| Sayyed Fadlullah: Eid Al-Fitr is on Sunday, September 20 |
His Eminence, the Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, issued a statement in which he declared that Eid Al-Fitr is on Sunday, September 20, being the first of the month of Shawwal, and that Saturday, the 19th, is the last day of the blessed month of Ramadan. He also explained that the ability to see the crescent is available through magnifiers beginning with the regions that are on the far east of the globe.
Following is the text of the statement:
Based on scientific astronomical data, the birth of the crescent of the month of Shawal this year (1430 H.) will take place on the evening of Friday, September 18, at exactly 21: 44 Beirut mean time (18: 44 GMT). Thus, the ability of seeing the crescent would not be available on that night (Friday night), and since the beginning of the month of Ramadan was on Friday, the 21st of last August, then Saturday, the 19th of September, is the last day of the month of Ramadan. And Sunday, September 20, 2009 is the first day of the month of Shawwal; that is, the day of Eid Al-Fitr. Moreover, the crescent, according to astronomical data, could be seen by means of magnifiers, on the regions to the far east of the globe, and could be seen by the naked eye in vast regions of South Africa, the Atlantic Ocean and South America.
We ask Allah, the Most Exalted, that this Eid will bring blessings, good, and dignity to all Muslims. We also ask Him to bestow on the Muslim countries, especially Palestine, the blessing of the end of occupation. He listens and He responds.