Abu Dhabi: The holy month of Ramzan 1444 AH (Anno Hegirae in Latin or “in the year of the Hijra”) -2023 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to begin on Thursday, March 23, 2023, a well-known UAE astronomer has predicted.
According to Ibrahim Al-Jarwan, a member of the International Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, Ramzan in 2023, will last for 29 days, with the first day of Eid-Al-Fitr likely on Friday, April 21, Khaleej Times reported.
Ramzan lasts for a full moon cycle, which is usually 29 or 30 days. The duration of the moon sighting is fixed. The exact date of the start of Ramzan and Eid-Al-Fitr will be confirmed closer to the date, based on the moon-sighting tradition.
Last year, the holy month began on April 1, 2022. In Islam, Ramzan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar— a lunar calendar consisting of twelve months beginning with Muharram, and ending with Zul-Hijjah. Each month starts with the sighting of the moon. Eid-Al-Fitr, on the other hand, marks the end of the month-long fast.
The calendar has been observed for more than 1,440 years and is used to date important Islamic events including the start of Ramzan, Eid-Al-Fitr, and the beginning of the Haj.
