The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has announced the beginning of Ramadhan on 23 April.
The organisation noted that according to astronomical calculations, the new crescent marking the start of Ramadhan appeared in the evening of 23 April after sunset for about 17 minutes. As such, the first day of fasting began on 24 April 2020.
"We welcome the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan this year with a different atmosphere. Our country, as well as the rest of the world, is currently fighting the COVID-19 outbreak. Besides the act of fasting, we should also play our part to stay at home to prevent the spread of this deadly virus," said Singapore's Mufti, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir.
"This year, Ramadhan and Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr, or Aidilfitri) will be celebrated together with our family in our own homes. No matter the test, we can accept and overcome it with the permission of Allah S.W.T., what more with the arrival of Ramadhan – a month of challenges, and the culmination of patience, perseverance and hope.
"As we strengthen our faith this Ramadhan, may it also spur us to be more determined to fight this virus. This test will eventually pass, and we will overcome this with patience and unity."
Muis separately announced that zakat fitrah rates for Ramadhan this year are S$5.10 or S$7.50. Zakat fitrah is an obligatory contribution by all Muslims during the month of Ramadhan, with the amount determined by the Muis Zakat and Fitrah Committee, by using staple food of the country that the person resides in.
As rice is the staple food here, the rates are based on the median price of 2.3 kg of the grade of rice that is generally consumed by the Muslim community.
The two-tier zakat fitrah rate has been in place since 2005 to facilitate those who may wish to pay more than the normal rate as they consume a higher grade of rice. Zakat payers may choose the rate that is most suitable based on their daily consumption.
The deadline for zakat fitrah is the morning of Eid al-Fitr. However, the Muslim public is advised to pay early and through electronic modes of payment in light of the current COVID-19 situation.
Explore:
Watch the announcement of Ramadhan by Dr Nazirudin on SalamSG TV.
Details:
Various methods to pay zakat fitrah are available in Singapore.
PayNow is a new mode of payment. Payers can make payment by scanning the QR code or by keying in the UEN T08GB0028LZKT on their banking app. To obtain an official receipt and for IRAS tax auto-inclusion, payers should visit go.gov.sg/zakat.