Hajj 2022: Saudi Arabia calls on Muslims to sight Dhu Al Hijjah crescent moon

The crescent should be visible to the naked eye on Wednesday

Muslim clerics try to sight the new moon, which will mark the end of Ramadan, In Cape Town, South Africa, May 1, 2022. AFP

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on people living in the kingdom to sight the crescent moon of the month of Dhu Al Hijjah on Wednesday evening.

Those who spot the moon with their naked eye or using binoculars are urged to report it to the nearest court and register their testimony.

The entire month of Dhu Al Hijjah is holy, with a series of days important to the Muslim faith.

Dhu Al Hijjah is the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar is considered one of the four sacred months for Muslims, called Al Ash-hur Al Hurom.

The month consists of 29 or 30 days and its literal translation means Possessor of the Pilgrimage or the Month of the Pilgrimage.

The first 10 days of Dhu Al Hijjah, starting on the eve of the month, are of great reverence for Muslims as Allah swears with them: “By the Dawn. And Ten nights.” (Surat Al Fajr).

The month had been associated with Hajj before Islam was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. In pre-Islamic times, Arabs would refrain from raids and wars and devote themselves to pilgrimage.

After Islam was established and the people of Makkah accepted the faith, the Prophet Mohammed and his companions performed Hajj. During that pilgrimage, Muslims witnessed the rituals and, to this day, still follow the Prophet Mohammed’s lead and benefit from his Hadiths, which clarify many Hajj practices.

This year, Hajj is expected to begin on July 7. The pilgrimage takes three days but most pilgrims extend their stay by a week to pray in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.