Iraq’s Sunnis to start observing Ramadan on Tuesday

Religious leaders of Iraq’s majority Shiites have called on followers to observe the moon on Monday

A Shiite Muslim pilgrim sits by lit candles outside the Shrine of Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi during the Shaabaniya ceremony, marking the middle of the Islamic month of Shaban and two weeks before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and on which Twelver Shiites commemorate the birth of Imam Mahdi (the sect's final Imam), in Iraq's central holy shrine city of Karbala on March 28, 2021. / AFP / Mohammed SAWAF

Shiite Muslim pilgrims gather outside the Shrine of Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi during the Shaabaniya ceremony, marking the middle of the Islamic month of Shaban and two weeks before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and on which Twelver Shiites commemorate the birth of Imam Mahdi (the sect's final Imam), in Iraq's central holy shrine city of Karbala on March 28, 2021. / AFP / Mohammed SAWAF

Muslims perform evening prayer at the Sunni shrine of Abdul-Qadir al-Gailani ahead of the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 10, 2021. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and the holiest time of the year for Muslims. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

Shiite Muslim pilgrims gather outside the Shrine of Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi during the Shaabaniya ceremony, marking the middle of the Islamic month of Shaban and two weeks before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and on which Twelver Shiites commemorate the birth of Imam Mahdi (the sect's final Imam), in Iraq's central holy shrine city of Karbala on March 28, 2021. / AFP / Mohammed SAWAF

Shiite Muslim pilgrims light candles outside the Shrine of Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi during the Shaabaniya ceremony marking the middle of the Islamic month of Shaban and two weeks before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and on which Twelver Shiites commemorate the birth of Imam Mahdi (the sect's final Imam), in Iraq's central holy shrine city of Karbala on March 28, 2021. / AFP / Mohammed SAWAF

A Shiite Muslim pilgrim lights candles outside the Shrine of Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi during the Shaabaniya ceremony, marking the middle of the Islamic month of Shaban and two weeks before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and on which Twelver Shiites commemorate the birth of Imam Mahdi (the sect's final Imam), in Iraq's central holy shrine city of Karbala on March 28, 2021. / AFP / Mohammed SAWAF

Sunnis in Iraq will start Ramadan on Tuesday, the Sunni Endowment said on Sunday.

The moon was not visible in Iraq on Sunday, so Monday will be the last day of the month of Shaaban, it said.

Meanwhile, the religious leaders of the country’s majority Shiites called on followers to observe the moon on Monday.

Ramadan is highly likely to start on Wednesday for Shiites, according to religious authorities’ expectations.

Many Shiites prefer to see the crescent with their own eyes, while Sunnis often use telescopes or follow Saudi Arabia’s lead.

Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic – or Hijri – calendar. Muslims believe God sent the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Mohammed to reveal the first verses of the Quran.

Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk during the entire month, a ritual that is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of the poor.

Muslims are also encouraged to avoid gossip and arguments, and physical intimacy is forbidden during the daytime fast.

Ramadan is also a time when Muslims strengthen their faith through prayer and increased recitation of the Quran.

Iraqis will observe Ramadan this year amid a new wave of Covid-19 and an economic crisis that together pushed the nation’s poverty rate last year to 31.7 per cent, up from 20 per cent in 2018.

The Health Ministry reported 8,331 cases on Wednesday, the highest number of daily infections since the outbreak began.

A man hangs Ramadan decorations in a street in Beirut, Lebanon. Reuters

Children pose for a photo with a Ramadan ‘fanous’ (lantern) decoration at a market in Cairo, Egypt, on April 1, 2021. EPA

A woman browses decorative Ramadan ‘fawanees’ (lanterns) at a market in Cairo, Egypt, on April 1, 2021. EPA

Ramadan decorations light up a street in Tripoli, Lebanon. Olivia Cuthbert / The National

Shoppers browse Ramadan ‘fanous’ (lantern) decorations at a market in Cairo, Egypt, on April 1, 2021. EPA

A crescent-shaped Ramadan moon decoration adorns a lamp post on Abu Dhabi island. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Hanan Al Madhoun, 37, builds a Ramadan lantern, called a ‘fanous’, at her home in Gaza on April 1, 2021. AFP

A Ramadan decoration illuminates Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National

A craftsman fashions a colourful ‘fanous’, a decoration traditionally used to celebrate the start of the holy month of Ramadan, in a workshop in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. AFP

Ramadan decorations inside Mado, a restaurant in Umm Suqeim, Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

Ramadan decorations are up in Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. Reem Mohammed / The National