighting committees are scheduled to convene after Maghreb prayers today to observe the crescent moon, heralding the beginning of Ramadan.
Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is a time when Muslims around the world fast from sunrise to sunset.
