Hargeisa, July 09, 2013 (SDN) — Somaliland’s minister of religious affairs and endowment Sheikh Khalil has said that the holy month of Ramadan will start tomorrow following the non- sighting of the moon as at yesterday.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is an annual and month-long spiritual exercise decreed for all matured Muslim faithful and the commencement is normally sequel to the sighting of a new moon which signals the holy month of Ramadan.
Sheikh Khalil made this known last night when he visited Radio Hargeisa to announce that the moon had so far not been sighted and so the Muslim faithful cannot commence the Ramadan fast with sighting the moon.
He explained that in accordance with the tenets of Islam when the moon is not sighted during the period of Shaaban which is 30 days, after the 29th day whether the moon is sighted on the 30th day or not the fasting must commence after the 30th day.
He said, “The ministry has asked all citizens to look for the moon and throughout the country, the moon has not been sighted anywhere and the Prophet has said that when the moon is not sighted you count Shaaban to be 30 days and consequently 30 days of Shaaban is tomorrow and whether the moon is sighted or not Ramadan starts on Wednesday.
Minister Khalil further stated that Islam is a religion of jurisprudence and so practiced on principles of law and not on wimps and caprices, saying that it is prohibited for anybody to fast on the day of doubt. He said other Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia have also not sighted the moon.
SDN Hargeisa
