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Rabat – The Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC) in New Jersey will host an event on Friday, May 3, in preparation for Ramadan. After the maghrib prayer time at sunset, ICPC has put together a special program of guest speakers.
Among them will be Sheikh Nady Kishk; the imam of ICPC, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Qatanani; Sheikh Abdul Hameed Askam; the imam of the ICPC Clifton campus, Sheikh Osamah Salhia; and Sheikh Yousef Bakeer, the ICPC youth development manager.
The ICPC was established in 1990 in Paterson, New Jersey, which has one of the largest Muslim communities in the US. The center serves a congregant base of over 25,000 people.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and begins at the first observance of the new crescent moon, meaning the date varies from year to year. The month of fasting, prayer, and reflection lasts for 29 or 30 days, depending on the length of the lunar cycle. Ramadan honors the moment the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
On Saturday, May 4, Saudi Arabia will begin observing the moon to determine the start of Ramadan. Morocco will begin observation the next day, along with Palestine, Sudan, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt among others. The US and the UK expect to see the crescent moon Sunday and begin fasting Monday.
However, in most Arab countries, the crescent moon is expected to form on the evening on Sunday, May 5, but will not be able to be seen after sunset, meaning the moon will be seen the next day on Monday, May 6, starting Ramadan. Fasting will then begin May 7. Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the fast, will most likely fall on June 4 this year in Morocco.
