The Ramadan moon has been sighted in Nigeria on Wednesday evening which means the holy month will begin on Thursday, March 23, 2023.
The National Moon Sighting Committee made this known in a short statement on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
The statement partly reads; The National Moon Sighting Committee is pleased to report that so far there have been numerous reports of positive sighting of the crescent of Ramadan 1444H grom different parts of the country. Alhamdu Lillah. Taqabbalallahu Minna Wa Minkum. May Allah make it a blessed month to all of us and also enable us to reep the benefits associated with the month. Amin.
His Eminence The Sultan will make formal announcement shortly.
Muslims follow a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days. Sighting a crescent moon heralds the start of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
The starting date of the dawn-dusk fasting month is determined by both lunar calculations and physical sightings of a new moon.
Ramadan is observed by more than 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and is considered a month of fasting and spirituality. It is believed to be the month when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for all healthy Muslims. However, young children, sick individuals, travelers, and women who are pregnant, nursing, or menstruating are exempt.
Muslims have followed the tradition of looking for the crescent moon for thousands of years to determine the start of Ramadan as well as the two major holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
