Manchester Central Mosque releases 'important' Eid al Fitr announcement

Manchester Central Mosque has released an important announcement as many wait for the start of Eid al-Fitr.

The end of Ramadan is right around the corner, however, many waiting for the new Islamic month of Shawal and thus the start of Eid al-Fitr are still holding out for an official sighting of the moon. Eid al-Fitr is one of the two primary Eid events in the Islamic calendar and marks the end of Ramadan's daily fasting from dawn till dusk.

The date for Eid will be determined by the sighting the crescent of the new moon. While Saudi Arabia has already announced Eid will start on Wednesday, April 10, many in the UK are still waiting for an official announcement.

Read more: Saudi Arabia announces Eid-al-Fitr 2024 date with moonsighting update

Writing on Facebook, the Manchester Central Mosque's organisers said: "IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. Please be aware that no decision regarding the sighting of the moon of Shawal (and thus Eid ul Fitr) will be made until after maghrib on Tuesday 9th April.

"It is only after having received this news will we make an announcement on when Eid will take place. We would ask ALL our congregation to resist calling the masjid or messaging our social media platforms for an update - rest assured when we have the news and it has been ratified by our senior ulema we will broadcast this on our social media pages and through our whatsapp groups."

Many Muslims in the UK generally follow Morocco's announcement as it's geographically the closest Islamic country. Morocco's Islamic Affairs Ministry has confirmed the crescent moon sighting for Eid will take place today with many predicting Eid to fall on April 10.

With the moon predicted to be "easily visible" on both April 9 and April 10, experts are