• Saudi Arabia, Gulf neighbours to observe holy month from today
• UAE sends AI-equipped drones to spot moon
PESHAWAR: The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee on Friday announced that the moon of Ramazan was not sighted anywhere across the country, confirming that the first day of the holy month will be on Sunday (March 2).
The 24-member committee, chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, convened in Peshawar at the Administrator Auqaf office on Charsadda Road.
“No report of moon sighting has been received from any part of the country. Therefore, the first day of Ramazan will be on Sunday,” announced Maulana Azad after the meeting. He noted that cloudy weather prevailed in most parts of the country, although some regions experienced clear skies.
Zonal Ruet-i-Hilal committees held meetings in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Quetta, but no credible reports of moon sighting were received from any of these locations. The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee operates in coordination with local and national agencies to ensure accurate moon sighting.
Maulana Azad said the Ruet Hilal Committee was also assisted by the meteorological office, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Suparco, the science and technology department and other related officials.
Committee members who attended the meeting included Maulana Hafiz Abdul Ghafoor, Maulana Yaseen Zafar, Maulana Ashraf Ali, Mufti Qari Mehrullah, Maulana Sardar Muhammad Khan Laghari and Sahibzada Syed Habibullah Chishti, among others.
Meanwhile, an unofficial moon sighting committee at Qasim Ali Khan Mosque in Peshawar, led by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai, also convened on Friday. The committee, attended by clerics from adjacent areas, also announced the start of Ramazan on Sunday, in line with the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee’s decision.
“No witnesses regarding the moon sighting were received, so Ramazan will begin on Sunday (March 2),” Mufti Popalzai announced.
Saudi Arabia, Gulf nations
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbours on Friday announced that Ramazan would begin on Saturday (today), AFP reported. Saudi Arabia was joined by the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in declaring the sighting of the crescent moon that heralds Ramazan.
“The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Saturday, is the first day of the month of (Ramazan),” the official Saudi Press Agency posted on X.
Several Muslim countries declare Ramazan in line with the announcement in Saudi Arabia. The UAE, Qatar and Oman also said Ramazan would start on Saturday.
Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, meanwhile announced that the holy month would begin on Sunday.
AI-equipped drones
The United Arab Emirates flew AI-equipped drones to help spot the crescent moon marking the start of Ramazan, official media said on Friday.
The “world-first” innovation puts a new twist on a centuries-old tradition where people scan the skies for the first glimpse of the newly visible moon.
“The use of AI-powered drones extends the concept of direct visual observation, which remains the primary method for confirming the sighting of the crescent moon,” the WAM news agency said, citing the UAE Council for Fatwa.
The report did not give details about the drones and how they would use artificial intelligence (AI).
“This method will complement traditional naked-eye sighting accounts and advanced astronomical observatories across the country, which are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to ensure precise moon sighting,” the report said.
The UAE also gave the green light to moon-spotters to scour the heavens on Friday. Moon sightings can be reported using a hotline number or an online form.
The country, which appointed the world’s first minister of state for AI in 2017 and launched the Falcon generative AI model in 2023, is vying to be a world leader in the technology.
Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025
