Muslims in Britain and the rest of the world today ushered in the holiday of Eid al-Fitr after marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, and other Sunni Muslim countries including the United Arab Emirates and Jordan begin their celebrations today while those in Shiite Muslim majority nations will start the holiday on Saturday.
‘Friday is the first day of Eid al-Fitr for this year,’ with Thursday the last day of the holiday month of Ramadan, Saudi Arabia’s royal court said.
The timing of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar. But Muslim religious authorities tend to disagree on the sighting of the moon, meaning Eid can be begin on different days for Sunnis and Shiites.
Ramadan sees worshippers fasting daily from dawn to sunset, ending with the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which is normally celebrated with family gatherings.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Sudan also announced Eid al-Fitr will start on Friday.
UNITED KINGDOM: Muslim worshippers pray in Burgess Park, southeast London, on Friday on the first day of Eid al-Fitr
SAUDI ARABIA: Muslim worshippers pray around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on Friday
ITALY: Muslims attend the final prayer of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, at the Dora Park in Turin, Italy, on Friday
NIGERIA: Muslims pray in an open ground field during the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday
TURKEY: Muslims perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer at the Suleymaniye Mosque during the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Istanbul on Friday
EGYPT: People attend an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan at a public park, outside El-Seddik Mosque in Cairo on Friday
Libya, ruled by two rival administrations, will mark Eid on Friday in the country’s east and on Saturday in areas under the control of the Tripoli-based government.
Statements from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iraq’s highest Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, said Eid would start on Saturday in their countries.
Iraq’s Sunni authorities announced the holiday would begin Friday, while the country’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, set a Saturday start date.
The governments of Lebanon and Syria, both in the throes of crippling economic crises, said Friday would mark the beginning of the dayslong holiday.
In Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population worldwide, the second-largest Islamic group, Muhammadiyah – with over 60 million members – said that according to its astronomical calculations, the holiday of Eid al-Fitr starts on Friday.
However, the country’s religious affairs minister had announced on Thursday that the start of the holiday would fall on Saturday.
The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.
It is also a time for prayer, with the faithful converging in large numbers on mosques, especially at night.
UNITED KINGDOM: Muslim worshippers are pictured gathering to pray together, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr at Platt Fields Park in Manchester
JERUSALEM: Palestinians attend Eid al-Fitr holiday celebrations by the Dome of the Rock shrine in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City, on Friday
WASHINGTON, US: Muslims of different nationalities living in the United States gather to perform Eid al-Fitr prayer at the Diyanet Center of America in Maryland, Washington
GIZA, EGYPT: Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers in Abu Sir village on Friday April 21, 2023 in Giza, Egypt
GIZA, EGYPT: Muslims let go of colourful balloons after performing Eid-al-Fitr prayers in Abu Sir Village, Giza, Egypt on Friday
INDONESIA: Indonesian Muslims gather to perform Eid al-Fitr prayer in Depok, West Java, Indonesia on Friday
KUWAIT: Muslims gather to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer outside during the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Hawally, Kuwait on Friday
EGYPT: Muslim revelers spray foam at each other after prayers on the first day of Eid al-Fitr to celebrate the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan outside Egypt’s Al-Seddiq Mosque in Cairo
UNITED KINGDOM: Muslim worshippers pray in Burgess Park, southeast London on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan
UNITED KINGDOM: Muslim worshippers pray in Burgess Park, southeast London, on Friday
RWANDA: Muslims gather to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer during the first day of the Eid al-Fitr at Kigali Pele Stadium in Kigali
INDONESIA: An aerial view of muslims performing the Eid Al-Fitr prayer in Tanah Datar District, West Sumatra, Indonesia on Friday
SAUDI ARABIA: A boy eats sweets at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on Friday
ALBANIA: Albanian Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania, on Friday
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban security personnel stand guard as Afghans attend Eid al-Fitr prayers outside a Mosque in Kabul
KYRGYZSTAN: Muslims perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer during the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Friday
INDONESIA: An aerial view of muslims performing the Eid Al-Fitr prayer in Tanah Datar District, West Sumatra, Indonesia, on Friday
INDONESIA: Muslims participate in morning prayers celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, at the Parangkusumo sand dunes in Bantul on Friday
IRAQ: Sunni worshippers attend Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Mosul, Iraq, on Friday
QATAR: Muslims arrive for Eid al-Fitr prayers at one of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadium at Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Friday
KYRGYZSTAN: Muslims perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer during the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Friday
INDONESIA: Indonesian Muslims attend the Eid Al-Fitr prayer on ‘sea of sands’ at Parangkusumo beach on Friday in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
GAZA CITY: An aerial view of Palestinians performing morning prayers to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Gaza City, on Friday
KYRGYZSTAN: Muslims attend the morning prayers to celebrate Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Bishkek on Friday
AFGHANISTAN: Muslims attend Eid al-Fitr prayers at a Mosque in Kabul on Friday
JERUSALEM: Palestinians attend Eid al-Fitr prayers at the compound that houses al-Aqsa mosque
INDONESIA: Youths lights smoke sticks during the celebration of the eve of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on a street in Jakarta on Friday
LIBYA: Men dressed in traditional costumes perform a folk dance during a carnival to celebrate Eid El Fitr in a public square in Benghazi on Friday
WASHINGTON: Muslims gather to perform Eid al-Fitr prayer at the Diyanet Center of America in Maryland, Washington, on Friday
INDONESIA: Participants hold torches during the Torch relay to welcome Eid al-Fitr. The parade is an annual event and is carried out by the people of Ranomeeto, South Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi
SYRIA: Syrian Muslims gather to perform Eid al-Fitr prayer at the Idlib Stadium in Idlib, Syria on April 21, 2023
CALIFORNIA: Muslims perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer during the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the (MCA) Muslim Community Association in Santa Clara, California
MEXICO: Muslims of Mexico’s Islamic community attend Eid al-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Mexico City, Mexico
Fasting is widely practised in Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest shrines in Islam in Mecca and Medina.
