Moon Sighting and Ruet-e-Hilal in Pakistan: How Islamic Months Begin
Published: · اردو میں پڑھیں
Each Islamic month begins when the new crescent (hilal) is seen after sunset on the 29th, or after 30 days are completed.
The sunnah of sighting the crescent
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fast when you see it and stop fasting when you see it; if it is hidden from you, complete thirty days.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1909; Sahih Muslim 1081). And: “The month is twenty-nine nights, so do not fast until you see it; and if it is hidden from you, complete the count of thirty.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1907)
29 or 30 days
A lunar month is never 28 or 31 days. On the evening of the 29th, if the crescent is seen, the next day is the 1st; if not, the month completes 30 days.
Ruet-e-Hilal in Pakistan
Pakistan announces the start of each month through the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, a body of religious scholars working under the federal Ministry of Religious Affairs. Zonal and district committees collect testimony from across the country; the Pakistan Meteorological Department and SUPARCO provide weather and astronomical data. The central committee meets on the 29th, reviews the evidence and announces the decision, usually the same night. Most attention goes to the meetings for Ramadan, Shawwal (Eid al-Fitr), Dhul-Hijjah (Eid al-Adha) and Muharram.
Why Pakistan can differ from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia uses the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar for civil dates and its own sighting for religious occasions. Because the crescent is visible at different times in different places, Pakistan is often one day behind Saudi Arabia.
How this site follows it
We record each Ruet-e-Hilal announcement and count days from it. Until an announcement is recorded, the date is shown as an estimate and labelled clearly.
Check the date: Islamic date today in Pakistan · Islamic date tomorrow · Hijri calendar
Frequently asked questions
Who decides the Islamic date in Pakistan?
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, with zonal committees, under the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Can an Islamic month have 31 days?
No. A lunar month has 29 or 30 days (Sahih al-Bukhari 1907, 1909).
Why is Eid in Pakistan often a day after Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia follows the Umm al-Qura calendar and its own sighting, while Pakistan follows local sighting, and the crescent is often seen a day later in Pakistan.
References
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1907, 1909
- Sahih Muslim 1081
- Quran 2:189
- Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony, Government of Pakistan (Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee)