Shaban Officially Starts January 21, Shab-e-Barat February 3

News Desk 

Islamabad: The holy month of Shaban will begin in Pakistan on Wednesday, January 21, after the moon for the eighth month of the Islamic calendar was not sighted, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced on Monday.

The decision was made during a meeting of the committee chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony in Islamabad, while zonal committees met simultaneously in their respective regions.

Following the announcement, it was confirmed that Shab-e-Barat, observed on the 14th night of Shaban, will fall on February 3.

The official declaration aligned with earlier scientific assessments by the Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council, which had already indicated that the crescent was unlikely to be visible on the evening of January 19 anywhere in the country.

Council Secretary General Khalid Ejaz Mufti explained that although the new moon was born at 12:52am Pakistan Standard Time between January 18 and 19, the age of the moon at sunset on January 19 would be less than 18 hours across Pakistan — below the minimum 19-hour threshold generally required for visibility.

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He added that the gap between sunset and moonset also fell short of the accepted standard of 40 minutes, ranging from 29 minutes in Gilgit and Muzaffarabad to a maximum of 33 minutes in Karachi and Jiwani.

“Even under clear sky conditions, the crescent could not have been sighted with the naked eye, binoculars or telescopes,” the council said, noting that Shaban would begin only after the completion of 30 days of Rajab.

Shaban holds particular religious significance for Muslims as it precedes the holy month of Ramazan and includes Shab-e-Barat, a night associated with prayers and supplications.

The research council has also shared preliminary astronomical projections for the coming months, suggesting that the Ramazan crescent is likely to be sighted on February 18, with the first fast expected on February 19. Eidul Fitr, according to these projections, may fall on March 21.

However, Mufti stressed that all such dates remain tentative. “The final and authoritative announcements regarding the beginning of Ramazan and Eid will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in accordance with established procedures,” he said.