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Beginning on the New Moon According to the Quran, Ramadan begins when the new Moon is visible to the naked eye. This narrow crescent Moon, which rises in the morning and sets in the evening, is nearly invisible, appearing in the west only just after sunset. Muslim children look expectantly for the sliver of a Moon, just as Christian children count the days until Christmas. According to tradition, two witnesses must agree that the new Moon is visible and report this information to an Islamic leader called a qadi . If the qadi agrees, he reports to another religious leader called a mufti . The mufti announces to the community of believers that Ramadan has begun and the people begin their fast. This same procedure is used to determine that Ramadan has officially ended and that the time has come to break the fast and celebrate Eid al-Fitr. If the Moon is invisible at the beginning or end of the month, then the previous month is set at 30 days and Ramadan begins or ends when the 30th day ends. Of course, the new Moon is not necessarily visible on the same day around the world because some areas may have clouds while others do not. In today’s world, many Muslims let the mufti of Cairo, Egypt, make the determination of when Ramadan begins and ends so that all Muslims can observe Ramadan at the same time. Others consider Saudi Arabia the ultimate authority. In 2006, for example, Ramadan began on a

Utilizing Technology In some places, technology has trumped human observation. The Fiqh Council, a governing body of Muslims in North America, now uses astronomical instru- ments and calculations to decide when to begin and end Ramadan. In Saudi Arabia, observers sometimes go up in airplanes to look for the Moon. Islamic Religious Leaders There are several different religious lead- ers in Islam: • ayatollah: a major religious leader, scholar, and teacher in Shii Islam. • caliph: the leader of the Islamic reli- gion; does not exist anymore. • imam: a leader; a scholar of Islam; the head of a mosque. • muezzin: a person who issues the daily andweekly calls to prayer fromamosque. • mufti: a scholar of Islamic law. • mullah: a clergyman who is an expert on the Quran and religious matters. • qadi: a judge in a Muslim community who upholds Islamic law.

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