KARACHI: With the holy month of Ramazan drawing to a close, Muslims across the world are getting ready to celebrate Eidul Fitr this weekend.

The Shawwal moon was sighted in the Jebel Hafeet area, in Al Ain, on Thursday. People in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Om­an, Singapore and most parts of South Africa will observe Friday (today) as the first day of Eid. Indonesia and Brunei are also set to start celebrating Eid on Friday. An announcement to this effect was made after the crescent was sighted in Jakarta.

The Ruet-i-Hilal Comm­ittee of Malaysia announced that Eid festivities would begin on Friday. According to the Hurriyet newspaper, Turkey will observe Friday as the first day of Eid.

Some parts of North Ame­rica, Canada and the United Kingdom — where Saudi Arabia’s Islamic calendar is followed — will also begin celebrating Eid on Friday.

The East London Mosque announced that they would hold Eid prayers on Friday at 7.30am. In India, imam of the Jama Masjid, Delhi, annou­nced that the first day of Eid would fall on Saturday, as the Shawwal crescent was not sighted on Thursday.

A similar announcement was made in Pakistan by the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2018