Sistani's office sets start date for Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal

NAJAF, Iraq — The office of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has announced the start date of Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic Hijri calendar, based on Sistani's religious opinion. The Najaf-based office did not specify the exact date in the announcement, which stated that the month's beginning has been determined in line with the methods used to set the Islamic lunar calendar. The Hijri lunar calendar is established either through the sighting of the new moon or through astronomical calculations. Religious authorities across the Muslim world issue rulings on such dates to set the timing of religious observances. Najaf is one of the major centers of Shia Islam, and Sistani's office, known as the Marja'iyya, issues religious opinions followed by millions of Shia Muslims worldwide. The office uses a similar process to set the start dates for Ramadan, Hajj and other key religious periods. The announced calendar is used to plan worship and religious events scheduled for the month. No further details on the specific date were immediately available.