On the evening of August 23, the iconic Clock Tower in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, located right across from the Holy Kaaba, lit up in celebration of the arrival of the Islamic month of Rabi’ Al Awwal.
A photo shared on X by Haramain captured the breathtaking moment, showing the tower glowing with a bright green light that illuminated the night sky.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s Astronomy Centre in Dubai announced on X that the conjunction (New Moon) for the month of Rabi‘ Al Awwal was observed at 04:19 GMT in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
The sighting of the crescent moon holds great importance for Muslims, as it marks the month in which Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday falls on the 12th of Rabi’ Al Awwal. The day is a public holiday in several countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
In Dubai, the UAE moon sighting committee gathers on the 29th of every Hijri month to confirm the crescent sighting and announce the beginning of the next Islamic month.
If the new month begins on August 24, the Prophet’s birthday will be observed on Thursday, September 4. However, if the month begins on August 25, then the celebration will take place on Friday, September 5.
The Hijri calendar, followed across Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and the wider Muslim world, is a lunar calendar determined by the moon’s phases, with each new month beginning after the sighting of the crescent moon.
Source : Khaleejtimes
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