RIYADH: Muslims in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will celebrate Eidul Fitr on Friday as the Shawwal moon was sighted on Thursday evening, according to local media reports.
The Saudi royal court announced that the first day of Shawwal would fall on Friday, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Eidul Fitr on Saturday in Pakistan and other countries
However, the Shawwal moon was not sighted in several other countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in Pakistan had earlier announced that the Shawwal moon had not been sighted, hence Eidul Fitr will fall on Saturday, April 22.
The committee’s chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, made the announcement at a press conference in Islamabad, where the committee had convened to sight the moon for Eidul Fitr.
Representatives from zonal bodies of the committee also met in Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, and Lahore to confirm the moon sighting.
No authentic testimony of the moon being sighted was received, and it was agreed with consensus that Eidul Fitr would be on April 22.
Eidul Fitr is a significant festival in the Islamic calendar, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims observe a month of fasting.
The Eid celebrations mark the end of this period, and it is a time for families and friends to come together and celebrate.
The sighting of the Shawwal moon determines the start of Eidul Fitr and the end of Ramadan, and the process is followed by Muslims all over the world.
The moon sighting committee looks for the appearance of the crescent moon to determine the beginning of a new Islamic month.
While Muslims in Saudi Arabia and the UAE will celebrate Eidul Fitr on Friday, April 21, Muslims in Pakistan and several other countries will celebrate on Saturday, April 22.
