Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta announced on 18 May that the country will observe the four-day Islamic feast of Eid Al-Adha beginning on Wednesday, 27 May, following confirmation of the sighting of the moon for the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijja.
In a statement, Egypt’s highest religious authority for issuing edicts confirmed that the first day of Dhul-Hijjah for the Hijri year 1446 will be 18 May, establishing the schedule for key Hajj-related observances across the nation.
Accordingly, the Day of Arafat, which marks the second day of Hajj and precedes Eid Al-Adha, will fall on Tuesday, 26 May.
The announcement comes after Saudi Arabia declared that Eid Al-Adha would be observed on 27 May.
Eid Al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is one of two major holidays celebrated by Muslims, alongside Eid Al-Fitr. The holiday commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God, and it also coincides with the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken at least once by those who are able.
In a separate Dar al-Ifta announcement concerning the next Hijri cycle, the authority also confirmed the sighting of the crescent moon of Dhul al-Hijjah for the year 1447 AH by observing it on Sunday evening through its Sharia and scientific committees.
The same start dates (Monday for Dhul-Hijjah, Tuesday for Arafah, and Wednesday, 27 May for Eid al-Adha) were reported by several other countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tunisia, Turkey, Malaysia, Oman, and Indonesia.
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