Date of Aidilfitri to be decided on 29th of Ramadan - FT Mufti

KUALA LUMPUR: The date of Aidilfitri in Malaysia will be decided based on Hisab (astronomical calculations) and Rukyah or the sighting of the new crescent moon (hilal) as soon as the sun sets on the 29th day of Ramadan, according to Federal Territories (FT) Mufti Datuk Dr Luqman Abdullah.

"According to this method of calculating and observing, or the Imkanur Rukyah method, if the moon is sighted on the evening of the 29th day of Ramadan, Aidilfitri will be celebrated the next day, but if not, then Aidilfitri will be celebrated a day after.

"That is how it has been practised and it should not be an issue now," he told Bernama in response to the methods used in other countries in deciding the date of Aidilfitri and the forecast that Aidilfitri will fall on Friday.

Luqman said that based on the calculation and by the Federal Territories' Mufti Office and relevant agencies, the altitude of the new moon at sunset on Thursday will not be more than two degrees above the horizon, hence making it unlikely for it to be sighted and for Aldilfitri to fall on Friday.

"That is why our initial calculation says that Aidilfitri will be on Saturday, but it depends on what Allah wills...on whether or not the new moon will be sighted on the evening of 29th of Ramadan," he said.

He added that the date of Aidilfitri will be announced by the Keeper of the Ruler's Seal on the same evening after all information from the 29 observation stations around the country be collected and analysed.

-- BERNAMA