The moon, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramazan, was not sighted on Friday and the first day of the holy month will now fall on Sunday (May 28).
The announcement was made by the Chairman of Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Pakistan, Mufti Munibur Rehman, in a press conference held after the conclusion of an official meeting of the committee on Friday in the federal capital.
The Chairman Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee said that no witnesses regarding the moon sighting were received from across the country. “The Holy month of Ramazan would now begin from May 28.”
Meetings of the zonal committees were also held in provincial capitals.
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On DawnNews
Comments (36) Closed
I Don't Like the new theme
May 26, 2017 09:50pm
Happy Ramzan to everyone around the world. Have a blessed Ramzan.
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Bobby Khan canada
May 26, 2017 10:37pm
Why not we guys use modern technology to determine the position of moon? In rainy days moon will never be seen or the Moon may disappear from the solar system forever! Are we living with 1460 old stone age method determining our festivals? Are we going forward with 21st century or still going backward? Why not we change with time?
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SHAHZ
May 26, 2017 10:53pm
Wish you all a peaceful Ramzan- all of must remember the weak and vulnerable - drive slow
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Nadeem Bashir
May 26, 2017 11:11pm
Alhamdulilal.May aalah shower all of us with his blessings.
message "Remain united:
all muslims should make " ITIHAAD" then no one can harm us.
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Sab se pehle pakistan
May 26, 2017 11:22pm
Ramzan Mubarak everyone.
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Faisal
May 27, 2017 12:31am
Before people used to look at the position of sun and shadow of trees or walls to determine the time of salah, but now with the help of science we have time table for all five prayers for each day of the whole year and it's accurate to seconds. Nobody looks at the sun's position anymore. Why can't we do that with Ramadan and follow the scientific calender? And why is it always Pakistan to turn it a hot issue every year?
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Suchbaath
May 27, 2017 01:19am
@Bobby Khan canada
Moon follows Sun. Sun rises from East so hard for people of east to see it before people on west see all the time. Unfortunately some people claims to see the moon in eastern countries, and governments accept it, doesn't mean countries who believe in science, also follows, unscientific shadaths۔
West and East will have two different days for Islamic calendars, unless they coincide with 29 and 30 day of moon cycles.
So follow the basic rule to start month seeing new moon, and not worry who saw it and who didn't. We are responsible for individual acts.
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SHAHZ
May 27, 2017 01:24am
@Bobby Khan canada this is a sore topic- this tradition will never cease to exist - we only use technology as per our convenience eg out of sync loud speakers to cause only distress
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s shahid
May 27, 2017 01:28am
Ramadan Kareem to everyone!
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ArshaD khan
May 27, 2017 01:52am
@Bobby Khan canada , I think you need to have some in depth knowledge of modern technology :)
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ArshaD khan
May 27, 2017 01:52am
Have a happy Ramadan !!!
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Seedoo
May 27, 2017 02:15am
The real purpose is to use the birth of moon as a point of reference and nothing else. Back in those days, the only way to observe its birth was through eye sight observation. In todays age this is an anachronistic practice which servers little purpose other than to satisfy the demands of the conservatives who want to hold back the nation in the name of religion. No wonder these very people are against using DNA evidence in case of rape.
Who cares about the science, precision, and truth when you have ideology to cling on to? Happy Ramadan!
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Stranger
May 27, 2017 02:45am
Let's pray that the blessed month give us the strength to live the path of humanity.
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A K Islam
May 27, 2017 03:01am
@Bobby Khan canada
Happy Ramadan Mubarak Bobby Khan. I really like your statement about moon sighting. Yes, we are still in 1970s era. Very disappointing.
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Majid Gul
May 27, 2017 03:12am
Ramzan Mubarak to everyone. Why can't we use modern technology like everyone. I have doubts on these guys.
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May 27, 2017 03:32am
While the rest of the Muslim world observes Ramzan from Saturday. This means that not only our fasting will start on different days but also our calculations of Layla tul qadr will be different. I am always surprised that this doesn't bother many people.
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Yesu das
May 27, 2017 03:43am
Sad, they can't even agree on moon sighting! KSA and North America already announced Ramadan beginning on Saturday.
