In shortA Qamari month has 29 or 30 days and begins when the new crescent is seen, so the day of Eid is known only the evening before. In Afghanistan the day of Eid is announced by the Supreme Court. A calculated calendar such as Umm al-Qura, which this site uses, is worked out in advance, and the announced day may differ from it by a day.
Announcing Eid in Afghanistan
Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic festival: the celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan and its fasting, on the first day of the month of Shawwal. In Afghanistan its day is announced by the Supreme Court.12
A Qamari month begins when the new crescent is seen
From one new moon to the next takes about 29.5 days, so a Qamari month has 29 or 30 days.3 At the new moon the moon stands next to the sun and can't be seen; a day or so later a thin crescent appears low in the west after sunset. A month that begins when this crescent is seen can't be known before that evening.
The moon now
Today by calculation: –a day either way: – or –
Two examples of Eid al-Fitr: the announced day and the calculated day
| Eid al-Fitr | Announced in Afghanistan | By calculation (Umm al-Qura) |
|---|---|---|
| 1443 (2022) | Sunday, 1 May | Monday, 2 May |
| 1447 (2026) | Thursday, 19 March | Friday, 20 March |
A calculated calendar: Umm al-Qura
Umm al-Qura is a lunar calendar that sets the start of each month not by sighting the crescent but by calculation. On the 29th of each Qamari month, two things are calculated for Mecca: whether the new moon, the moment the moon stands next to the sun, has come before sunset; and whether the moon sets after the sun. If both are true, the next day is the first of the new month; otherwise the month has 30 days.4
Because the rule can be worked out for any year, a calculated calendar can print its dates years in advance; a month that begins with sighting the crescent is known only the evening before.
How this site shows Qamari dates
Every Qamari month begins when the crescent is seen, so any Qamari date, not only Eid, may differ by a day in Afghanistan from the calculated date. This site can't know in advance on which evening the crescent will be seen, so it calculates Qamari dates with the Umm al-Qura rule. If a Qamari month in Afghanistan began a day earlier or later than the calculation, you can choose "A day earlier" or "A day later" in the "Qamari date" setting of the date converter or the calendar; every Qamari date on this site then moves by a day.3
Date converter Convert a date between the Shamsi, Qamari and Gregorian calendars.Sources
- 1 A news report on the Supreme Court's Eid announcement in 2022. Javed Hamim Kakar, “Apex Court Committee announces Sunday Eid-ul-Fitr”, Pajhwok Afghan News (1 May 2022). pajhwok.com/2022/05/01/shawal-moon-sighted-eid-today-announces-sc (2026-11-13)
- 2 A news report on the Supreme Court's Eid announcement in 2026. Dunya News, “Afghanistan confirms Eid-ul-Fitr on Thursday after Shawwal moon sighting” (19 March 2026). dunyanews.tv/en/World/941295-afghanistan-confirms-eidulfitr-on-thursday-after-shawwal-moon-sighti (2026-11-13)
- 3 This site's calendar and moon calculation: the Qamari dates by the Umm al-Qura table, the moon's phases checked against astronomy-engine. Waqt’s calendar engine and its moon (checked against astronomy-engine)
- 4 An astronomer's description of the Umm al-Qura calendar and its rules. R. H. van Gent, “The Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia”, Utrecht University. webspace.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/islam/ummalqura.htm (2026-11-13)
Every number in this article comes from one of these sources or from Waqt's own calculations. Seen a mistake? Write to us