Libya's Fatwa House announced on Friday that the holy month of Ramadan for the year 1443 AH/2022 starts on Saturday, April 2.

The Sharia Research Center of the country’s top religious body said that Saturday, April 2 was marked as the first day of Ramadan after several Islamic countries confirmed seeing the crescent of Ramadan month.

At the Fatwa House HQ in Tripoli, Libya's Mufi Sheikh Sadiq El Gharyani made the announcement in a special ceremony attended by scholars, academics, and governmental officials, chief among them Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

After greeting the nation on the occasion, the Mufti addressed several issues of public interest, primarily the general elections, which the Libyans aspire to hold.

He called on the Government of National Unity (GNU) to uphold its commitment to conduct the elections as planned, saying it represents the best hope of pacifying the country, ending the transitional phase, and contributing to the well-being of the Libyan people.

"I call on all sovereign institutions to cooperate with the government to achieve the desired goal and for the public to stick to their support for the GNU in this direction."

In his speech, Sheikh Sadiq referred to the UN mission's proposal to hand over power to the Supreme Court, saying that this is one of the deceptive channels used by the international bodies to prolong the transitional stages. He also accused the mission of seeking to reproduce the Egyptian scenario in Libya, which led to the installation of a military ruler over the neighbouring country.

Another crucial issue was the judiciary system in the country, as he highlighted the suffering of hundreds of women and men that are still in prison without a trial.

"The prisoners are held in the worst conditions imaginable... I was told that in one overcrowded prison, the inmates have to take it, in turn, to sleep for the lack of space inside the cell.

Sheikh El Gahryani underscored that injustice is one of the most heinous sins in Islam as he recalled several Quranic verses that warn against committing injustice acts.

In conclusion, he urged the authorities to look into the needs of the displaced families, particularly the women who lost their husbands, sons, and documents that enable them to benefit from the services provided by the relevant authorities.

The month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, in which Muslims around the world fast from sunrise to sunset.

Moreover, it is one of the most sacred months for Muslims, as the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during Ramadan.