Tomorrow begins the Ramadan in the Middle East

The mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Shauqi Alam, the highest religious authority in the country reported today that next Wednesday will start the month of the Moslem fasting known as ramadan, as announced also by  clerics in Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

Ramadan is a month in which Muslim believers abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual intercourse from dawn until the sunset, and according to tradition is sacred for them, because it was in that month that the Prophet Muhammad began to receive the revelation of the Quran.

Today, Alam said that several religious committees that serve their institution sought  the first strip of the Crescent Moon in heaven, that marks the beginning of the month of ramadan, but did not see it.

According to Sheikh, this means that the month of shaaban (the eighth in the Islamic calendar) will be completed in 30 days and therefore the month of ramadan will start on Wednesday.

Since it is one of the five pillars of Islam, every Muslim has to fast,  except pregnant women or the ones  in their menstrual period, the sick, children and travelers.