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Ramadan 1434 in Chicago Begins Wednesday, July 10, 2013


AIA Frankfort
The American Islamic Association in Frankfort. (SUPPLIED)

Chicago, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Precision. In Islam, precision is key.

The Chicago Hilal reports that Ramadan 1434 AH will begin on Wednesday, July 10, 2013.

1434 is the current Islamic year. "AH" means "After Hijra," the journey taken by the Islamic prophet Muhammad (PBUH), from Mecca to Medina. The Islamic calendar begins on that date.

Ramadan is the holiest month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, moon sightings are used to determine the beginning of each month. Also, as lunar months are shorter than months in the Gregorian calendar, Ramadan typically regresses about 10 days each year. From dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations.

As lunar days in Islam begin at sunset, that means Ramadan officially begins at sunset on Tuesday, July 9, 2013. The beginning of the new day at sunset stems from biblical times. In Genesis, chapter 1, the narrative repeats, "Evening came, morning followed, the first day," etc. The new day in all of the Abrahamic traditions, Islam, Judaism, and, liturgically, in Catholicism, begins at sunset.

From Chicago Hilal:

10:50 PM CDT: Ramadan will begin on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. There were no moon sighting reports from anywhere in North America. The Chicago…

10:50 PM CDT: Ramadan will begin on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. There were no moon sighting reports from anywhere in North America. The Chicago Hilal Committee wishes everyone a blessed Ramadan.

The Chicago Hilal Committee will meet on Wednesday, August 7, 2013 (Ramadan 29, 1434) to determine Eid-ul-Fitr (Shawwal 1, 1434). Eid-ul-Fitr will be on Thursday, August 8th or Friday, August 9th.

Itikaf will begin at sunset on Monday, July 29th at Sunset.

From the American Islamic Association in Frankfort:

Ramadan will begin on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. There were no moon sighting reports from anywhere in North America. The American Islamic Association wishes everyone a blessed Ramadan.

The Ramadan 1434 AH prayer schedule can be found on the American Islamic Association’s Web page.

eNews Park Forest wishes all of our Muslim brothers and sisters Ramadan Kareem!


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