Eid (عيد) is an Arabic word that translates to “festival” or “celebration”. The concept of festivity and celebrating a particular day exists in every religion, civilization, and culture. In Islam, there are two such festive days, celebrated annually, known as Eid al-Fitr (عيد الفطر) and Eid al-Adha (عيد الأضحى). Eid al-Fitr is celebrated after the completion of the month of Ramadan, the fasting month. In contrast, Eid al-Adha is a day of celebration, where Muslims celebrate this day by slaughtering sacrificial animals to commemorate the historic act of sacrifice of the Prophet Ibrahim and his son, the Prophet Ismail عَلَيْهِمَا ٱلسَّلَامُ.
Eid al-Fitr is a day of festivity, which is a reward for them for completing the month-long fasting, which is also one of the five pillars of Islam. On this day, Muslims start their celebrations, purely in a religious manner, by offering a special two-Rakah prayer. This prayer is offered in congregations, preferably in open places, after sunrise. Thereafter, they are allowed to celebrate the day by meeting and greeting one another, preparing special foods, and organizing family gatherings, in accordance with their local culture, while strictly adhering to the religious norms and teachings.
Being one of the most festive and essential days, Muslims quite passionately wait for this day. As the day comes closer, they anxiously enquire, what is the expected date of Eid al-Fitr.
Historic Background of Two Eids in Islam
When the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ settled in Medina after migrating from Mecca, he found the local people celebrating two specific days of festivity. He asked them about it from the local residents of Medina. He was told that this is their tradition to celebrate these days, and they celebrate it while playing games. In response, the Prophet gave them the good news that Allah has given the Muslims something even better, in the shape of two Eids, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
This is narrated in Hadith 1556 of Sunan An-Nasai.
Translation
The people of the Jahiliyyah had two days each year when they would play. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Al-Madinah he said: ‘You had two days when you would play, but Allah (SWT) has given Muslims something instead that is better than them: the day of Al-Fitr and the day of Al-Adha.’
Since then, Muslims celebrate these two days, Eid al-Fitr on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, and Eid al-Adha on the tenth day of Dhul-Hajj.
The Islamic Calendar – An Overview
While Muslims eagerly wait for the two Eids, it remains a matter of predictions, as the mechanism of Islamic Dates is quite different from the conventional Gregorian Calendar. Accordingly, the exact date of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr 2026 cannot be ascertained beforehand, because the commencement and end of each of the Islamic months cannot be precisely predetermined; it is affected by the following varying factors:
- The Gregorian Date ends at 11:59:00 PM and the new date starts at 12:00:00 AM (midnight), whereas the Hijri or Islamic Date ends at sunset, and the new date starts immediately after that.
- The Islamic Calendar is based on the birth, appearance, and, more importantly, sighting of the new moon. The current Islamic month ends and a new month starts when the new moon is born. Hence, the end and start of an Islamic month entirely depend on the birth of the new moon; hence, they cannot be precisely predetermined.
- Similarly, the number of days in an Islamic month cannot be precisely predicted. Each month would have a different number of days, either 29 or 30 days, depending on the birth of the new moon. For instance, if the moon is sighted on the evening of the 29th day of Ramadan (the 89th Islamic month), the month of Shawwal (the day of Eid al-Fitr) will fall on the next day, which means that the month of Ramadan will have 29 days. On the other hand, if the moon is not sighted, the number of days in the month of Ramadan would be 30.
Based on the above fact, the birth of a new moon in Islam has become a sensitive matter. Although with the help of the latest techniques and Astronomical Calculations, the birth of a new moon can now be predicted up to maximum proximity, it remains a point of debate among Muslim Scholars. The majority of the Scholars are of the firm view that the commencement of a new Islamic month entirely depends on physical sighting of the new moon, as mentioned in Hadith 1909 of Sahih Al-Bukhari, about the commencement and end of Ramadan, which is taken as an authentic guideline to determine the end and start of other Islamic months, as well.
