Eid-ul-fitr 2021: Shawwal crescent moon may be sighted tonight in Saudi Arabia, check details here

Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-al-Fitr marks the first day of Shawwal month which is the tenth month of the lunar based Islamic calendar. The moon sighting attempt will be made by muslims in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (May 11) evening.

If the crescent moon is sighted in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night, then Gulf countries will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Wednesday (May 12). The Institute of Astronomical & Geophysical Research of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Riyadh determines the Umm al-Qura calendar which is followed by Saudi Arabia.

As lunar months are shorter than the solar months, the holy festival occurs 10-11 days earlier depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. The moon sighting is first observed in Saudi Arabia to determine the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. In India, the festival is marked on the second day of moon sighting in Saudi Arabia. If Eid-al-Fitr is celebrated on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, the the holy festival will be observed on Thursday (May 13) in India.

The Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia called for the sighting of crescent moon in UAE, Qatar, and other Arab states on Tuesday evening, which will mark the end of Ramadan 2021 and beginning of Eid-ul-Fitr.

On Eid-ul-Fitr, muslims across the globe offer prayers to Allah, exchange gifts, devour on traditional food and wish each other ‘Eid Mubuarak’. Muslims also offer ‘Zakat’, which is considered one of the five pillars of Islam. Not only that, as a token of equality, people also donate a part of their earnings to charity.