Eid al-Adha On May 27 As Zul-Hijjah Moon Sighted
News Desk
Islamabad: The moon of Zul-Hijjah 1447 Hijri has been sighted in Pakistan, after which Eid al-Adha will be celebrated across the country on Wednesday, May 27, in line with Saudi Arabia and several other Muslim nations.
The announcement was made by Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, following a meeting held in Karachi to sight the moon of Zul-Hijjah.
The meeting took place at the Met Office and was attended by members of the Central and Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees, along with experts from the Meteorological Department and Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission.
Simultaneously, zonal committee meetings were also held in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar to collect testimonies regarding the moon sighting.
After the session, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad confirmed that the moon had been sighted in Pakistan and announced that Monday, May 18, would mark the first day of Zul-Hijjah 1447 AH, while Eid-ul-Adha would be observed on Wednesday, May 27.
Earlier, while speaking to the media during the meeting, the committee chairman had said that no confirmed testimonies had initially been received, but weather conditions in Karachi were favorable and there were strong chances of sighting the moon.
Previously, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission had predicted that the new moon of Zul-Hijjah would likely be visible on the evening of May 17, 2026.
According to SUPARCO, the new moon was born at 1:01am Pakistan Standard Time on May 17, while its age at sunset was expected to be around 18 hours and 30 minutes. The space agency also stated that coastal areas of Pakistan were expected to experience a gap of nearly 60 minutes between sunset and moonset, improving visibility chances.
The agency had said that, based on astronomical calculations and favorable weather conditions, the first of Zul-Hijjah would likely fall on Monday, May 18, making Eid-ul-Adha expected on May 27. However, it emphasized that the final decision rested with the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee based on verified testimonies from across the country.
Meanwhile, the moon of Zul-Hijjah was also officially sighted in Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi Supreme Court confirmed that Monday, May 18, would be the first day of the Islamic month.
According to Saudi media, the Day of Arafah, the central ritual of Hajj, will be observed on Tuesday, May 26, while Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 27.
Other countries, including Turkey, Tunisia, Indonesia and Malaysia, have also confirmed the sighting of the moon or announced the beginning of Zul-Hijjah, with Eid-ul-Adha set to be celebrated on May 27.
Turkey, which follows a pre-calculated Islamic calendar based on astronomical data instead of traditional moon sighting methods, had already fixed Monday, May 18, as the first day of Zul-Hijjah.
However, the moon was not sighted in India, where Eid-ul-Adha will now be observed on Thursday, May 28.