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UMair
May 27, 2017 04:09am
This committee always sees the moon a day late. The whole world is commencing Ramazan on Saturday, but these guys haven't seen the moon yet. BRAVO. Get these guys out of here and use technology. Man has reached Mars, but these guys can't simply see the moon. TRAGIC
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salman
May 27, 2017 04:55am
In the 21st century when we know exactly the lunar cycle and can project with absolute accuracy the entire lunar calendar for a Millennium why are we relying on these Mullah's with archaic cheap telescopes... please have mercy... Pakistan needs to get rid of this Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and save money instead educating the poor illiterate masses that are increasing each year.
Even though there isn't any 100% accuracy in the real world but if you want to be sure that the error in Lunar Calendar is less than 12 hours i.e. half a day, it's almost surely at least millions of years in advance that lunar cycle can be projected. They are obeying Newton's equations rather meticulously, and the dependence on detailed initial conditions is limited because of the approximate periodicity of all the processes. Even with Newton's mechanics, it would be lots and lots of thousands of years, and even before Newton's mechanics was known, astronomers predicted such things for millenniums rather well.
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Iqbal aswani
May 27, 2017 05:28am
@Bobby Khan canada Moon sighting is a fundamental requirement of Islamic month wether you like it or not. Alternatively you can just either go for sighting yourself or accept what the committee announces. What the fuss? And for your kind information, they are doing it just for public service. The committee is not paid even a single penny by government.
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Dpcmenon
May 27, 2017 07:37am
Ramdan 1 today in kerala
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KPK
May 27, 2017 07:58am
Happy Ramazan to all Muslim brothers and sisters in the world!
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Abdul KADIR
May 27, 2017 08:10am
Countries like USA, China and UK has set make colony there on Moon whereas we still believe on these old tradition. We need to educate ourselves
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aadil khanzada
May 27, 2017 09:17am
@Bobby Khan canada correct em agree wth you.
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Rashid
May 27, 2017 09:27am
I took a picture of the moon at 8.50pm. I wish I could share it with our hilal committee. It's just funny that moon is sighted on east and west of our country but it somehow disappears in our country
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RAza
May 27, 2017 09:33am
@Bobby Khan canada , you are right Bobby. But this will not happen until the nation's observing of religious months and days is in the hands of illiterate mullahs. Why they don't follow moonlighting.com which clears shows scientifically the positions of moon across the world.
As rest of the world is fasting, Pakistanis will miss one fasting day.
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Iffi
May 27, 2017 09:50am
Ramadan Kareem everyone
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Scary
May 27, 2017 09:56am
They saw the moon in India tonight. Their first fast is Saturday. But we can't see it anywhere in Pakistan. How strange.
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G.S.T. ISHWAR ADINATH
May 27, 2017 09:57am
Wish you all a peaceful Ramazan !! God Bless All !!
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A
May 27, 2017 10:30am
@Scary
No Sir ....it is from Sunday ...!
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Bakhtawer Bilal
May 27, 2017 12:43pm
Do we have a committee to decide for prayer timings? No. We have a clock. Benefits of technology. Why can't we benefit from technology for moon birth.?
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m.sattar.
May 27, 2017 01:39pm
Most of the members on this committee couldn't see the moon if it hit them in the face.
Time to get rid of them and send them home and install young people who can at least see past the end of their noses.
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Kamran
May 27, 2017 01:41pm
And again, there are two first day of Ramadan in Pakistan. Thanks to the local moon sighting committee in Peshawar headed by a mufti. How can you achieve unity amongst Pakistanis when these miscreants are challenging the writ of the state?
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Nadir khan Dahri(Golo Dahri)
May 27, 2017 02:04pm
Unquesti0nably !
human c0uld n0t change himself side by side with the role of science.
It is clear that machines g0t development.
But till humanity is hungry......
H0w we celebrate Ramdan ,,,,,?????
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MJK
May 27, 2017 03:08pm
Check with Saudi Arabia. When was the moon sighted? There are just 2 hours time difference between two countries. If Ramazan started in KSA on Saturday, why don't we follow them.
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Khawaja
May 27, 2017 07:27pm
In USA school calendars are planned at least a year ahead and Muslims have to inform concerned authorities on what dates Eid- al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha will fall which cannot be achieved by sighting the moon a day before. The Muslim organization dealing with New York City department of education has provided them with 2018 Eid- al-Fitr dates which is awesome and we will have schools closed on June 15 2018 for Eid- al-Fitr celebrations.
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