Authorities in Oman confirmed that the new crescent moon was not sighted on the evening of August 23, marking August 24 as the last day of the Islamic month of Safar. With this, the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal will officially begin on August 25.
The Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday, observed on the 12th day of Rabi’ al-Awwal, will therefore fall on Thursday, September 5 in Oman.
Meanwhile, neighboring Kuwait has already announced a public holiday for government offices and ministries on Wednesday, September 4 in observance of the occasion.
In Islam, lunar months last either 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. Each 29th evening, moon sighting committees convene to determine the start of the next month, which also sets the dates of key religious events.
