Two Islamic countries have officially announced the start of Zilhajj and confirmed the dates for Eid al-Adha. Tunisia and Turkey declared that Monday, May 18, will mark the first day of Zilhajj, while Eid al-Adha will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 27.
According to official reports, Tunisia became one of the first Islamic countries to confirm the sighting of the moon for Zilhajj. Religious authorities in the country announced that Saturday marked the 29th day of Ziqad. Therefore, the new Islamic month will begin on Monday.
Meanwhile, Turkey also confirmed the same dates for the Islamic calendar. However, Turkey uses a different method to determine Islamic months. Instead of relying on traditional moon sighting practices, Turkish authorities use astronomical calculations and a pre-planned Islamic calendar system.
As a result, the country had already prepared its Eid schedule before the official moon sighting announcements in many other regions. Even then, the decision remained in line with the expected lunar calendar dates.
Several other Islamic countries are also preparing for moon-sighting activities. These include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Authorities in these countries are ready to observe the Zilhajj moon on Sunday evening before making official announcements.
Religious experts say moon sighting announcements remain highly important across the Muslim world because Eid dates often depend on local observations. Therefore, some countries may celebrate Eid on different days depending on the moon’s visibility.
At the same time, millions of Muslims around the world are now waiting for official confirmations from Saudi Arabia because the country’s announcement usually influences Eid celebrations in many regions.
As preparations continue, Islamic countries worldwide are going to finalize their Eid schedules in the next few hours.
