Why Khamenei’s clerics look for the crescent moon on Friday

Hundreds of Iranian clerics will scan the skies with binoculars on Friday evening, perched atop hills or aboard airplanes, with a single mission: to report the sighting of the crescent moon to the country's Supreme Leader.

Ali Khamenei will use reports of the new crescent moon sighting—hilal in Arabic—from various regions of the country on Friday or Saturday to determine the start date of this year’s Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

According to Kazem Kukaram, spokesperson for Iran's Amateur Astronomy Society, the chances of spotting the crescent moon on Friday evening are slim.

Given its position in the sky, the moon will be visible for only about fifteen minutes after sunset—weather permitting. As a result, Ramadan is unlikely to start on Saturday, meaning Sunday will most likely mark the beginning of the holy month.

Shia grand ayatollahs, both in Iran and abroad, traditionally insist that the crescent moon must be sighted with the naked eye for the observation to be considered valid.

Yet, Khamenei and other grand ayatollahs allow the use of binoculars and other simple optical devices for moon-sighting, diverging from traditional Shia practice, which rejects modern astronomical calculations and advanced telescopes in determining the lunar calendar.

Khamenei’s special taskforce

Since becoming the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader in 1989, Khamenei has maintained a dedicated moon-sighting taskforce.

Initially composed of 700 members in 150 groups, this year’s reports indicate that 100 groups have been deployed across the country.

Taskforce members, primarily clerics well-versed in Islamic moon-sighting criteria, will repeat this process at the end of Ramadan to determine the holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

The official declaration of Eid and Khamenei's customary sermon during Eid prayers in Tehran are broadcast on state-run radio and television.

However, disagreements occasionally occur. The most notable recent instance was in May 2020, when several grand ayatollahs, using their own criteria, declared a different date for Eid. This resulted in multiple separate Eid prayers instead of a unified, state-sponsored gathering.

In recent years, there has reportedly been pressure on other grand ayatollahs to follow Khamenei's lead on the matter of beginning and end of Ramadan to reinforce the Supreme Leader's religious and political authority. 

The impact of Ramadan on daily life in Iran

While some people fast from dawn to dusk, others must be careful not to break the fasting month regulations, including a ban on eating, drinking, and smoking in all public spaces, including inside private vehicles, even if they are exempted from fasting by medical or other reasons.

Law enforcement agencies strictly enforce these rules, with violators facing penalties ranging from 10 days to two months in prison or up to 74 lashes under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code.

Restaurants, cafes, and street vendors are barred from serving customers before sunset. Businesses that fail to comply face serious consequences including temporary closure and cash fines. Some establishments have been allowed to discreetly offer take-away food over the last years.

Ramadan and Norouz holidays coincide

As in the past two years, Ramadan will partly coincide with the ancient Iranian New Year holidays—Norouz in Persian.

This overlap occurs because Iran follows a solar calendar, while the Islamic calendar is lunar and approximately ten days shorter each year.

In recent times, many ordinary Iranians have been deeply impacted by severe economic hardship. The overlap of Ramadan and Norouz is expected to further strain the hospitality industry and other businesses, many of which are already on the brink of bankruptcy due to a sharp decline in people's ability to afford travel and dining out during the Norouz holidays.