KARACHI – The crescent of Zilqad 1446 has been sighted in Pakistan on April 28, Monday, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee said in a statement.
The country’s apex moon sighting committee said the sighting of the moon makes starting of Islamic month of Zilqad, 1446 AH. The first day of Zilqad will be observed across Pakistan on Tuesday, April 29.
The announcement came after meeting of Central and Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees held on Monday evening. The session included representatives from Ministry of Religious Affairs, officials from the Met Office, and members of regional moon sighting bodies.
On first day of the week, moon sighting reports were received from various parts of the country, including northwestern Pakistan.
Earlier, Met Office predicted favorable conditions for visibility, predicting that the crescent would likely appear between 6:52 PM and 7:50 PM.
After careful verification of multiple testimonies, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee confirmed that moon had been sighted, officially declaring Tuesday as first day of Zilqad.
Zilqad is eleventh month of the Islamic lunar calendar and one of the four sacred months in Islam, during which warfare is traditionally restricted. It also holds major religious and historical importance for Muslims for key events include the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the declaration of Hajj as a mandatory act, and the birth of several key religious figures.
Month of Zilqad is time when Ummah start preparing for Hajj, which takes place next month, Zil Hajj.
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