Ramadan Crescent Sighting Traditions In Maysan Mountains Are Preserved In Elderly Memories

Elderly residents in the mountainous villages of Maysan Governorate recall how Ramadan once began with shared observation of the crescent moon, while current astronomers now use advanced instruments to track the same crescent, linking past customs with present scientific practice in welcoming the holy month.

Spokesperson for the Majardah Thaqif Astronomical Observatory, Madis Al-Thaqafi, stated that crescent sighting for Ramadan has changed significantly, moving from complete dependence on the naked eye to methods based on telescopes, digital imaging, and specialist calculation tools that allow more accurate monitoring of the moon’s appearance.

According to Madis Al-Thaqafi, these modern systems increase reliability when determining the start of the month, yet the observatory still recognises the cultural value of older practices. The memories held by senior villagers are described as a living human record that shows how faith rituals were once woven into everyday rural life.

Al-Thaqafi explained that stories shared by elders reveal how crescent sighting served as a communal event. The moment of confirmation carried religious meaning and also strengthened local identity, as families and neighbours joined in a single purpose, then passed their experiences to younger generations as part of their heritage.

Among those guardians of memory is Sharifah bint Atiyah Al-Thaqafi, now close to 100 years old, who lives in the village of Lykah, affiliated with the Thaqif Center in Maysan Governorate, and remembers observing the Ramadan crescent more than ninety years ago in an era before modern technology.

Sharifah told of nights when residents waited for the new moon using only unaided sight. For villagers, those hours brought strong feelings of expectation, happiness, and worship, as news that Ramadan had begun moved from one mountain summit to the next across the rugged landscape.

During a visit by the Saudi Press Agency to her home, which lies among giant rock formations in the mountains, Sharifah said preparations for crescent sighting started near sunset, when men and their children climbed nearby high ground, including the peaks of the Shahdan Mountains, while women remained at home in quiet prayer.

She described how women prepared food for iftar and suhoor while waiting for word from the mountain watchers. Once the crescent was confirmed, villagers exchanged congratulations, lit piles of firewood on hilltops, and raised loud takbir, using expressions of joy and poetry to send the news to neighbouring communities.

These customs highlighted social cohesion in the villages of Maysan Governorate, as announcing Ramadan led into nightly family meetings and shared suhoor and iftar meals. While scientific tools now guide official decisions, the old practices continue to shape how residents remember Ramadan crescent sighting and its role in community solidarity.

With inputs from SPA