With eyes set on the night sky, Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulrauf Guialani will lead the official moonsighting on Friday, a tradition that signals the start of Ramadan and usher in a month of fasting, prayer, and spiritual renewal for Muslims across the Philippines.
Guialani, the country’s highest Islamic authority on moon sightings, will oversee the observation and announce the results at around 7:30 pm.
Religious scholars will also conduct moonsightings in Marawi City, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga, Davao, General Santos City, Metro Manila, Cebu, Baguio, and Palawan.
The Bangsamoro Darul Ifta, which oversees religious affairs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), ensures that the moonsighting follows Islamic tradition and the lunar-based Hijri calendar.
If observers see the crescent moon between 6 pm and 7 pm, Ramadan starts on Saturday; otherwise, Muslims start fasting on Sunday.
As the community prepares for the sacred month, Guialani urged Muslims to strengthen their faith and embrace the spiritual journey ahead.
“May we be blessed with a month of spiritual growth, patience, and immense rewards,” he said in an interview with state-run media PNA.
The month-long observance will end with Eid al-Fitr, which will fall on March 30 or 31, depending on the moonsighting results.
Meanwhile, muslims around the world observe Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, by fasting from dawn to sunset, increasing worship, and performing acts of charity.
In Bangsamoro communities, many devote more time to Qur’an recitation and communal prayers.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.