Ramadan Continues Sunday In Saudi Arabia, Eid On Monday As Nigerian Muslims Await Announcement

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Saudi Arabia has announced that Muslims in the country will celebrate the Eid-el-fitri on Monday.

The Saudi Press Agency quoted Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court as saying the Shawwal crescent was not sighted on Saturday and thus Ramadan continues on Sunday.

Muslims worldwide fast from sunrise to sunset during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The sighting of the crescent moon on Saturday would have marked the end of Ramadan and the start of the next month of Shawwal.

In Nigeria, the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) asked Nigerian Muslims to look out for the crescent moon on Saturday.

As of 6 p.m. Nigerian time, the NSCIA has not announced that the moon has been sighted anywhere in the country.

Should the moon not be sighted on Saturday in Nigeria, then Muslims in the country will, like their Saudi counterpart, fast on Sunday and celebrate the Eid on Monday.

The UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain also announced that the first day of Eid al-Fitr will be May 2, AlArabiya news network quoted the International Astronomical Center as saying on Twitter.

Eid al-Fitr celebrations occur at the end of Ramadan which lasts 29 or 30 days based on when the crescent moon is sighted.

Muslims follow a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days.