RIYADH — There has been divergence of views among the Arab and Muslim astronomers and astronomical institutes with regard to the first day of the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr this year. Some of them cite that the Eid will fall on Friday while others say Eid would be on Saturday, and these are based on their astronomical calculations. The solar eclipse and some other factors were attributed to this. In such a scenario, only sighting of the Shawwal crescent in a clear weather on Thursday evening would put an end to the controversy. Astronomical forecasts indicated the possibility that the first day of Eid Al-Fitr and the first day Shawwal will be on Friday, corresponding to April 21, and thus Ramadan this year will have 29 days. But the astronomical phenomenon that will occur in many countries of the world that night, which is the total eclipse of the sun, may lead to blocking of the vision of the crescent with the naked eye or by means of a telescope. In such cases, the lunar month of Ramadan will be completed, with observance of fasting for 30 days, on Friday and the first day of Shawwal and Eid Al-Fitr will be on Saturday, April 22. Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court last Friday called on all Muslims in the Kingdom to look for the Shawwal crescent on the evening of Thursday, Ramadan 29, corresponding to April 20, according to the Umm Al-Qura calendar. The Supreme Court urged those who sight the crescent with the naked eye or through binoculars to inform their nearest court to register their testimony there or contact the nearest town center so that it can inform the nearest court. The National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) in Egypt said on Monday that based on its calculations that Eid Al-Fitr will be on Friday, April 21. NRIAG said in a statement that Thursday, April 20, will be the last day of the holy month of Ramadan, and Friday will be the first day of Shawwal. The institute denied any expected impact of the solar eclipse on sighting of the Shawwal crescent. The world will witness an eclipse of the sun on Thursday at 3:34 a.m. Cairo local time. This is when the moon will completely cover the sun. The eclipse will take approximately 5:25 minutes from its beginning to its end. Gad El-Qady, head of NRIAG, said that the beginning of the month of Shawwal for the current Hijri year 1444 is Friday, April 21. El-Qady said in a statement that the crescent of the month of Shawwal will be born directly at 6:14 in the morning, local Cairo time, on Thursday. He said that the new crescent stays in the sky of Makkah for a period of 23 minutes, and in Cairo for a period of 27 minutes after sunset on that day, and in the governorates of Egypt, the new crescent remains in its sky for periods ranging between 24-29 minutes. He pointed out that in Arab and Islamic capitals and cities, the new crescent remains after sunset on that day for periods ranging between 10-35 minutes. El-Qady said that this comes in the wake of the International Astronomical Center's (IAC) announcement with regard to sighting of the Shawwal crescent. The IAC stated that there is no possibility to sight the Shawwal crescent on Thursday, Ramadan 29, corresponding to April 20, and hence Eid Al-Fitr could fall on Saturday, April 22. The Abu Dhabi-based astronomical body said in a statement on its Twitter account that its prediction is based on astronomical information and that the exact date of the Eid will only be confirmed by the concerned authorities based on the sighting of the new moon. The sighting of the crescent on Thursday evening is very difficult as it requires a precise telescope, a professional observer, and exceptional weather conditions. "Sighting the crescent on Thursday is not possible with the naked eye from anywhere in the Arab and Islamic worlds. "Seeing the crescent on Thursday is not possible with a telescope in most Arab countries, with the exception of parts of West Africa starting from Libya, and therefore Saturday will most probably be the first day of Eid Al-Fitr," it said in the statement. The vision remains very difficult and requires an accurate telescope, a professional observer and exceptional weather conditions, the center said. It noted that the combination of these factors rarely occurs, and therefore the crescent is not expected to be seen even using a telescope from anywhere in the Arab world. IAC stated that due to the possibility of seeing the crescent with a telescope from some parts of the Islamic world on Thursday, and due to the occurrence of conjugation before sunset, and the setting of the moon after sunset in all regions of the Islamic world, it is expected that the majority of the countries of the Islamic world would likely to announce the start of the month of Shawwal on Friday. As for countries that require correct sighting with the naked eye only or correct local vision with a telescope, they are expected to continue observe fasting to complete 30 days, and therefore Eid Al-Fitr will be on Saturday for them, the center pointed out. On his part, Saudi astronomer Dr. Abdullah Al-Misnid said that when the Hijri month is complete with 30 days, according to the Umm Al-Qura calendar, we know in advance the time of entering and ending the month 100 percent, and we are certain that it is actually 30 days, because the astronomical calculation is definitive. "When the month is 29 days as per the Umm Al-Qura calendar, as in the case of the current Ramadan, no one knows with certainty that the month will actually be 29 or 30 days," he pointed out. Al-Misnid said that no one can be 100 percent sure that the month of Ramadan 1444 will be 29 days or 30, until the first minutes of sunset on the 29th of Ramadan, when the result of the sighting of the crescent comes out. "Whoever declares that Ramadan has 29 days, he is relying on astronomical calculation and not on Shariah vision, and they may coincide, as that happened many times, and they may not coincide, as it also happened many times. "Accordingly, determining the day of Eid remains suspended between Friday and Saturday until sunset on Thursday," he added. As for the prominent Saudi astronomer Abdullah Al-Khudairi, advisor at the astronomical observatory in Al-Majmaah, he confirmed that the factor of clear weather is what will resolve this controversy over seeing the crescent of Shawwal on Thursday. In a series of tweets on his Twitter account, he explained that sighting of the crescent after the sunset undoubtedly has an effect, and the longer the crescent stays, the easier it is to see if the weather is clear. Sometimes there is a long stay and the sighting is not done because of the weather, and sometimes the stay is short and despite that, the vision is possible. Al-Khudairi indicated that the crescent stays on the evening of Thursday, Ramadan 29, after sunset at the site of the Majmaah University Astronomical Observatory, located in Hawtat Sudair, for 24 minutes, and the sighting of the crescent depends on the factor of the clearness of the weather. While on Friday, the first day of Shawwal mathematically, the crescent will stay 85 minutes after sunset, and can be seen from inside the Saudi cities.
