Muslims in Türkiye, Oman, Singapore, Australia to start Ramadan fasting on Thursday

ISTANBUL

Muslims in Türkiye, Oman, Singapore and Australia will begin fasting in Ramadan on Thursday, after authorities in the four countries confirmed the start of the holy month based on astronomical calculations.

Safi Arpagus, head of the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs, said the first Tarawih (special nightly prayers during Ramadan) will be held on Wednesday evening and the first day of fasting will be on Thursday.

Oman also confirmed that Muslims in the country will start fasting in Ramadan on Thursday. Authorities in the Gulf country said that Wednesday will be the last day of Shaaban, the eighth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, without calling for a public moon sighting.

Assistant Grand Mufti Kahlan bin Nabhan al-Kharousi said the decision is based on long-established religious and scientific principles.

Muslims in Singapore will also begin fasting for the holy month of Ramadan on Feb. 19, according to a statement by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis).

Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir said astronomical calculations showed the new moon of Ramadan would not be sighted at sunset on Feb. 17, meaning that the last day of Shaaban will be on Feb. 18 and the start of Ramadan will be observed on Feb. 19.

Australia also confirmed that the fasting month will start on Thursday, based on astronomical calculations, a decision endorsed by the Australian Fatwa Council after consultations led by Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamad.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and begins with the sighting of the crescent moon.

While some countries rely on local moon sighting, others increasingly use astronomical calculations to determine the start of the month, particularly when scientific data confirms the impossibility of visual observation.