Eid al-Fitr is decided based on sightings of the moon, as per the Islamic calendar [Getty/file photo]
Egypt’s astronomy institute NRIAG has declared that the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr will fall on Sunday 30 March, in accordance with astronomical calculations.
Saudi Arabia’s Al Ojairi Scientific Centre also expects that the Muslim holiday will fall on the same day, after confirming that sightings for the moon will take place on Saturday, 29 March.
The Gulf country’s Supreme Court has also called on Muslims to sight the moon on Saturday, urging them to report any findings to the nearest court and register them.
But some astronomers and experts reject the idea that Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, will take place on Sunday, saying it is impossible to sight the moon on the day.
Naturally, this has prompted some scepticism over Saudi Arabia and Egypt’s claims.
“It will be scientifically impossible to see the moon anywhere in the Middle East on Saturday, it well be too small and too thin to be seen on the horizon,” Imad Ahmed, the founder of the New Crescent Society, a UK Muslim moon-sighting group, told The New Arab.
Ahmed stressed that there exists a common misconception that Islamic months begin during the moon’s new phase, but in fact, they begin during the waxing crescent phase, which comes after.
Islam follows a lunar calendar, meaning that holidays and the beginning of new months are solely determined based on the moon’s sightings, unlike the Gregorian calendar.
Months can be either 29 or 30 days long, depending on such sightings.
Eid al-Fitr also marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar’s 10th month, Shawwal.
A partial solar eclipse is also expected on Saturday, which will be visible in most North African countries.
However, this has no impact on moon sightings, Ahmed said, as the moon will still be in its new phase, thus invisible.
Many British Muslim communities have followed Saudi Arabia’s Eid announcements over the decades, due to convenience and a lack of moon-sighting communities in the UK.
Others have also sought to follow Morocco, due to its proximity to the UK as a Muslim-majority country.
Ahmed advocated for the UK’s Muslim community to stop relying on such announcements from overseas, urging them to take control of their own decisions concerning their faith.
“We are able to look for the moon in our own skies,” he said.
He said however, younger generations are swaying away from Saudi Arabia’s influence and taking more interest in nature and astronomy, and its impact on their faith.
Ahmed said that even if Saudi Arabia sighted the moon “perfectly,” there’d still be division over when Eid al-Fitr is in the UK – emphasising his point on looking for the moon themselves.
