When is Eid-ul-Fitr 2022? When will Shawwal moon be seen in Saudi Arabia, India?

While the West culturally follows the Gregorian calendar, the Islamic calendar is lunar which means it is based on the sighting of the crescent moon and every year, the month of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr occur approximately 10-11 days earlier depending on when the crescent moon is sighted. This is because the lunar months are shorter than solar months and so it varies from country to country by about a day.

Usually, the crescent of Ramadan is first sighted in Saudi Arabia and some parts of India along with UK, US, Australia and some other Western countries and then usually a day later in the rest of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries.

This year, Eid-ul-Fitr is expected to fall on May 2 and the Saudi Supreme Court has called on the Muslims in the Kingdom to sight the crescent of Shawwal on Saturday night, April 30 2022, which will be Ramadan 29 1443 AH. In an announcement, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Supreme Court said that anyone who can sight the crescent of Shawwal with the naked eye or through binoculars must report to the nearest court and register their testimony.

Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, has reportedly directed the ministry’ branches to prepare all mosques and outdoor chapels to receive worshipers to perform Eid Al-Fitr prayers as the Eid holidays will start from the end of the working day on Saturday, April 30, 2022 which will correspond to Ramadan 29.

This is because the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) announced earlier that a four-day Eid-ul-Fitr holidays will be marked in the Kingdom by the private and non-profit sectors. This year i.e. 1443 Hijri, Al Al-Sheikh has reportedly set the time for Eid Al-Fitr prayers at 15 minutes after sunrise according to the Umm Al-Qura calendar.

Corresponding to 29th of Ramadan 1443H of the Islamic calendar, the Ministry of Justice UAE and religious authorities in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Muscat, Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Syria and Palestine and other Gulf states issued separate appeals on Friday and called upon the local residents to sight the crescent moon of Shawwal on Saturday evening i.e. April 30, 2022 after the maghrib prayers. The government sources reportedly said, “The committee will meet after Maghreb prayers on Saturday, April 30, 2022 corresponding to 29th of Ramadan 1443H at Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to spot the crescent.” 

According to local media reports of KSA, several astronomers have said that the month of Ramadan 1443H is likely to complete 30 days as there are less chances of the crescent of being seen on Saturday evening. Since the South Asian countries sight the crescent moon a day later, Muslims in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other neighbouring regions will gear up to sight the Shawwal crescent on May 1, 2022. 

If the moon is sighted, Eid will be celebrated in these countries on May 2, 2022 but if there is no news of sighting the crescent moon, another fast will be observed on May 2 and the following day will be celebrated as Eid-ul-Fitr. However, Australia has already declared that Monday, May 2, will be observed as the first day of Shawwal and mark Eid Al-Fitr, after consultation with members of the Australian Fatwa Council and local and global observatories.

The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC), which is the only central, Islamic body that holds key representation from Australian-based Muslim clerics, issued an official statement that read, “The Australian Fatwa Council is pleased to announce the following to the Australian Muslim community: After consulting members of the Australian Fatwa Council and further inquiries to the local and global observatories, Therefore: Sunday, 1st of May 2022, will be the last day of the Month of Ramadan 1443AH The Day of Eid Al-Fitr will be Monday 2nd of May 2022 and the first day of the Month of Shawwal 1443AH (sic).”

Muslims in the United States (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, France, Germany and other countries too will be sighting the moon on April 30th and will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr either on Sunday May 01, if the crescent is sighted or else on Monday May 02, 2022.