By Edwin Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulrauf Guialani will lead the official moonsighting on Friday to determine the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Guialani, the sole authority to declare the sighting of the crescent moon, will announce the results at around 7:30 p.m.
Other Islamic preachers will join the moonsighting in key areas across the country, including Marawi City, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga, Davao, General Santos City, Metro Manila, Cebu, Baguio, and Palawan.
The moonsighting is governed by the Bangsamoro Darul Ifta, the Islamic council overseeing religious events in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Prepare your hearts and minds for Ramadan,” Guialani advised Muslims in the region and across the Philippines. “May we be blessed with a month filled with spiritual growth, patience, and immense rewards.”
If the crescent moon is sighted between 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Ramadan will begin on Saturday. Otherwise, fasting will officially start on Sunday.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a sacred period of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection observed by Muslims worldwide. During this month, adult Muslims abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs from sunrise to sunset.
The month-long observance emphasizes self-discipline, worship, and acts of kindness, with many Bangsamoro communities dedicating more time to prayer and Qur’an recitation.
This year, Ramadan is expected to culminate in Eid al-Fitr, which will fall on March 30 or 31, depending on the moonsighting results. (PNA)
