The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on Monday announced that the Muharram moon was not sighted anywhere in Pakistan, confirming that 1st Muharram 1448 Hijri will fall on Wednesday, June 17, while Ashura will be observed on Friday, June 26.
The announcement was made by Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad following the committee’s meeting held at Badshahi Mosque.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad said no credible testimony regarding the sighting of the Muharram crescent was received from any part of the country.
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“Today, a meeting was held at Badshahi Mosque to make the Shariah decision on sighting the moon for Muharram. No testimony of moon sighting was received from anywhere in the country; therefore, 1st Muharram 1448 will be on Wednesday, June 17, and Ashura will be observed on Friday, June 26,” he said.
The chairman noted that zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees also convened meetings in their respective cities to collect and review moon sighting reports. Representatives from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and other relevant institutions attended the proceedings to provide technical input.
Committee members, including Mufti Fazal Jameel, Allama Yaseen Zafar, Mufti Muhammad Yousuf Kashmiri, and Mufti Sameer Ahmad Sajid, participated in the meeting and unanimously endorsed the decision.
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According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, astronomical conditions were not favourable for the crescent’s visibility.
The Met Office stated that the new moon was born at 7:54am on Monday, while the sun set at approximately 7:52pm, making the moon’s age 11 hours and 45 minutes at sunset.
Meteorological experts explained that during June, the moon generally needs to be at least 21 hours and 20 minutes old to be visible to the naked eye under normal atmospheric conditions.
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The official announcement has paved the way for religious observances associated with the beginning of the Islamic New Year. Provincial governments and law enforcement agencies have already begun implementing security arrangements for Muharram processions and gatherings across the country.
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and holds deep significance for Muslims, particularly the first ten days culminating in Ashura.
The 10th of Muharram commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain ibn Ali and his companions in the Battle of Karbala, observed through religious gatherings, processions, and remembrance ceremonies.
