Muslims around the world are currently fasting as they observe the final days of Ramadan. The end of the holy month and the arrival of Eid al-Fitr will be marked with celebrations centred around a large feast.
Eid al-Fitr is one of two Eid festivals in the Islamic calendar, and gives worshippers the opportunity to gather and commemorate the completion of a month without eating or drinking during daylight hours.
Like Ramadan and other Muslim observances, the date of Eid is calculated by the sighting of the moon, which means it cannot be predicted with complete accuracy too far in advance.
Moon sighting predictions suggest that Eid al-Fitr will likely be celebrated on Friday 21 April this year, according to the charity Islamic Relief and moonsighting.com, as Saudi Arabia is expected to sight the new crescent moon on Thursday night.
However, Saudi Arabia’s International Astronomy Centre has said the moon sighting may actually come on Friday, which would push Eid back to Saturday 22 April.
The centre said in a tweet: “We note that the International Astronomy Center is not an advertising agency, but rather a scientific centre that provides astronomical information.
The original article contained many details showing the conditions of sighting the crescent in various countries of the world, and based on it, the beginning of the month can be determined by the concerned authorities. Note that the criteria adopted for the beginning of the month in the Islamic world are multiple, and the sighting of the crescent may depend on non-local places.”
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia has declared a four-day break for Eid Al-Fitr 2023, for both private sector employees and non-profit organizations. This holiday will commence on Thursday, April 20, after the completion of the workday.
مواعيد إجازة #عيد_الفطر_المبارك للقطاعين الخاص وغير الربحي. pic.twitter.com/XTjL0nqawj
— وزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية (@HRSD_SA) April 10, 2023
Across the region, moon-sighting committees announced the start of Ramadan, and many countries have introduced reduced working hours for the month.
Saudi Ramadan working hours
The ministry advised that office hours should be 10am to 3pm throughout the Holy month.
However, it advised that government agencies are able to be flexible depending on work requirements. A two-hour window is provided where agencies can start earlier or later than the advised start times.
If the Moon is spotted on Thursday, then Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated on Friday, April 21. Saudi Arabia has already declared a four-day weekend for Eid Al Fitr, which will run from April 20 to April 23.
Aside from Saudi Arabia, the UAE Moon sighting committee also called on all Muslims to spot the crescent Moon on Thursday night to mark the beginning of Eid Al Fitr 2023.
The UAE has officially declared a four-day holiday on account of Eid Al Fitr for both private and public sector employees, which will run from Thursday, April 20 until Sunday, April 23
On Sunday, the International Astronomy Centre said that Eid Al Fitr could fall on Saturday, April 22, based on moon sighting.
“The countries of the Islamic world will investigate the crescent of the month of Shawwal (Eid al Fitr 1444 AH) on Thursday, April 20, 2023 AD. Seeing the crescent on Thursday is not possible with the naked eye from anywhere in the Arab and Islamic world,” the International Astronomy Centre said via a Twitter post.
#Saudi Supreme Court to sight #Shawwal crescent on Thursday.#UAE_BARQ_EN pic.twitter.com/qHexYFQ7sO
— UAE BARQ (@UAE_BARQ_EN) April 18, 2023
“Seeing the crescent on Thursday is not possible with a telescope in most countries of the Arab and Islamic world, with the exception of parts of West Africa starting from Libya, but vision remains very difficult and requires an accurate telescope, a professional observer and exceptional weather conditions, and the combination of these factors is rare, and therefore it is not expected to see the crescent, even using a telescope, from anywhere in the Arab world, unless the aforementioned conditions are available.
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