Dar al-Fatwa, seat of the Sunni religious authorities, announced that tomorrow, March 11, is the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The announcement came shortly after Saudi Arabia said the crescent of the ninth month of the lunar calendar had been sighted on Sunday evening, ushering in the fasting month.
While Lebanese Sunnis are expected to fast tomorrow, Shiite followers of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah will follow Tehran’s announcement on the start of Ramadan, which most of the time comes a day later.
In addition to Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Syria announced the start of Ramadan.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam during which pious Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and smoking, from dawn until sunset.
