ISLAMABAD: The Shawwal moon was not sighted in Pakistan on Thursday, leading to the decision to celebrate Eid ul Fitr across the country on Saturday, April 22.
This means that Ramadan this year will have been observed for a total of 30 days. Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, made the announcement during a press conference held in Islamabad, stating that no testimony had been received regarding the sighting of the Shawwal moon across the country.
Representatives of various organizations, including the Department of Meteorology and Suparco, were present at the meeting, which was held to determine the date of Eid ul Fitr.
Earlier, zonal Ruet committees from Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, Sukkur, and Quetta confirmed that they had not received testimonies of the Shawwal moon sighting.
The decision was made by the country’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee after receiving input regarding the moon sighting from all across the country.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) also released the coordinates and chances for sighting the moon, stating that there was no chance of sighting the new moon of Shawwal, 1444 AH on the evening of April 20, 2023, which was the 29th Ramazan, 1444 AH.
Significance of Eid ul Fitr in Islam
Eid ul Fitr is an important festival in the Islamic calendar, celebrated at the end of the Holy month of Ramazan.
The Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council (RHRC) said that chances of Eid ul Fitr 2023 falling on April 21, Friday, were very low as the new crescent would be born at 9:13 am on April 20 and its age would be less than 10 hours that day.
Mufti Khalid Ijaz stated that Eid ul Fitr 2023 would most likely be celebrated on April 22 after completing 30 fasting days of the holy month of Ramazan, and it was unlikely that the Shawwal moon would be sighted on April 21 evening.
The decision to celebrate Eid ul Fitr on Saturday has been widely accepted by the Muslim community in Pakistan, who will mark the occasion with prayers and feasting.
The festival celebrates the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan and is traditionally a time for family gatherings and exchanging gifts.
