Ayatollah Sistani’s Office Issues Statement on Start of Ramadan

IQNA – The office of Iraq’s top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a statement on when this year’s holy month of Ramadan will begin.

According to the statement, it is expected that the crescent moon of the holy month will be sighted on the evening of Saturday, March 1.

Hence, the office predicted, Sunday, March 2, 2025, will be the first day of Ramadan, IINA reported.

The office of Ayatollah Sistani in the holy city of Najaf also predicted that the crescent moon of the lunar Hijri month of Shawwal will be sighted on the evening of Sunday, March 30.

It means that this year’s Ramadan will have 29 days and Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, will fall on Monday, March 31.

Ramadan is the ninth and most sacred month of the Islamic calendar, in which Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, refraining from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations.

They also devote more time to prayer, charity and good deeds, seeking to strengthen their faith and purify their souls.

Some religious scholars rely on astronomical calculations to determine the beginning of lunar months while most of them believe visual sighting of the moon should be used in this case.

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