Muslim’s fasting month of Ramadan to begin Monday

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Muslim’s fasting month of Ramadan is to begin on Monday, according to an announcement by the Chairman of Iraq’s Sunni Waqf (Edowment) on Sunday night.   “Monday shall be the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan, according to the Islamic Hijri Year, 1,432,” Sheikh Abdul-Ghafour al-Samarrai said in a celebration on this occasion on Sunday night, adding that “the decision was taken after failure to see the moon on Sunday night, thus that day has completed the Hijri month of Shaaban, to be followed by the month of Ramadan.”   Noteworthy is that Saudi Arabia had also announced that Monday would be the first day of Ramadan.   Muslims during the month of Ramadan fast from eating, drinking and smoking during the fasting hours of every day of the month, starting from the first hours of the dawn, at about 03:30 am local time (12:30 GMT) and continue for about 16 hours, ending at about 07:30 pm local time (16:30 GMT).   Fasting married Muslims, from both sexes, are not allowed to enjoy any sexual activity during the fasting hours, and they are allowed to do that after the end of the fasting hours, provided the they wash up and restore their cleanliness before the start of the fasting hours.   SKH (IT)       673