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Jeddah — The holy month of Ramadan has started. Around 22 percent of the world’s population, or 1.6 billion people, are fasting from sunrise to sundown.
However, fasting hours differ from place to place.
While people in most regions in Saudi Arabia have a 15-hour fasting, Muslims in the Ochaya region of Argentina fast for no more than nine hours a day. But Muslims living in Lapland region of Finland have the longest fasting period as the sun sets only for 55 minutes. This means that the fasting period will reach 23 hours and 5 minutes.
Considering the long sunlight hours, Muslims in Lapland follow the fasting timetable of the nearest Islamic country, Turkey.
The average fasting hours in the Scandinavian countries is about 20 hours.
Muslims in Iceland and Greenland have fasting hours of about 21 hours.
However, a fatwa issued last year allowed Muslims in the Artic region and northern parts of Norway to follow the fasting hours of Makkah or the nearest Muslim country.
In Norway the fasting may go up to 19 hours.
However, Muslims in Britain still fast for 18 hours and in Canada for approximately 17 hours.
In Sydney, Australia, in the southern part of the globe, Muslims fast for 11 hours 35 minutes.
Pogba in Makkah
The world’s most expensive footballer Paul Pogba has posted pictures of himself at the holiest site of Islam, days after helping Manchester United to victory in the Europa League final.
He also issued greetings for the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, which began on Saturday.
On Instagram, the Frenchman posted a photo of himself standing in front of the Kaaba.
“Most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life,” wrote Pogba, shown wearing the ihram.
“Ramadan Kareem bon ramadan #makkah #blessed”, Pogba, 24, wrote on his Twitter account where he posted a selfie of himself in front of the throng surrounding the Kaaba.
© The Saudi Gazette 2017
