CAIRO, November 11 (IslamOnline.net) – The Jordan-based Arab Union for Astronomy & Space Science (AUASS) has announced that Saturday, November 13, would be the last day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, making Sunday, November 14, the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr.

Astronomers from several Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, have also come to the conclusion.

"According to astronomical calculations, Sunday is the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr," said Eng. Mohammad Odah, Vice-president of the AUASS’s Crescents and Calendars Committee.

In Egypt, Head of the Survey Authority Eng. Mohamed Hisham Nasr said calculations indicate it would be impossible to sight the new crescent Friday, November 12, as sunset all across the country would follow the crescent's disappearance.

"Therefore, Saturday would be the 30th and final day of the Ramadan and Sunday would be the first of Shawwal and `Eid Al-Fitr."

In the United Arab Emirates, the society of Astronomy Fans also announced the same conclusion.

This year's `Eid Al-Fitr in the Emirates comes as sadness still clouds the hearts and minds of the population after the loss of the country's founder and father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.

The Gulf state declared a 40-day mourning period to mark its great loss.

In Saudi Arabia, astronomer Khalid bin Salih Al-Za'aq, general manager of the Breida city's Observatory, told IslamOnline.net that "it would be hard to sight the crescent Friday as the moon would go down before the sun."

"Therefore, the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr will fall on Sunday."

In Kuwait, the same was announced by researcher astronomer Dr. Salih Mohamed El-Igeizy, who went into details on how and why the Shawwal moon would be impossible to sight on Friday night.

Qatari astronomer Khalid bin Abdullah Turki also said calculations show that `Eid Al-Fitr would start on Sunday.

In Lebanon, Shiite scholar Mohamed Hussein Fadlullah issued a statement saying Sunday would mark the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr.

Moon sighting is supposed to determine Arab lunar months. It has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.

While one group of scholars believes Muslims in other regions and countries are to follow this sighting as long as these countries share one part of the night, another states that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia.

A third, however, disputes both views, arguing that Islam is against division and disunity, since Muslims, for instance, are not allowed to hold two congregational prayers in one mosque at the same time.

This group believes that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country (such as Egypt's Dar al-Iftaa [House of Fatwa]) announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.