JEDDAH:Ìý¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵn moon observers said that there wasÌýno sight of the Ramadan crescent on Tuesday, meaningÌýmillions of Muslims around the world will begin the holy monthÌýon Thursday.Ìý
According to reports on ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵn state TV,Ìýbad weather made observation of the crescent difficult.ÌýThe KingdomÌýand other Muslim nations, like Indonesia, declared Ramadan would not begin on Wednesday based on the observations by moon-sighting committees.
Muslims around the world are set to mark the month, during which believers abstain from eating, drinking andÌýsmoking from dawn until sunset.
Fasting is intended to bring Muslims closer to Allah and remind them of those less fortunate.
The Islamic world follows a lunar calendar,Ìýand the traditionalÌýmoon-sighting methodology can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart
This year,ÌýRamadan falls on long summer days for Muslims in the Northern Hemisphere. For Muslims who live in regions where Islam is not the dominant religion, challenging fasts are believed to come with greater blessings.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five obligatory pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, annual charity -- known as "zakat" -- and performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah.
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