29 Days or 30 Days in Length, Ramadan is Now

DAILY NEWS 
By Dr. M.Haris Z Deen

SRI-LANKA---With the advent of the new moon ushering in the solar month of Ramadhan on the 7th or 8th of July this year, Muslims all over the world will commence the ritual of fasting. In the context of the Islamic religion fasting is not just a ritual. It is a religious duty enjoined on those entering the fold of Islam. The month prescribed for the compulsory Fasting is the ninth month in the Islamic Lunar Calendar called in Arabic Ramadhan (Quran 2:185). However, unlike the days in the Julian Calendar, the days in a Lunar month can differ from year to year, but the difference is never more than one day – that is the lunar month in either 29 days or 30 days depending on the cycle of the moon (Quran 55:5, 10:5, 36:39-40). [link]