Muslims worldwide to mark the start of Ramzan on Thursday

June 18, 2015 08:58

Muslims around the world will mark the start of Ramzan today, a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.

Muslims follow a lunar calendar and a moon-sighting methodology that can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramzan a day or two apart.

However, this year religious authorities in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and most other parts of the world announced based on their sightings of the moon that daily fasting would begin on Thursday.

Authorities in Pakistan have yet to announce the sighting of the moon.

During Ramzan, observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset for the entire month. A single sip of water or a puff of a cigarette is considered enough to invalidate the fast.

The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Muslims often give to charities during the month, and mosques and aid organisations organise free meals for the public every night.

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