Eid al Fitr 2023 Moon Sighting Live Updates: The New Moon pronouncing the beginning of the month of Shawwal 1444 H has been sighted in Saudi Arabia today i.e. Thursday. Accordingly, Eid al Fitr will be celebrated in Saudi Arabia on Friday April 21, 2023.
On the other hand, Muslims in Pakistan who started fasting with the Muslims in Saudi Arabia will celebrate Eid on Saturday April 22, 2023.
"The Crescent for the month of Shawwal 1444 was SEEN today in Tumair and Sudair. Subsequently, tomorrow i.e Friday, 21st April 2023 is the day of Eid Al Fitr", the Saudi experts and astronomers announced a little while ago.
The Moon sighting has been later confirmed by Saudi Supreme Court.
UAE,Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan,Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen have also confirmed to celebrate Eid al Fitr on Friday April 21, 2023.
On the other hand, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan Chairman Abdul Khabeer Azad said: "We have not received any testimony of the sighting of the Shawwal moon across the country."
"Eid ul Fitr will be held across the country on Saturday, April 22," he added.
05:30 Pm (Makkah Time): The Saudi astronomers and experts led by Dr Abdullah Khudairi have reached the town of Sudair, 150 kms north of Riyadh for the Eid 2023 Moon sighting today i.e. Thursday April 20, 2023.
The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, the final body will announce the official results of the Moon search, sends its observers to Sudair, Tumair in Riyadh and other cities for Eid Moon sighting. However, the results of Sudair and Tumair observatories are deemed final in recent years.
A formal announcement by Saudi Arabia is expected soon after Maghrib salah, at about 07:00 PM Makkah Time.
Meanwhile, a group of 25 astronomers from 13 Arab countries have jointly declared that chances of the crescent moon sighting today i.e. Thursday April 20 with the naked eye in the Arab and Islamic regions is very difficult and least possible.
04:30 PM (Makkah Time): The Royal Court of Saudi Arabia will meet today i.e. Thursday 29th of Ramadan 1444 H after Maghrib to confirm the reports of Eid Moon sighting if any.
Similar meeting will also be held in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and other Arab states.
06:00 AM (Makkah Time): The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Justice UAE, Religious Authorities and Moon Sighting Committees in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and other Arab states in separate appeals issued Tuesday called upon the local residents to sight the crescent, new moon, of the month of Shawwal 1444 AH today on Thursday 29th of Ramadan 1444 AH corresponding to April 20, 2023.
"In case the new moon is spotted Thursday local residents should report to the nearest court so that a decision to confirm the first day of Eid al Fitr 2023 is taken", they said.
The Royal Court of Saudi Arabia called on whoever sights the crescent with naked eyes or through binoculars to report to a nearest court and register his testimony, or report to an authority of a region's centre in his area.
As per the normal practice, the UAE has also announced the formation of a moon-sighting committee to spot the crescent.
"The committee will meet after Maghrib prayers on Thursday 29th of Ramadan 1444 AH corresponding to April 20, 2023 at Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to spot the crescent", the government sources said.
Special arrangements have also been made and general appeals issued by the authorities in Qatar and other Gulf states including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Muscat, Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Syria and Palestine to sight the Eid Moon today on Thursday 29th of Ramadan 1444 AH corresponding to April 20, 2023 of the Islamic Calendar.
"Eid will be celebrated on Friday April 21, 2023 if the new moon is spotted today. If the moon is not sighted today, then Friday will mark a regular fasting day and Eid will be celebrated on Saturday April 22, 2023", Saudi Royal Court said.
The Australian National Imams Council and Majils Ugama Islam Singapore have announced that Muslims in the two countries will celebrate Eid al Fitr on Saturday April 22, 2023.
"The Australian Fatwa Council is pleased to announce to the Australian Muslim community that Friday, 21st of April 2023, will be the last day of the Month of Ramadan 1444AH."
"The Day of Eid Al-Fitr will be on Saturday, 22nd of April 2023, and the first day of the Month of Shawwal 1444AH", the Australian National Imams Council said in a statement.
The government in Brunei has also announced Saturday as the first day of Eid Al Fitr, and Friday April 21, 2023 as 30th day of Ramadan 1444 AH.
The Fiqh Council of North America recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’i method for determining the beginning of Lunar months including the months of Ramadan and Shawwal.
"The Astronomical New Moon is on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 4:12 Universal Time. On April 20, the elongation is more than 8 degrees and moon is more than 5 degrees above the sun everywhere in North America. Hence the first day of Shawwal is on Friday, April 21, 2023, insha’Allah", the council said.
"This year, Eid ul Fitr 2023 is expected to be celebrated on Friday, April 21, 2023. However, the exact date is subject to the sighting of the moon of Shawwal 1444AH, 10th month of Islamic Calendar", Association of Muslims in Canada said.
The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) of France and the UK’s Islamic Relief, Wifaqul Ulama has also made appeal to Muslims in the respective countries to sight the New Moon of the month of Shawwal 1444 on 20th of April 2023, the 29th Ramaḍān 1444.
The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand will also sight the Eid moon on Thursday April 20, 2023.
In a rare coincidence, Muslims in Pakistan started fasting with their counterparts in Saudi Arabia and othe Arab states. According Thursday is 29th of Ramadan in Pakistan and hence the first day of Eid al Fitr in Pakistan will also be decided and confirmed today.
On the other hand Muslims in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal will sight the Eid moon on Friday Ramadan 29, 1444AH in these countries.
Eid al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan - the month of fasting. In this month, Muslims across the world refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. Special prayers, including Traweeh prayers, are offered all across the Muslim world. A huge amount of money and food are also donated in the Holy month of Ramadan to help the poor and needy.
In another coincidence, Eid Moon sigiting today will also coincide with "Hybrid Solar Eclipse". A hybrid total solar eclipse is a rare phenomenon that only occurs once every few decades in specific locations on Earth.
The last hybrid solar eclipse occurred on November 3, 2013, visible over parts of the Atlantic Ocean, central Africa and the Indian Ocean while the next hybrid solar eclipse will occur today on April 20, 2023, visible over parts of Australia, Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean.
As per astronomical reports, the crescent moon will be just 0.2% lit just after sunset and almost certainly impossible to see for mere minutes after sunset on Thursday, April 20 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, the west coast of the US will most likely see it 1% lit and a little higher in the post-sunset sky about 10 hours later.
On Friday, April 21, 2023 the crescent moon is much more likely to be sighted from everywhere around the world and it will be 2.4% lit from Makkah and generally much higher and brighter in the post-sunset sky while it will be about 4% from the West Coast of the US.
A hybrid total solar eclipse, also known as an annular-total solar eclipse, is a rare type of solar eclipse that occurs when the moon is in a position where it appears to be smaller than the Sun. As a result, during the eclipse, the moon's disk does not completely cover the sun, leaving a bright ring or annulus of sunlight visible around the moon's silhouette.
The eclipse is known as "hybrid" because it transitions between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse along its path. This occurs because the curvature of the Earth causes the shadow of the moon to touch the surface in some areas and pass above the surface in others, creating a changing pattern of total and annular phases.
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