Post-analysis of Eid day determination: 1444 AH/2023 CE

There was almost a 50:50 split for the day of celebrating  Eid-ul-Fitr ending the fasting month of Ramadan this year globally between various countries and within Australia itself.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen, Bahrain, Egypt, Palestine, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Jordan and Iraq celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Friday 21 April 2023 after the crescent for the month of Shawwal was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening.

Turkey and is diaspora worldwide including countries located in the Western hemisphere including UK, Europe and the Americas also celebrated Eid on Friday.

On the other hand Iran, Oman, Morrocco, Libya and countries located in the Eastern hemisphere including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand  largely celebrated Eid on Saturday 22 April 2023.

Eid is celebrated on different days due to the differences in the methodology of determining the beginning of the lunar month that is based on sighting of the crescent in the Islamic calendar.

There are three different methodologies in determining the Islamic dates followed by various Muslim majority countries and their diaspora in Muslim Minority countries. As an example we will analyse various scenarios for Ramadan/Eid-ul-Fitr 1444 AH/2023 CE based on sightability or sighting of the new moon:

1. Global sightability

This methodology is based on the astronomically predicted sighting of the crescent anywhere in the world where that particular date is adopted as the beginning of the first day of the lunar month for the whole world.

Thus for this year the month of Ramadan was determined to be for 29 days starting Thursday 23 March and ending Thursday 20 April with Eid on Friday 21 April.

This scenario was followed by Turkey and its diaspora mosques spread in various countries including Australia.

2. Regional sightability or sighting

This methodology is based on either astronomical prediction of sighting or waiting for the actual news of sighting of the crescent within a country or in neighbouring countries for determining the first day of the lunar month.

Thus for this year Ramadan was 30 days starting Thursday 23 March and ending Friday 21 April with Eid on Saturday 22 April.

This predicted scenario was used by The Australian Fatwa Council Chairman and Mufti Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamad backed by The Australian Imams Council (ANIC) and announcements were made well in advance for the beginning of Ramadan and the day of Eid. Most Arab and South East Asian Muslims usually follow this methodology.

Some individual scholars also used this scenario but waited for actual sighting of the crescent within the country or the region before commencing fasting on Thursday and completed 30 days of Ramadan to celebrate Eid on Saturday.

3. Local sighting

This methodology is based on either actual sighting of the crescent in your own country or  or in close neighbouring countries for determining the first day of the lunar month.

Thus for this year Ramadan for moonsighters was 29 days starting Friday 24 March and ending Friday 21 April with Eid on Saturday 22 April.

This methodology is consistently adopted by Moonlighting Australia and largely followed by South Asian Muslims.

However, unusually there was a hybrid scenario followed in Australia this year where Ramadan fasting was announced by Lakemba Mosque authorities from Thursday 23 March while Eid was announced well in advance to be celebrated on Friday 21 April.

AFIC and its Dar Al-Ifta Mufti Sheikh Abdul Quddoos Al Azhahi backed by Dar-ul-Fatwa of Lebanon also announced the day of Eid to be on Friday 21 April, a few days in advance.

While various methodologies of the determination of Islamic dates need to be considered as sincere efforts and the differences should be tolerated.

However efforts should be made to develop consensus in adopting a reliable calendar to avoid social and administrative chaos and confusion specially at the time of enjoying Eid celebrations.

This is indeed a challenge to find a workable solution for the Ummah at large.