Eid Al Adha to fall on August 11 after Dhu Al Hijja moon is sighted

Dhu Al Hijja moon was sighted in the early evening of Thursday, a Saudi Arabia observatory says

A man looks for the new crescent moon to indicate the start of a new Islamic month. Pawan Singh / The National

Sunday, August 11 will be the first day of Eid Al Adha, according to an observatory in Saudi Arabia.

The new moon to mark the start of Dhu Al Hijja on Friday was sighted in the early evening of Thursday. This means that Eid Al Adha will fall on the 10th day of Dhu Al Hajja, or August 11.

The Saudi Press Agency confirmed the moon sighting:

Public and private sector workers will have four days of holiday for Eid Al Adha this year.

Employees across the country will be given a break from Saturday, August 10, until Tuesday, August 13.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia called on Muslims in the Kingdom to report sightings of the crescent moon to mark the start of the final month of the Islamic calendar.

Moon sightings with the naked eye or binoculars could be reported to the nearest court, the Saudi Press Agency announced.

The new moon heralds the beginning of Dhu Al Hijjah, the last month in the 12-month Islamic calendar.

The month translates as Month of the Pilgrimage and is when Muslims perform the pilgrimage to Makkah, a pillar of Islam required of all able Muslims.

Hajj is observed on the eighth, ninth and tenth of the month.

Arafat Day, when Muslims travel from Mina to Arafat, is observed on the 9th day of Dhu Al Hijjah which will be August 10.

Eid Al Adha, the festival of the sacrifice, begins at moon rise on the 10th of Dhu Al Hijjah and finishes at sunset on the 13th of Dhu Al Hijjah.

Eid Al Adha marks Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail to God. God intervened and sent a sheep to take Ismail’s place. The Hijri New Year, a public holiday, is expected to fall on August 31.

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Pilgrims pray at the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on August 16, 2018. AP Photo

Hajj pilgrims take photos of the holy Kaaba. EPA

Pilgrims watch as others circle the Kaaba. Reuters

Pilgrims circle the Kaaba. Reuters

Pilgrims walk by pigeons outside the Grand Mosque. AFP

Pilgrims stroll outside the Grand Mosque. AFP

A masked Saudi police officer stands in a street outside the Grand Mosque. AFP

The Makkah Royal Clock Tower. EPA

A hajj pilgrim uses his capsule room. EPA

Saudi security officers check monitors. EPA