Crescent moon lookout Thursday night to determine start of Ramadan

AMMAN — Grand Mufti Abdulkarim Khasawneh on Wednesday said that the Iftaa Department will look for the crescent moon (hilal) at sunset on Thursday at several locations and at the astronomical observatory on Wadi Rum’s Um Al Dami Mountain, the highest peak in Jordan.

The result of the sighting will be announced after Thursday’s sunset, Khasawneh said, noting that there will be no accompanying activities with the sighting, in line with the government’s procedures to maintain social distancing, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Jordanian Astronomical Society will also look for the hilal at several locations, Petra added.

The crescent marks the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan. If the sighting is confirmed, Muslims in Jordan will start fasting on Friday. Otherwise, the month will begin on Saturday.

In accordance with Islamic tradition, sighting the crescent moon at dusk on the evening of the 29th of Shaban (the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar) is the only way to determine the beginning of Ramadan.