In many countries Muslims are under lockdown and many communal rituals that are so integral to the holy month of fasting can’t be performed.
Muslim countries
Latest in Muslim countries
Donald Trump
Saudi calls on Muslim world to reject Iran ‘interference’
The tough stance comes on the eve of emergency Arab and Gulf summits called by US-ally Saudi Arabia to discuss the standoff and ways to isolate Tehran amid fears of a military escalation
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Hajj flights
Indonesia scouts for investment targets for $8bn Haj fund
The Saudi government has set Indonesia’s Haj quota at 221,000 this year, the largest contingent of pilgrims to attend the rite
culture and society
In pictures: Millions of Muslims around the world prepare for the holy fasting month of Ramadan
The start date is set by both lunar calculations and physical sightings which determine when the last day of one lunar month ends and a new one begins. Ramadan is a holy month for the world’s nearly 1.5 billion Muslims, many of whom practise the ritual of dawn-to-dusk fasting and prayers. Tradition holds that it was during Ramadan that the Prophet Mohammed started receiving revelations of the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
Counter-terrorism
Saudi vows new Islamic alliance ‘will wipe terrorists from the earth’
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said 40 countries were sending a clear signal against terrorism in the region