Live Update:Saudi Arabia Declares Wednesday July 06 Eid al-Fitr Celebration

Riyadh/Dubai/Doha/Singapore: It was confirmed that Eid will be on Wednesday after people failed to sight the new moon on Monday evening. The Saudi Supreme Court confirmed there will be 30 days of Ramadan this year meaning Tuesday will be the last day of Ramadan.

In a statement, the Royal Court said that it has been notified by the Supreme Court that, following reports received from courts based on eye monitors who are devoted to verify whether the lunar month of Ramadan has completed or to be proceeded for one more day, as per the instructions of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), the month of Shawal, which follows Ramadan, was not eye seen.

“So, it has been decided that tomorrow, Tuesday will be the 30th day of Ramadan 1437 H. corresponding to July 5, 2016 and that Wednesday will be the first day of Shawal 1437 H. corresponding to July 6, 2016, itself the first day of blessed Eid Al-Fitr, a three-day celebration following the end of the blessed month of Ramadan”, the statement said.

Earlier, local media in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar are reporting that Eid al Fitr in the two oil rich countries will be celebrated on Wednesday July 06, 2016. The reports followed as Shawwal Crescent has not been sighted in the region today.

It is hence being reported that Tuesday, July 5, is the last day of the holy month of Ramadan. Accordingly, Eid Al Fitr will be marked in the Kingdom on Wednesday, July 6.

In a message posted on social media site Twitter, Dubai Media Office said that Tuesday, July 5, is the last day of the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, Eid Al Fitr will be marked in the UAE on Wednesday.

In a statement released today evening, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) in Qatar has said said Eid Al Fitr in the country is expected to begin on Wednesday, July 6

“The announcement comes after the High Judiciary Council in Saudi Arabia said that no new moon could be seen tonight”, Doha news reported.

Elsewhere in the world, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore on Monday announced that Muslims in Singapore will celebrate Eid al Fitr on Wednesday July 06, 2016. The announcement is made after no confirmed report of moon sighting received from any part of the country.

“According to astronomical calculations, the crescent for the month of Syawal did not appear during sunset today as it has set earlier than the sun. This signifies that tomorrow will be the end of 30 days of Ramadan.

“As such, I am pleased to declare that the first day of Syawal for the year 1437 Hijrah falls on Wednesday, 6th July 2016”, Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram Mufti, Republic of Singapore said in a statement.

Singapore, Japan, New Zealand and Australia are among the first countries where sun sets earlier than other places in the world.

Though no formal announcement of Eid al Fitr 2016 celebrations has been made by moon committees in Australia, Japan and New Zeland so far, it is most likely that the Muslim festival will be celebrated here also on Wednesday July 06, 2016.

Indonesia’s ministry of religious affairs ruled Monday that Muslims in the country will celebrate Eid Al Fitr on Wednesday after receiving a report that the new moon is still not visible over the entire country.

Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said that for some of the observers — situated at 90 points around the country — the new moon had still not been sighted (known locally as ru’yah).

“In all the regions, not all observers could see the moon as it remains under the horizon,” he said, adding that this would see the Ramadan fasting period extend to 30 days.

“Thus the first day of [the month of] Shawal will fall Wednesday,” Syaifuddin was quoted as saying by Metro TV.

The UAE’s moon sighting committee met at the Judiciary Department in Abu Dhabi under the chairmanship of Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi, Minister of Justice to confirm the start of the month of Shawwal, which will mark the end of Ramadan and start of Eid Al Fitr.

Earlier, the moon-sighting committees in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and other Arab States had declared that they will meet today i.e. Monday July 4 corresponding to 29th day of Ramadan in their respective countries after Maghrib prayer to witness the Crescent of Shawwal and thus decide the first day of Eid al Fitr.

The Supreme Council in Saudi Arabia and moon sighting committees in other Gulf states had also issued appeals to Muslims to look for the crescent of the month of Shawwal on Monday evening (Ramadan 29-July 4), SPA reported.

“Whoever sights the crescent should report to the nearest court and register his testimony or report to the concerned local authority in his area where he sighted the crescent to facilitate informing it to the nearest court,” the court said in its announcement.

From his side, Sultan Bin Saeed Al Badi, Minister of Justice of United Arab of Emirates, had issued an order to set up the moon-sighting committee to confirm the start of the month of Shawwal, which will mark the end of Ramadan and start of Eid Al Fitr, Khaleej Times daily reported.

The decision called on all Sharia courts across the country to look out for the crescent moon and inform the committee.

The committee began meeting after Maghreb prayer – around 07:00 pm – at the Judiciary Department in Abu Dhabi. It will be under the chairmanship of Justice Minister and other members. It was said that if the crescent (new moon) is not sighted on Monday July 04, the next day will be counted as 30th day of Ramadan, and Eid al Fitr will be celebrated on Wednesday July 6, 2016.

The beginning and end of Ramadan, and a month in the Islamic Calendar, has traditionally been based on “hilal” sightings, which is the method mentioned in the Holy Quran and followed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

As per this tradition, a new month is sighted on 29th of the prevailing month. If the new moon, Crescent, is sighted, the next day is counted as first day of the next month. If not, the next day is counted as 30th day of the prevailing month and the new month begins thereafter.

Since United States, United Kingdom, Canada and European countries normally rely on moon announcements by Saudi Arabia, Muslims in these countries will celebrate Eid al Fitr along with their counterparts in Arab states.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and other Gulf states have completed 29 days of Ramadan on Monday. Along with the Arab states, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and European countries too have finished counting the similar number of Ramadan days.

Oman is the exception. The only country in the Gulf had started counting the month of Ramadan a day later, and here Monday July 04 coincides 28th of Ramadan. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries too Muslims have till Monday counted 28 days of Ramadan. Ramadan in these countries had begun a day later than the Arab states.

Muslims in these countries therefore will look for the Eid al Fitr 2016 moon on Tuesday July 05, 2016 corresponding to 29th day of Ramadan in these countreis, and Eid here will be celebrated either on July 06 or July 07.

Earlier, the International Astronomical Center said, people from North America, North Africa and the whole Middle East and Asia are unlikely to sight the crescent of the month of Shawwal with naked eyes on Monday evening.

“It is impossible to see the crescent from the areas located under the red color. Because either the Moon on this day sets before the Sunset and/or the topocentric conjunction occurs after the Sunset,” Moroccoworldnews quoted the International Astronomical Center as claiming on its website.

Similarly, Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Assistant Director of the Sharjah Centre for Astronomy and Space Sciences, UAE also said Ramadan is expected to end on Tuesday, July 5, 2016

“Wednesday, July 6, will be the start of the month of Shawal. It is impossible to see the Crescent on Monday night. So most likely Eid al Fitr will start on Wednesday,” he said.