Muslims in the State and the country started Ramadan on Thursday with special Taraweeh prayers. The first fast would be on Friday. Ramadan is a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts for the Muslims across the world.
The decision that the holy month of fasting would begin from Thursday with special Taraweeh prayers was taken on Wednesday as the task of the moon-sighting committees to confirm the sighting of the crescent became difficult as weather in the city and other parts of the country was cloudy, and clear sky eluded majority of the cities and townships.
Muslims follow a lunar calendar and a moon-sighting methodology that can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart. However, this year religious authorities of different places in the country announced it based on their sightings of the moon that daily fasting would begin on Friday, while the special Taraweeh prayers would begin today.
During Ramadan, observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset for the entire month. A single sip of water or a puff of a cigarette is considered enough to invalidate the fast.
The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Muslims often give to charities during the month, and mosques and aid organizations organize free meals for the public every night.