Muslims asked to watch for crescent of Shawwal on Thursday

The moon-sighting committee has invited all Muslims in the UAE to sight the crescent of the month of Shawwal on Thursday evening, 29th Ramadan, 1444 H, which corresponds to April 20, 2023.

The committee requested anyone who sees the crescent to contact the number 026921166 to be directed to the nearest court to record the testimony. 

On Monday, the International Astronomical Center (IAC) has denied reports doing rounds on social networking sites claiming that Eid Al Fitr will fall on Saturday, April 22. 

The International Astronomical Center clarified that such claims are false.

It wrote on Twitter, “Some media outlets published a piece of news attributed to the International Astronomy Center stating that it announced that Eid al-Fitr will be on Saturday.

“We note that the International Astronomy Center is not an advertising agency, but rather a scientific center that provides astronomical information.

“The original article contained many details showing the conditions of sighting the crescent in various countries of the world, and based on it, the beginning of the month can be determined by the concerned authorities.

“Note that the criteria adopted for the beginning of the month in the Islamic world are multiple, and the sighting of the crescent may depend on non-local places.”

The International Astronomical Center further said that the countries of the Islamic world will investigate the crescent of the month of Shawwal (Eid Al-Fitr 1444 AH) on Thursday, April 20, 2023 AD, and seeing the crescent on that day is not possible with the naked eye or by telescope from all of Asia and Australia, while it is possible using the telescope only and with difficulty from the western parts of continent of Africa and Europe. It is possible with the naked eye with difficulty in the western parts of the two American continents.

WAM