The Zil Hajj moon has been sighted in Pakistan and Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated across the country on 29th June 2023 (Thursday), the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced on Monday.
The decision was announced after the moon sighting committee meeting was chaired by Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.
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The testimonies of moon sighting were received from various cities including Karachi, Lahore and others, the Ruet-e-Hilal committee chairman said. Representatives of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, SUPARCO, Department of Meteorology, and Ministry of Science and Technology also attended the meeting.
The meetings of the zonal committees of Ruet-e-Hilal were held in their respective cities. The first Zil Hajj will be observed on 20th June 2023 (tomorrow), and Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated in the country on 29th June (Thursday).
The Met Office, earlier said that the birth of the moon was expected on 18th June at 9:37pm, which could be sighted on June 19.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meets on the 29th of every Islamic month and makes the announcement after sighting the moon.
A day earlier, the crescent moon for Zil Hajj was sighted in Saudi Arabia and the first day of the month is being observed today (June 19).
The day of Arafah — considered the holiest in Islam — will be on Tuesday (June 27) while the first day of Eid ul Adha will be celebrated on Wednesday (June 28) in the kingdom.
Eid-ul-Azha commemorates the Quranic tale of the Prophet Ibrahim’s (PBUH) willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah, before the Almighty replaced the son with a ram to be sacrificed instead.
It marks the end of an annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, and should be undertaken by every Muslim who can afford to do so.
