Amid global anticipation, the Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that tomorrow, Monday, is the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan in the Kingdom.

The UAE, Qatar, and Syria also announced that tomorrow is the first day of the blessed month.

Palestine also announced that tomorrow is the first day of Ramadan after the crescent moon was sighted from Jerusalem.

While many Arab and Islamic countries are still awaiting the moon sighting, Australia, Malaysia, and the Sultanate of Brunei announced that next Tuesday is the first day of Ramadan, and tomorrow, Monday, is the completion of the month of Sha’ban.

The Australian Fatwa Council officially confirmed that March 12 is the first day of Ramadan in the country.

In a statement today, Sunday, it said that Monday, March 11, is the completion of the month of Sha’ban, and that same day after sunset is the first night of Ramadan and the establishment of Taraweeh prayers.

Meanwhile, the International Astronomy Center mentioned on its official account on the "X" platform that tomorrow, Monday, is the completion of the month of Sha’ban, and that Tuesday, March 12, is the first day of Ramadan in Australia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Crescent Moon Sighting

It is noted that the International Astronomy Center had previously reported that most Islamic countries began the month of Sha’ban on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Accordingly, most countries will seek the crescent of Ramadan today, Sunday (March 10). The central conjunction will occur this day at nine o’clock in the morning Greenwich Time, and the moon will set after sunset in almost all areas of the Islamic world.

Based on this, it is expected that many countries will begin Ramadan on Monday, March 11.

As for the possibility of seeing the crescent today, Sunday, “based on all the criteria for crescent sighting published in peer-reviewed scientific research, including the criteria of the Muslim scholar Ibn Tareq, researcher Wotheringham, researcher Mawnder, researcher Brouine, Muslim researcher Elias, the SAAO astronomical observatory, researcher Yalop, and Muslim researcher Ouda, crescent sighting is not possible today from anywhere in the Arab and Islamic world, whether by the naked eye or using a telescope, while crescent sighting is possible using a telescope from parts of the Americas, especially from the western parts,” according to the center.

Therefore, for countries that require a visual sighting of the crescent from somewhere in the Islamic world, it is expected that these countries will begin Ramadan the day after tomorrow, Tuesday (March 12), according to the same source.