Ramadan starts April 13 as Muslims face COVID-19 curbs

 

Holy fasting of month of Ramadan starts Tuesday April 13 for this year 2021 as  Muslims worldwide face COVID-19 curbs.
 
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, made the announcement on Monday.

The kingdom's supreme court said in the royal court that, "Tuesday is the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan this year."



NATIONAL PANEL that other Muslim countries, including Sunni-majority Egypt and Lebanon, have also announced Tuesday marks the beginning of Ramadan, while Shiite-majority countries like Iran are expected to start a day later.

The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.

It is also a time of prayers, during which Muslims typically converge in large numbers at mosques, especially at night.


But due to Covid-19 pandemic, many Muslim-majority countries have imposed restrictions on worshippers, including night-time curfews, and called for prayers to be performed at home.


 
“The month of Ramadan is upon us and the world is suffering from the coronavirus pandemic,” Saudi King Salman said in a statement released by state television.

“We thank God for the scientific efforts in developing vaccines to curb the pandemic.”

The starting date of Ramadan, the holiest Muslim month, is set by both lunar calculations and physical sightings to determine the beginning of a new month. -Punch.