Ramadan expected to start on July 9

Ramadan is expected to start on July 9, local daily Gulf News reported citing Adel Al Saadoon, a leading astronomer in Kuwait.

“Based on the calculations, the crescent marking the start of the month will be visible on Monday, making Tuesday the first day of the holy month,” the daily quoted Saadoon as saying.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise until sunset during this month to boost spiritual commitment and charitable engagements.

However, there are many debates over the best way to calculate the beginning or the end of the month.

Under the traditional approach, the first day of Ramadan follows the day after the slight crescent (hilal) is sighted.

Questions raised over the merit of the traditional approach included whether the start or end of the month should be declared if the hilal is sighted in only one part of the country, the report said.

The modern approach makes use of the astronomical calculation, even though followers of the traditional method have fiercely resisted it