(17 Jun 2015) Indonesian Muslims gathered on Wednesday for prayers known as "taraweeh" ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
Muslims follow a lunar calendar and a moon-sighting methodology that can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart.
However, this year religious authorities in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and most other parts of the world announced, based on their sightings of the moon, that daily fasting would begin on Thursday.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, charity and performing the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with a three-day holiday called Eid al-Fitr.
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