Eid-ul-Fitr 2023 moon sighting highlights: Shawwal crescent moon sighted in Saudi, UAE, Muslims to mark Eid on April 21

According to Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta’, the Islamic Advisory Council of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the first day of Eid al Fitr in the Philippines will be on Saturday as Shiek Abuhuraira Udasan, Grand Mufti of the Bangsamoro region, said the crescent moon was not sighted in Mindanao, including Maguindanao del Norte, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, as well as the cities of Cotabato and Iligan on Thursday.

Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22 in Malaysia, as the crescent moon was not spotted on Thursday, April 20.

Eid will be celebrated on Saturday in Thailand, as the moon was not spotted in the country on Thursday.

Eid Al Fitr will fall on Saturday, April 22, in Japan, on account of the moon not being sighted on Thursday

The Shawwal crescent was not spotted on April 20 from Indonesia, making Saturday, April 22, the first day of Eid in the country.

Following a meeting of the moon-sighting committee, Qatar confirms first day of Eid Al Fitr 2023.

The moon-sighting committee convened on Thursday at Oman and announced Saturday, April 22, 2023 as first day of Eid Al Fitr. 

Muslims in UAE to celebrate Eid on Friday, April 21 as moon sighted despite hybrid total solar eclipse

The crescent moon has been sighted in Saudi Arabia. Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Friday April 21, 2023.

As per astronomical reports, the Shawwal crescent moon will be just 0.2% lit right after sunset and almost certainly impossible to see for few minutes after sunset on Thursday, April 20 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, due to the rare hybrid total solar eclipse, also known as an annular-total solar eclipse. On the other hand, the West coast of the US will most likely see it 1% lit and a little higher in the post-sunset sky about 10 hours later.

On Friday, April 21, 2023 the crescent moon is much more likely to be sighted from everywhere around the world and it will be 2.4% lit from Mecca and generally much higher and brighter in the post-sunset sky while it will be about 4% from the West coast of the US.

UK’s Islamic Relief, Wifaqul Ulama has made appeal to Muslims there to sight the New Moon of the month of Shawwal 1444 on April 20, 2023, the 29th Ramaḍān 1444.

The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) of France has made appeal to Muslims in the country to sight the New Moon of the month of Shawwal 1444 on April 20, 2023, the 29th Ramaḍān 1444.

The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand to sight the Eid moon on Thursday April 20, 2023.

The Fiqh Council of North America shared, “The Astronomical New Moon is on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 4:12 Universal Time. On April 20, the elongation is more than 8 degrees and moon is more than 5 degrees above the sun everywhere in North America. Hence the first day of Shawwal is on Friday, April 21, 2023, insha’Allah.” The council recognises astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’i method for determining the beginning of lunar months including the months of Ramadan and Shawwal.

Moon may be visible to the naked eyes in South Africa on Friday evening, April 21, 2023

International Astronomy Centre statement read, "It is important to note that the issue of crescent sighting has been a topic of discussion among our esteemed scholars, and our Muslim ancestors established several criteria for sighting the crescent through practical observations. These standards are still rigorously followed today and are known for their accuracy in determining the possibility of seeing the crescent with the naked eye.

In fact, all previous standards, old and new, show that seeing the crescent on Thursday is not possible with the naked eye from the Arab world. This expectation is not an opinion of a person or a party, but rather it is a consensus of specialists.

Returning to the crescent on Thursday, April 20, let us look at its situation in some Arab and Islamic cities. At sunset: In Jakarta, the moon is 2.7 degrees from the sun (the internationally agreed limit for Danjeon is 6 degrees). In Abu Dhabi, it is 4.7 degrees from the sun. And in Mecca, it is 5.1 degrees away from the sun. In Jerusalem, the moon is 5.4 degrees away from the sun. In Cairo, the moon is 5.5 degrees away from the sun. In Dakar (Senegal), the moon is 8.0 degrees away from the sun, and it can be seen with instruments.

In view of all the scientific standards considered for the crescent and published in peer-reviewed periodicals, we would like to point out that seeing the crescent is not possible with the naked eye in the Arab or Islamic world, and is not even possible using telescopes in most of them, and most of them are less than the 'Dangon' limit.

Some countries are content with mathematical calculations to determine the moon's position relative to the sun and do not require actual sighting of the crescent. In addition, these countries are content with the possibility of observing the crescent from anywhere in the world that shares the same night as them. Therefore, it is perfectly alright for these countries to celebrate Eid Al Fitr on Friday, April 21, if they choose to do so.

As for countries that require local (correct) vision only with the naked eye or countries located in Asia that accept local vision with a telescope, it is assumed that the number of Ramadan will be 30 days and that Eid Al Fitr will be on Saturday, April 22.

This, and announcing the beginnings of the Hijri months is, of course, the prerogative of the legal authorities in Islamic countries."

While UAE’s moon-sighting committee will declare the result shortly, the Eid-ul-Fitr 2023 prayer timings for Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah etc are:

Abu Dhabi: 6.12am

Al Ain: 6.06am

Dubai: 6.10am

Sharjah city: 6.07am

Al Dhaid: 6.06am

Madam and Mleiha: 6.07am

South Asia's Brunei, surrounded by Malaysia and the South China Sea, to celebrate Eid 2023 on Saturday, April 22 as crescent moon of Shawwal not sighted in the sovereign state

According to astronomical parameters, there is no chance of sighting the new moon of Shawwal, 1444 AH on the evening of 20-04-2023 i.e. on 29th of Ramazan, 1444 AH.

The crescent moon sighting observations made from Sudair and Tumair observatories will be part of Saudi Arabia's official decision. As of now, the investigation to search for the Shawwal 1444 crescent has begun at Crescent Observatory in Tumair.

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