BEIRUT: Lebanon’s top Shiite cleric says the Muslim holy month of Ramadan will begin on Friday August 21.

Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah said Monday in a statement that Ramadan will begin Friday based “on accurate astronomical calculations.” The beginning of Ramadan is traditionally based on the sighting of the new moon so most Muslims don’t know exactly when the month begins until a day or two before.

Lebanon’s Shiites are alone in their reliance on astronomical calculations rather than moon sightings by the naked eye.

Ramadan is Islam’s holiest month and a time of reflection when Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk.

Also on Monday, Sayyed Fadlallah met with Saudi Ambassador Ali at-Assiri, who stressed the need to preserve Lebanon’s social and cultural diversity, while reiterating his country’s support to Lebanon.

For his part, Fadlallah urged Saudi Arabia “the cradle of Islam and the place from which the message of Islam spread to the world” to persevere to preserve Muslim unity “inside and outside” the kingdom.
Fadlallah highlighted Saudi Arabia’s “determined battle” against “Takfiri factions that are dividing the Muslims and distorting the image of Islam.”

The Sayyed Fadlallah emphasized the need to maintain “the stability and security of the Arab and Muslim World, especially the Hijaz region,” in reference to an area renowned for its historical and religious heritage in Saudi Arabia.

The Sayyed said the main factors “to implement stability are associated with the pressing need to safeguard of inter- Islamic relations as well as Islamic-Arab relations.”

As such, he called on all concerned sides to “keep working on ameliorating and developing those relations in order to provide security for the Arab World.” – The Daily Star, with AP