Zil Hajj moon sighted; Eid ul Adha on May 27

• First Zil Hajj will be on May 18, announces Ruet chairman.
• Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman to observe Eid ul Adha on May 27.
• Zonal committee meetings held in provincial headquarters.
  

KARACHI: The Zil Hajj moon has been sighted and Eid ul Adha will fall on May 27 in Pakistan, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced on Sunday.

The announcement was made after a meeting of the committee held at the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) in Karachi, with Maulana Azad in the chair.

The meetings of the zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees were also held at their respective provincial headquarters.

Addressing a press conference, Ruet chairman said that credible testimonies of moon sighting have been received from several parts of the country.

“It was decided with consensus that first Zilhaj 1447 AH will be on Monday, May 18, and Eid ul Adha will be observed on Wednesday, May 27”, he said.

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) previously forecast that the new moon was likely to be sighted on May 17.

A spokesperson for the country’s space agency said that the new moon was born on May 17 at 1:01am, adding that its age at sunset on the same day was approximately 18 hours and 30 minutes, which is generally considered suitable for visibility.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also announced the sighting of Zil Hajj moon, and Eid ul Adha will be celebrated in these countries on May 27.

Eid ul Adha falls on the 10th day of Zil Hajj, which also marks the Hajj pilgrimage.

Eid ul Adha, also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” commemorates the Qur’anic story of Prophet Ibrahim’s (PBUH) willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah, a test of faith that was divinely interrupted and replaced with a ram.

Additionally, the occasion is celebrated with prayers, family gatherings, and charitable acts, including the ritual sacrifice of livestock, with the meat distributed to relatives, friends, and the underprivileged.