Saudis are expected to observe a four-day holiday for Eid al-Fitr.
This year again, the holiday comes amid fighting and devastation, particularly in the Middle East.
In Sudan, the holiday was eclipsed by raging battles between the army and its rival paramilitary force, despite two attempted cease-fires. The fighting since Saturday has killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands.
In Yemen, the Arab world’s most impoverished nation, a stampede late Wednesday at a charitable event in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa killed at least 78 people and injured 77.
In some places, tensions and fighting had calmed. Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties after China-brokered negotiations – an ongoing reconciliation that has deescalated proxy wars in the region.
Saudi officials and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen recently began talks in Sanaa and during the last days of Ramadan exchanged hundreds of prisoners captured in Yemen’s civil war, which erupted in 2014.
Riyadh also sent its top diplomat to Syria to meet with President Bashar Assad on Tuesday, a significant step towards ending his political isolation and potentially returning the war-torn country to the Arab League.
However, Tehran and Riyadh disagreed on the start of the holiday – for Saudis, Eid al-Fitr would begin Friday while officials in Iran said it starts on Saturday.
EGYPT: People attend Eid al-Fitr prayers outside Al-Seddik Mosque in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday
GAZA CITY: In this aerial view, Muslim worshippers pray on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Gaza City
JERUSALEM: A Muslim family poses in Eid outfit outside the Dome of the Rock at the Al-Aqsa mosques complex in the Old City of Jerusalem on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan
SAUDI ARABIA: Muslims perform their Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque, in the holy city of Mecca
UKRAINE: Muslims attend Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in a mosque of the Islamic Cultural Center in Kyiv on Friday
IRAQ: Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayer at a mosque in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, on Friday
UZBEKISTAN: Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayer at a mosque in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Friday
ALBANIA: Albanian Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania, on Friday
INDONESIA: Indonesian Muslims perform Eid Al-Fitr prayer on ‘sea of sands’ at Parangkusumo beach on Friday in Yogyakarta
LEBANON: People attend Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, outside Al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut on Friday
KUWAIT: Muslim worshippers pray on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at a football stadium in Kuwait City on Friday
TURKEY: Muslims attend Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan at Fatih mosque in Istanbul
KYRGYZSTAN: Muslims attend the morning prayers to celebrate Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Bishkek on Friday
EGYPT: People attend an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, outside El-Seddik Mosque in Cairo
USA: Members of the Muslim community attend prayers outside the Masjid At Taqwa mosque during Eid al-Fitr celebrations in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Friday
SUDAN: Men gather to pray in Port Sudan, on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Friday
The start of the holiday is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which vary according to geographic location, while some countries rely on astronomical calculations rather than physical sightings to determine the start of Eid al-Fitr.
United Arab Emirates and Qatar followed Saudi Arabia and announced the holiday would begin for them on Friday, while their Gulf Arab neighbor, Oman, declared that the moon had not been sighted and the holiday would begin on Saturday.
Indonesia’s Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud called on Muslims to be respectful of each other’s celebrations, and asked Muhammadiyah members to have their holiday feasts at home – in consideration of the Muslims who would still be fasting on Friday.
The country’s roads and highways were gridlocked as millions crammed into trains, ferries, busses and on motorcycles, as they left cities to return to their villages to celebrate with family.
The government estimated that more than 123 million travellers were expected to crisscross the vast archipelago that spans 17,000 islands, with about 18 million departing from Jakarta’s greater metropolitan area.
Meanwhile, clerics of Pakistan’s state-backed moon sighting committee announced at a news conference in Islamabad that Eid al-Fitr would be celebrated on Saturday in Pakistan as there were no sightings of the moon there.
Egypt and Jordan said that for them, Eid al-Fitr would begin on Friday. In divided Libya, the religious authorities based in the capital of Tripoli, said it would start on Saturday. In the country’s east, run by a rival administration, authorities marked Friday as the start.
In Afghanistan, the head of the Taliban-appointed judiciary, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, also said the holiday would start on Friday.
AFGHANISTAN: Muslim devotees offer Eid al-Fitr prayers, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the Abdul Rahman mosque in Kabul on Friday
IRAQ: Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayer at a mosque in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq on Friday
WEST BANK: An aerial view of muslims gathered to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer at city hall during the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Al-Bireh, West Bank, on Friday
ITALY: Muslims attends the Eid al-Fitr prayer during the Eid al-Fitr holiday on Friday in Turin, Italy
UZBEKISTAN: An aerial view of muslims gathered to perform Eid al-Fitr prayer at a mosque in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Friday
JERUSALEM: Palestinians attend Eid al-Fitr holiday celebrations by the Dome of the Rock shrine in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday
