Ramadan Mubarak: Muslims all over the world welcome the holy month

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began in India from Tuesday. The Ruyat-e-Hilal moon sighting committee announced the sighting of moon last evening. The worshipers thronged mosques last night to offer special night prayer called Traweeh, which will continue throughout the month. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan began across Gulf countries on Monday. The believers observe fast and join mass prayers held at mosques during the period. This annual observance is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam.

Kenyan Muslim school children offer Zohar prayers at a mosque on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, during Islam's holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan, which is calculated on the sighting of the new moon, began on June 6 in Kenya, where practicing Muslims worldwide abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activities from dawn to dusk.

Pakistani Muslims reading the 'Quran' at a mosque during the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan. The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Muslims often donate to charities during the month and feed the hungry.

Nigerian Muslims offer prayers on the first day of Ramadan at the central Mosque in Lagos, Nigeria.

Men read verses of the Quran, Islam's holy book, on the first day of the fasting month of Ramadan in the Grand Mosque in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen.

Afghans perform a prayer on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan. Muslims across the world will observe the holy fasting month of Ramadan, where they refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk.

An elderly man reads verses of the Quran, Islam's holy book, on the first day of the fasting month of Ramadan in the Grand Mosque in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen.

Students sit in circles during a Quran recital class on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Ar-Raudlatul Hasanah Islamic boarding school in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.

An Egyptian vendor looks for customers on a street decorated to mark the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt. Devout Muslims throughout the world will begin to celebrate Ramadan.

A Palestinian vendor stands between lighted traditional Ramadan lanterns while waiting for customers at the main market in Gaza City.

Iranian expert Alireza Fazaeli searches the sky for the new moon that signals the start of the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan on top of the landmark, the Milad telecommunication tower, in Tehran, Iran. Millions of Muslims around the world marked the start of Ramadan, a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.