Muslims will officially start the holy fasting month of Ramadan tomorrow (Tuesday, April 13, 2021).
The development was announced by the acting Director of Sharia who doubles as the Deputy Mufti of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Sheikh Muhammed Ali Waiswa on Sunday evening
Waiswa in his address to the media said that since the crescent moon was not sighted on Sunday evening, Ramadan will automatically start on Tuesday.
He further noted that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be no Taraweeh prayers at the national mosque calling upon the Muslim community to have these prayers from home as they await a decision from government to relax on the curfew hours.
The Muslims have also been encouraged to carry their own prayer mats and avoid touching surfaces and strictly wear masks while at the mosque.
The start of Ramadan is set by both lunar calculations and physical sightings that determine when one month ends and another begins.
Ramadan fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.
It is also a time of prayers and almsgiving. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Muslim-majority countries have imposed restrictions on worshippers including night-time curfews and called for prayers to be performed at home.
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