Sheikh Abdulrauf Guialani 鈥� BANGSAMORO GOVERNMENT/ FACEBOOK
COTABATO CITY 鈥� Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulrauf Guialani will lead the official moonsighting on Friday, Feb. 28, to determine the date of the start of Ramadan.
The Bangsamoro 鈥楧arul Ifta,鈥� an Islamic council that has jurisdiction over religious events in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), has urged Muslim communities within the region and elsewhere in the country 鈥渢o prepare their hearts and minds for Ramadan.鈥�
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Other Islamic preachers will join the moonsighting in other parts of the country like Marawi City, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga, Davao, Gen Santos City, Metro Manila, Cebu, Baguio, and Palawan.
鈥淢ay we be blessed with a month filled with spiritual growth, patience, and immense rewards,鈥� Guialani said.
Guialani is expected to announce the results of the moonsighting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. He is the sole authority to declare whether the crescent moon was sighted or not.
Ramadan, a sacred month of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection observed by Muslims worldwide, is expected to commence on Saturday, March 1 if the crescent moon is sighted between 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 28.
If the moon is not visible in the country on Friday night, fasting officially begins on March 2, the Islamic religious leader said.
If the moon is visible on Friday, fasting begins on Saturday.
Ramadan is a month-long commitment to self-discipline, worship, and charitable acts, especially for the indigents and needy fellow Islamic believers. The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is one of the most important months in Islam.
During the month-long observance of Ramadan, adult Muslims are obliged to abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs from sunrise to sunset.
Acts of kindness would be taking center stage in many Bangsamoro communities where the faithful devout more time in prayer and Qur鈥檃n recitation.
This year, fasting will culminate on Eid al Fitr, expected to take place on March 30 or 31, depending on the result of moonsighting.