File Photo: Dar El-Iftaa building. Photo courtesy of Dar El-Iftaa website.
However, based on observations of the crescent moon, Dar El-Iftaa has the final say on the day Ramadan begins in Egypt. Dar El-Iftaa is the sole authority responsible for issuing religious edicts.
The institute announced in an official statement that the new crescent moon of Ramadan will be born immediately after the conjunction at 2:47 AM Cairo local time on Friday, 28 February 2025, marking the official day of observation.
According to the statement, the new crescent will remain visible in the sky over Mecca for 33 minutes and in Cairo for 37 minutes after sunset on that day. In other governorates across Egypt, the crescent will be visible for durations ranging between 34 and 37 minutes.
In recent years, many Muslim-majority countries, including Egypt, have begun relying on astronomical calculations to determine the start of Islamic lunar months. Traditionally, Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon. This religious ceremony has been followed in the Muslim world for centuries.
If the crescent is spotted after sunset in any place, it indicates the start of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
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