UPDATE: Muslims in India will observe Eid ul Fitr on Saturday, after the moon was sighted on Friday night.
The Shahi imam of Jama Masjid has declared that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Saturday across India, as the moon was sighted in Hyderabad, Bihar, Manipur and Tamil Nadu, according to the ANI news agency.
Muslims in other nations such as Saudi Arabia, UK and the US, celebrate Eid al Fitr on Friday.
Shahi imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari declares Eid-ul-Fitr to be celebrated tomorrow all across the nation.
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 17, 2015
ORIGINAL STORY
While Muslims in many parts of the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr on Friday, in India, where it is more commonly referred to as Eid ul-Fitr, it is likely to be observed on Saturday, depending on the moon sighting.
Official confirmation of the Eid ul-Fitr date in India will be announced after 8 pm on Friday, Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, chief of the All India Imam Organisation told IBTimes India. "Eid ul fitr will most likely be on Saturday. However, we will have to wait till 8 pm to see if the moon has been sighted, after which we can make an official announcement," he said.
If the moon is not sighted on Friday, then Muslims in India will mark Eid ul-Fitr on Sunday, Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi, general secretary of the All India Ulema Council and member of Mumbai's hilal committee, told IBTimes India.
IBTimes India will update the announcement here.
Pakistan, Bangladesh to Also Celebrate Eid ul Fitr on Saturday
Pakistan and Bangladesh, too, will mark Eid ul-Fitr on Saturday, though people in some regions in the countries observed the festival on Friday, according to local reports.
Bangladesh's National Moon Sighting Committee will meet on Friday evening to check for reports of moon-sighting, according to The Dhaka Tribune. If the moon is not sighted on Friday, then Eid ul-Fitr will be marked on Sunday
In Pakistan, the central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee will also meet on Friday to confirm if the Shawwal moon is sighted, according to Dawn. However, Muslims in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan are observing Eid on Friday, the report said.
In Oman, too, Eid ul-Fitr will be observed on Saturday.
Eid al-Fitr on Friday in Arab Countries, UK, US
Muslims in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and even in the United States and United Kingdom observed Eid al-Fitr on Friday.
Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court announced that the Shawwal moon was sighted on Thursday night, which brought an end to the holy month of Ramadan.
Eid al-Fitr, the 'festival of breaking the fast', will bring the end of strict fasting observed by Muslims across the world during the month of Ramadan.
