A heated disagreement erupted recently within the Muslim community in various parts of the world about the start date of Ramadan 2024 and the right methods for determining it.
The narrative unfolded when Saudi Arabia declared the start of Ramadan on March 11, following the sighting of the crescent moon. Saudi astronomers had previously reported viability issues in certain regions due to weather conditions.
Consequently, the start date of Ramadan 2024 in Saudi Arabia and most Islamic countries differs from that of Morocco, Libya, Jordan, Oman, Malaysia, and Indonesia, which declared Tuesday the official start date.
Many internet users allege that the “Sultanate intentionally deviates from the norm and follows the principle of non-conformity regarding the start day of Ramadan.”
The story began when some X users claimed that “Oman always chose to fast and break their fast in alignment with Iran.” This has sparked a contentious debate among netizens, prompting many Omanis to defend their country furiously.
One X user vehemently rejected these strong claims stating, “Oman is the first Arab country where the sun rises and sets, meaning they are the first to sight the crescent moon and cannot diverge from another Arab country,” stressing that “other Arab countries are the ones that can diverge from Oman.”
Other Omanis showcased their unwavering support for their country’s decision, underscoring that “we only fast upon sighting the crescent moon in our country.”
The debate among the Muslim community further intensified when the Astronomy Center published an image of the first sighting of the crescent moon of Ramadan captured during the daytime on Monday at 10 AM, with many raising questions about the reliability of Saudi’s decision.
One x user said, “For 20 years, Saudi Arabia has been fasting incorrectly in Ramadan.” For this reason, he said, “always follow Oman and Morocco”
On the contrary, one X user stated, “Saudi observatories, with precise equipment, successfully captured the crescent moon, unlike the International Astronomy Center’s devices. He added that the difference in sighting the moon lies in high-tech equipment, shifting the focus from astronomical calculation to technological capabilities for the advantage in Ramadan crescent sighting.”
The Muslim community in Spain was also engaged in a debate over the beginning of Ramadan. This dispute arose after the selection of two different dates by religious organizations, with some of them choosing to fast on Monday and others on Tuesday.
In response to the conflicting views, the Islamic Commission of Spain retracted its earlier announcement and declared Monday as the start day to stick to the majority and prevent division, according to an official statement.
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