New Moon Not Seen: Saudi Arabia Completes 30 Days Fasting, Eid Falls On Monday 2 May

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons / Roi.dagobert)

JAKARTA - Saudi Arabia will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Monday 2 May, completing this year's Ramadan Fasting to 30 days, after the new moon was not seen this Saturday.

"Eid Al-Fitr will start on Monday 2 May because the month of Shawwal is not visible on Saturday," according to the Haramain Syarifain Twitter account, as reported by Al Arabiya News April 30.

"Sunday May 1 will thus mark the 30th day of the holy month of Ramadan," Haramain Syarifain added.

As previously reported, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has asked people living in the kingdom to see the crescent of Shawwal on Saturday night, the 29th night of Ramadan, regarding the determination of 1 Shawwal 1443 Hijri.

Those who see the moon with the naked eye or use binoculars are encouraged to report it to the nearest court and register their testimony, reports The National News.

BREAKING NEWS | The Crescent for the month of Shawwal 1443 was NOT SEEN today, then:Monday, 2nd May 2022 will be the day of Eid Al FitrThe momth of Ramadan 1443 will complete 30 days tomorrow pic.twitter.com/USnzEbFsCV

— Haramain Sharifain (@hsharifain) April 30, 2022

Separately, previously the International Astronomical Center (IAC) predicted the first day of Eid to fall on Monday, May 2, 2022 in most Islamic countries in the world.

The center, located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (EUA), said the crescent moon marking the beginning of the month of Shawwal will be seen on Saturday 30 April, coinciding with the 29th of Ramadan, the UAE news agency WAM said.

Director of the International Astronomical Center Mohammad Shawkat Odeh said, in countries that start Ramadan on Sunday, April 3, the new moon of Shawwal will be seen on Sunday, May 1.

These countries include Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Jordan, Morocco and Ghana.

He said seeing the crescent moon on Saturday, April 30 was impossible because the Moon would set before the Sun.

At that stage, he said, countries (starting Ramadan April 2) will complete 30 days of Ramadan, meaning Eid will start on May 2.

While in countries that will witness the crescent on May 1, including Australia and neighboring regions, sighting the Moon on that day will not be possible. It will be visible with telescopes in Central and West Asia, much of Europe and southern Africa, he said.