Zilhaj moon sighted, Eidul Azha on August 22

Pakistan to observe first Zilhaj on Monday

The Zilhaj moon has been sighted and Eidul Azha will be celebrated across the country on Wednesday, August 22, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman announced on Sunday.

The decision was taken following a meeting of the committee, held in Karachi to sight the crescent.

The Met office had predicted that there are fair chances of the moon being sighted today and Eidul Azha falling on August 22 across Pakistan.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and other Gulf states will celebrate the Eid on Tuesday, August 21 after Zilhaj moon was sighted in the region on Saturday night.



Eidul Azha commemorates the Quranic tale of the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah, before the Almighty replaced the son with a ram to be sacrificed instead.

The result is a booming pre-holiday trade in goats, cows and sheep. In Pakistan alone, nearly 10 million animals, worth more than $3 billion, are slaughtered during the two days of Eidul Azha, according to the Pakistan Tanners’ Association.

Eidul Azha marks the end of an annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, and should be undertaken by every Muslim who can afford to do so.