Compiled by IOL Staff

CAIRO, November 1, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The sweeping majority of Muslims world-wide will celebrate `Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on Thursday, November 3.

Egypt's Mufti Ali Gomaa announced Tuesday, November 1, that Wednesday will be the last day of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month, and that `Eid Al-Fitr will fall on Thursday.

In Riyadh, the Saudi Judiciary Council announced that the new moon of Shawwal has not be sighted which means Ramadan will end Wednesday.

Following suit, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, Algeria, Sudan and Tunisia announced that the Muslim feast will fall on Thursday.

In Beirut, Dar al-Iftaa [the Sunni fatwa authority) said the new moon has not been sighted and Ramadan will end Wednesday.  

Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, the Shiite religious authority in Lebanon, had announced earlier that `Eid Al-Fitr will fall Thursday.

The Association of Muslim Scholars, the highest Sunni religious authority in Iraq, and the Sunni religious endowment authority announced Tuesday that Wednesday will be the last day of the holy fasting month.

`Eid in Europe

Turkey said that Wednesday will be the last day of Ramadan and `Eid Al-Fitr will begin on Thursday.

The Muslim minority in France will celebrate the Muslim feast on Thursday, according to the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM).

The Muslim Council of Britain, the leading representative body of the minority, said the Muslim feast will fall on Thursday in the European country.

The Shura Mosque in Vienna, one of the main reference authorities for the Muslim minority in Austria, announced that Wednesday will be the last day of Ramadan.

In Slovakia, the Islamic Awqafs (endowment) society announced that `Eid Al-Fitr will begin on Thursday.

The German Muslim Committee for Moon Sighting announced Tuesday that the new moon of Shawwal has not be sighted and Ramadan will end Wednesday.

In Belgium, the Muslim minority representative body said Muslims in the European country will celebrate `Eid Al-Fitr on Thursday.

A member of the Council of Muftis in Russia said the Muslim feast will fall on Thursday.

In Albania, the Islamic Sheikdom announced that Wednesday will be the last day of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month.

The Federation of Social Organizations (ARRAID), the Muslim umbrella body in Ukraine, said the new moon has not been sighted and Ramadan will end Wednesday.

Also, the leader of the Muslim minority in Tatarstan announced that `Eid Al-Fitr will be celebrated on Thursday.

Indonesians United

For the first time in years, Indonesian Muslims will celebrate `Eid Al-Fitr on the same day.

The government of the world's most populous Muslim country announced that the Muslim feast will fall on Thursday.

The two biggest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiya, which usually stand different in deciding the moon sighting, made similar announcements.

Muhammadiyah usually marks Ramadan and `Eid Al-Fitr one day before NU.

Still to Sight

While some countries are still to sight the new moon, Libya was the only country to announce the end of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month, celebrating `Eid on Wednesday.

Malaysia, Oman, Morocco, Somalia, South Africa and Shiites in Iraq said they will sight the Shawwal moon on Wednesday.

Pakistan will sight the moon of the new month on Thursday.

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) announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.