Muslims worldwide are now divided on the date of celebrating `Eid Al-Fitr, which crowns the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with some marking it on Tuesday and others on Wednesday, June 5, based on different times of ascertaining the moon-sighting.
Religious authorities in Saudi Arabia have announced that the new moon of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar, was sighted on Monday, June 3.
“Therefore, Tuesday, June 4, will be the first day of Shawwal,” Al-Arabiya reported.
United Arab Emirate, Qatar, and Kuwait also announced `Eid Al-Fitr on Tuesday.
The Islamic Foundation of Ireland announced that the day of Eid Al-Fitr for the year 1440H will be Tuesday 4th June 2019
`Eid Al-Fitr is one of the two main Islamic religious festivals along with `Eid Al-Adha.
During `Eid days, families and friends exchange visits to express well wishes and children, wearing new clothes bought especially for `Eid, enjoy going out in parks and open fields.
Muslims in North America will celebrate the feast on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) and Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).
Authorities in Turkey and Germany said `Eid will be celebrated on Tuesday. Also Muslims in Albania and Ukraine will celebrate `Eid Tuesday.
The European Council on Fatwa and Research has also announced that `Eid Al-Fitr will start on Tuesday, June 4, according to astronomical calculations earlier.
Wednesday
Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta (House of Fatwa) announced that Tuesday, June 4, will be the 30 day of Ramadan and accordingly, `Eid Al-Fitr will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 5.
`Eid Al-Fitr will start Wednesday, June 5, in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, and New Zealand.
According to a statement issued by the UAE Embassy in Bangkok, “The Islamic Center in Thailand has announced that the final day of Ramadan is on Tuesday and Wednesday 5 June will be the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr,” Khaleej Times reported.
Muslims in Taiwan, Singapore, and India will also celebrate `Eid on Wednesday.
In Australia, the National Imams Council declared on Saturday that `Eid Al-Fitr will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 5, MSN reported.
In a Facebook post, the Australian National Imams Council wrote: “Tuesday the 4th of June, 2019 will be the 30th and the last day of the Month of Ramadan for the year 1440AH and the day of Eid ul Fitr and 1st of Shawaal 1440 AH will be Wednesday, the 5th of June 2019.
“According to the statement, the Grand Mufti of Australia also called for unity among the community and for Muslims to focus on what brings them closer to Allah.”
In Pakistan, a meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee would be held in Karachi on Tuesday evening for sighting the crescent of Shawwal-ul-Mukarram 1440 AH.
The same applies for all the countries that started Ramadan on Tuesday, May 7, which will look for the moon on Tuesday, June 4. This includes Morocco, Bangladesh, Iran, Brunai, and Oman.
Muslims in Mali celebrated `Eid Al-Fitr on Monday, June 3, becoming the first in Africa to end the fasting, Africa News reported.
Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.
While one group of scholars sees that Muslims in other regions and countries are to follow the same moon sighting as long as these countries share one part of the night, another state that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia.
A third, however, disputes both views, arguing that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.