By Muhammad Luqman
In a rare exhibit of togetherness , majority of Muslims across the globe began the fasting month on Thursday as the crescent of Ramadan was sighted in South Asian countries including Pakistan , India and Bangladesh on Wednesday evening. As the moon was not sighted in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states on Tuesday, the month also commenced in the Middle East on Thursday.
“The moon of Ramadan has been sighted. So the first of the holdy month falls on Thursday”, Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman, the chairman of Pakistan’s Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the body responsible for sighting of crescent of Islamic calendar months announced in port city of Karachi.
Testimonies of the moon-sighting were received from various parts of the north-western and south western Pakistan including Lower Dir, Buner, Nathia Gali, Abbottabad, and Quetta, according to media reports.
Following the gulf states, Muslims in United States of America, Canada and the Europe are also having the first day of Ramadan on Thursday.
The Australian National Imams Council had declared that the holy month of Ramazan will begin on Thursday. Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalm, South Korea, Japan and Singapore have also declared that Ramadan will begin on Thursday.
In Afghanistan , the country that usually follows Saudi Kingdom in beginning of the fasting month and observance of Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha, the month of Ramadan began on Thursday.
This way, Muslims across the world began the Ramadan on the same day and will celebrate Eidul Fitr together, exhibiting a unique sense of togetherness. Besides, all the Pakistanis will also celebrate Eidul Fitr together that had been dream in the past due to beginning of fasting month in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtun Khawa one day almost every years before other parts of the country due to an imam of Qasim Khan mosque.
