ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency said on Tuesday Eid Al-Adha is likely to fall on May 27 this year, based on astronomical calculations for the sighting of the ZilHajj moon.
Eid Al-Adha, one of the two most important festivals in Islam, marks the culmination of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and is observed by Muslims worldwide through prayers and the ritual sacrifice of animals.
Pakistan traditionally determines the start of Islamic months through the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, which relies on moon sighting testimonies from across the country, though scientific forecasts issued by the Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) have increasingly drawn public attention in recent years.
“The Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has announced that the new moon of ZilHajj 1447 AH is expected to be born on 17 May 2026 at 01:01 PST,” the agency said in a statement.
“Consequently, the 1st ZilHajj 1447 AH is anticipated to fall on Monday, 18 May 2026 … Eid ul Azha will fall on the 27th of May 2026.”
The agency emphasized that the final decision regarding moon sighting and the beginning of the Islamic month would be made by Pakistan’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
Moon sighting announcements in Pakistan often attract widespread public attention, particularly around the Islamic holidays of Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, occasionally leading to debate between clerics favoring traditional eyewitness testimony and advocates of scientific forecasting methods.
