Eid-ul-Fitr 2022: Will Shawwal crescent moon be visible in India, Pakistan and other South Asian countries today?

Saudi Arabia Supreme Court and the moon sighting committees in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Muscat, Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Syria, Palestine and other Arab states have already announced that Muslims in these countries will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday May 2, 2022 and since the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and European countries rely on moon announcement by Saudi Arabia Royal Court, Muslims there will also mark Eid celebrations with the Gulf states.

Given that Muslims across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries are gearing up to look for the Shawwal crescent – the new moon to mark the end of Ramadan, tonight i.e. May 1, there might be a rarest of rare case that the followers of Islam may get a chance to celebrate this year’s Eid-ul Fitr with their Muslim brethren in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, UK, USA and other Gulf and western countries, if moon is sighted tonight in South Asian countries. However, the Pakistan Meteorological Department had tweeted, “According to astronomical parameters, there is a No Chance of sighting the new moon of Shawwal, 1443 AH on the evening of 01-05-2022 i.e. on 29th of Ramazan, 1443 AH (sic).”

According to the International Astronomical Centre, Eid Al Fitr 2022 is expected to fall on Monday, May 2 in most Islamic countries and prior to the moon sighting on Saturday, April 30, Mohammad Shawkat Odeh, director of the International Astronomical Centre, had reportedly said that sighting the Shawwal crescent would be impossible because the moon is expected to set before the sun hence, countries that began fasting on April 2 this year, will likely complete 30 days of Ramadan, meaning Eid Al Fitr will start there on May 2.

As for countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Jordan, Morocco and Ghana – that began fasting for Ramadan 2022 from April 3, Mohammad Shawkat Odeh said the crescent of Shawwal will likely be seen on Sunday, May 1. This means Eid in these countries too might be celebrated on May 2, 2022 hence, there is a wafer-thin chance that Muslims in India and other South Asian countries may celebrate this year’s Eid-al-Fitr with their Muslim brethren in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, UK, USA and others, if Shawwal crescent moon is sighted tonight.