Muslim religious leaders to view crescent moon Friday night

COTABATO CITY – Muslim religious leaders will conduct moon-viewing Friday night in various areas of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to determine whether the fasting month of Ramadan will end Saturday.

The celebration of “Eid’l Fitr” ends the month-long Ramadhan of Muslim faithful worldwide.

Muslim Grand Mufti Abuhuraira Udasan, leader of the Darul Ifta (House of Opinion), said if the crescent moon appears Friday night, fasting ends on Saturday.

“If not, then the month of Ramadhan will officially end Sunday with the celebration of Eid’l Fitr,” Udasan told reporters.

The “different and subdued” observance of the fasting month started on April 23 with no congregational prayers and mass gatherings of Muslims due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Muslims are obligated to abstain from food and drink daily during Ramadhan from early morning to nighttime.

Fasting also means that faithful devote more time to prayers and charity works, when able. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of the Islam religion.

On May 19, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation 944 declaring Monday, May 25, a national regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Fitr.

Udasan reiterated the Darul Ifta’s guidelines for faithful to avoid congregational prayers in compliance with the directive of the National Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19.

“Congregational prayers in open spaces remain suspended,” Udasan said in the vernacular.

Instead, he encouraged all Muslims to pray in their homes to celebrate the end of the fasting month. (PNA)

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https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1103610
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