For a whole month, Muslims across the world have been juggling professional and personal chores in the day while seeking forgiveness both from Allah and from those we may have wronged in the quiet of Ramadan with night prayers.
As Ramadan 2024 wraps up, Muslims are gearing to spot the Shawwal crescent moon which will mark the date of Eid-ul-Fitr 2024 and the start of a new month in the Islamic lunar calendar.
Significance Of Eid-ul-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr, which is popularly known as Eid or Ramadan Eid, marks the end of the sacred month of Ramadan where Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and recite the Holy Quran and offers prayers to Allah. While the West culturally follows the Gregorian calendar, the Islamic calendar is lunar, Eid-ul-Fitr occurs approximately 10-11 days earlier depending on when the crescent moon is sighted because lunar months are shorter than solar months and so it varies from country to country.
Chand Raat In South Asia
Chand Raat is a term used in South Asian cultures, particularly in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, to refer to the night before Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid al-Adha where “chand” means moon and “raat” means night in Urdu, so the term refers to the night when the Muslims sight the crescent or new moon.
The festive night of chand raat is followed by Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in the morning, which is a major religious holiday celebrated by Muslims all over the world as it marks the end of the month-long fasting period of Ramadan.
Timings Of Chand Raat
f the Shawwal crescent moon is sighted by Muslims in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, United Kingdom and other countries in the Middle East and West on April 8 evening, after breaking the Ramadan fast at maghrib or evening payers, chand raat there will be on Monday, April 8 and the day of Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated the next day.
Muslims in India and other South Asian countries will continue to fast on Wednesday and Eid will be celebrated on Thursday i.e. April 11, 2023.
Pakistan’s Meteorological Department has said that the Shawwal moon is likely to be seen on April 9, 2024 in the region where the moon is expected to conjunct with the sun on April 8 at 11:21pm (local time).