Translation
Start fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ramadan), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha’ban.
This Hadith very clearly provides the rulings, stating that if the new moon cannot be sighted due to overcast conditions, Muslims should complete the 30th day of the current month and start the new month after that. It also implies that physical sighting of the new moon is of prime importance.
How are Dates Affected by the Sighting of the Moon?
The mechanism of determining the Islamic Dates is based on the facts mentioned above. Accordingly, the exact day of the start of a new Islamic month entirely depends on the sighting of the new moon, irrespective of the scientific calculations.
More importantly, the exact date and time of the birth of the new moon also vary for different regions and countries. It may even differ for various locations within the same country. Hence, the occasion of Eid al-Fitr may differ across different Countries or regions by 1 to 2 days. Resultantly, the day of Eid al-Fitr may not necessarily fall on the same day across the World. If we take Saudi Arabia as a reference point, Eid al-Fitr may fall a day or two later or earlier than in other parts of the World as compared to Saudi Arabia.
While some of the Muslim Communities in European Countries, especially the UK, follow the Islamic Calendar, as practiced in Saudi Arabia, many others, including the United States, adopt other ways to determine the exact day of Eid al-Fitr. On the other hand, the majority of the Muslim Countries, including some of the Middle East Countries as well as Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, and the African Countries, follow their own process to determine the start and end of an Islamic month. Most of these Countries have formulated special bodies (Committees) that are responsible for announcing the commencement of a new Islamic month, mainly based on physical sighting of the moon, supported by technical astronomical data.
When is Eid Al-Fitr 2026?
Based on the facts mentioned above, it is not possible at this stage to determine the exact day and date of Eid al-Fitr in different Countries across the Muslim World. However, based on the available technical and Astronomical data and past trends, the following dates can be predicted:
- Saudi Arabia – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia officially follows the “Umm al-Qura” lunar calendar, which is primarily based on the Astronomical Calculations. While the predictions of this Calendar are often correct, the final decision remains with the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, which is officially authorized to announce the start of a new Islamic Month. According to the Umm al-Qura calendar, the month of Ramadan 2026 is expected to end on Thursday, 19th March 2026, and will be 30 days long. Accordingly, the day of Eid al-Fitr is most likely to fall on Friday, 20th of March 2026, in Saudi Arabia. However, if Ramadan ends on the 29th day, Eid al-Fitr would fall on Thursday, 19th March 2026.
- Other Islamic Countries – Some Arab Countries also follow the exact dates for Islamic events, as practiced in Saudi Arabia. Parts of Europe, such as the UK, also celebrate Islamic events on the dates announced by Saudi Arabia. Traditionally, Afghanistan also follows the exact dates. On the other hand, the Majority of other Islamic Countries, including Pakistan, have their own moon sighting arrangements. Most of these Countries have established special moon-sighting committees, authorized to announce the start of a new Islamic month after carefully evaluating scientific evidence and public sightings of the moon. Accordingly, Eid al-Fitr would most likely fall a day or two later than in Saudi Arabia in most parts of Asia, including the Indian Subcontinent and some Far Eastern Countries. In these areas, Eid al-Fitr may fall either on 20th or 21st March 2026.
- Muslim Communities of Non-Islamic Countries – Many Muslim Communities living in Countries where Islam is a minority religion, Eid al-Fitr is traditionally celebrated on the day, as practiced by their nearest Islamic Country. However, some Muslim Communities prefer to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on the date announced by Saudi Arabia.
Important
- These are just indicative dates for different parts of the World, calculated based on available data. Muslims are urged to follow the official announcements of their respective Government authorities regarding Eid al-Fitr.
- Most importantly, the start of Ramadan narrows the possible date of Eid al-Fitr to just one day. Hence, you can predict the day of Eid al-Fitr once the month of Ramadan officially starts in your area.
