Fasting month of Ramadan starts tomorrow

Muslims will begin fasting on March 2 for the holy month of Ramadan, during which they will pay the compulsory zakat fitrah or tithe at a rate set at $5 or $7.90 for each person.

- Aqil Hamzah

Mufti of Singapore Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, in a statement on Feb 28, said the crescent moon that signals the start of Ramadan is unlikely to be spotted in Singapore's skies when the sun sets on Feb 28.

This means March 1 marks the 30th day and the completion of the month of Syaaban, he added.

Astronomical calculations put the moon at an angular distance of 5.1 degrees with an altitude of 4.3 degrees at sunset on the evening of Feb 28, he said.

Dr Nazirudin added that the calculations do not meet the criteria of the imkanur rukyah astronomy calculation method, agreed to by members of the Unofficial Meeting of Religious Affairs Ministers of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

"I am pleased to announce that the first day of fasting for the month of Ramadan falls on the day after tomorrow, Sunday, March 2," he said.

Imkanur rukyah, which means the possibility of sighting, refers to the Islamic astronomical calculation method used to determine the visibility of the new crescent moon.

The method relies on more than 700 data points of crescent moon sightings from around the world.