Sunday Likely to Be Eid: Egypt
Gad El-Qadi, President of the center, said astronomical calculations show that the first day of the month of Shawwal, which marks Eid, will be Sunday, al-Alam reported.
Nonetheless, Egypt’s Istihlal (moonsighting) committee will send teams to different parts of the country on Friday to see whether the crescent moon of Shawwal can be observed then (in that case Saturday will mark Eid).
Istihlal refers to efforts for sighting the new moon that determines the beginning of a new month on the lunar Hijri calendar.
While some Muslim scholars rely on astronomical calculations, in many Muslim countries, including Iran, moon-sighting committees are set up to confirm the start and end of lunar Hijri months, including Ramadan.
Eid al-Firt marks the end of Ramadan, a month in which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.
