Dispute Over Eid al-Fitr Date: Saudi Arabia Sets Friday, Taliban Court Declares Thursday

The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that Thursday, March 18, coinciding with the first day of Shawwal, will mark Eid al-Fitr. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has designated Friday, March 19, as Eid, and Iran has declared Saturday as the holiday.

In a statement, the Taliban Supreme Court said that in the provinces of Helmand, Farah, and Ghor, a significant number of residents have sighted the Shawwal crescent moon and provided testimony in religious courts. According to the court, these testimonies are considered valid under Islamic law, and based on this, Thursday has been declared Eid.

This decision comes as Saudi Arabia announced that the Shawwal crescent was not sighted anywhere in the country, thus Thursday will be the 30th of Ramadan and Friday the first of Shawwal. Iran has also declared Saturday as Eid al-Fitr.

The Taliban administration had previously asked the public to report any sightings of the crescent moon but had not clarified the exact date of Eid prior to the Supreme Court’s announcement. Variations in Eid declaration between countries occur annually, but differing announcements within Afghanistan itself could cause confusion among some residents regarding the timing of celebrations and related events.