Riyadh, May 21: Attempts to sight the new moon, marking the end of Ramadan ul Kareem and start of Shawwal, would be undertaken tomorrow in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The lookout for crescent will begin shortly before Asr prayers and continue till Maghrib namaz, that is held shortly after sunset. The moon sighting committee would subsequently convene to ascertain whether any testimonies of crescent sighting has been received. Eid al-Fitr 2020 Date in UAE: Moon Sighting Committee to Convene on Friday to Look For Shawwal Crescent.

The Saudi Supreme Court announced on Thursday that Muslims across the Kingdom are urged to look for the hilal crescent. Despite the lockdown, the apex judicial council has asked 42 lowers courts to convene on Friday evening to accept testimonies from locals if they succeed in sighting the moon.

In case the personnel of moon sighting committee or locals in Saudi Arabia could testify that the crescent was sighted by them, their testimonies would be sent to the Supreme Court. The apex judicial body would subsequently issue the official announcement on whether Eid al-Fitr would be celebrated on Saturday.

Theologically, Eid is celebrated on the first date of Shawwal -- the month succeeding Ramadan. The Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, and hence a month is either 29 or 30-day long. The duration of month is determined by the sighting of moon.

If the crescent is seen tomorrow (on 29th Ramadan), then Eid would be celebrated on Saturday, May 23. If the moon remains unseen, then Ramadan would complete the 30 days cycle. Another fast would be observed on Saturday and Eid al-Fitr would be observed on Sunday, May 24.

Holidays of Eid al-Fitr in Saudi Arabia would begin on Saturday and continue till third of Shawwal. If Eid is celebrated on May 23, then the holidays will continue till May 25 (Monday). If Eid falls on Sunday, then the holidays would be extended till May 26 (Tuesday). Mosques would remain closed for locals due to the coronavirus lockdown. The Eid al-Fitr prayers would be offered from homes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 21, 2020 08:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).