When is Eid al-Fitr 2016 in India and Pakistan? Muslims will complete 30 days of Ramadan in India, but not in Pakistan

Update:

3:45 pm, 5 July: Eid al-Fitr in Pakistan is expected to fall on the same day as Saudi Arabia on July 6 this year, whereas in India, it will be celebrated the next day on July 7. The rare occurance is said to happen once in three decades, which will end Ramadan after 29 fasts in Pakistan while Saudi Arabia will witness all 30 fasts this year. Moon sighting on Tuesday evening will confirm if Pakistan will celebrate Eid with Saudi Arabia, but the odds are in favor of Pakistan celebrating Eid on Wednesday. 

"It can happen once in 30 years. There are precedents of celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on the same day. There are chances of repeating the history of Eid-ul-Fitr in Saudi Arabia on completion of 30 days of fasting and that in Pakistan after 29 days", said meteorological expert Shaukat Ali Awan, according to The Nation.

12 noon, 5 July: The crescent moon, which would mark the beginning of a new Islamic month, was not spotted on Monday in countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE and others, hence Eid ul-Fitr in India will be celebrated on July 7. Muslims in the Gulf countries will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on July 6 after completing 30 days of fasting and other countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will observe Eid on July 7.

Original story...

The departure of the holy month of Ramadan will be followed by the joyous celebrations of Eid al-Fitr, also referred to as Eid ul-Fitr or Eid in most countries. but the final date of the Islamic festival is yet to be confirmed. Muslims around the world must be in high spirits in the anticipation of Eid al-Fitr, which is likely to fall on July 6 in most countries, including Saudi Arabia, the U.S., U.K., and on July 7 in other countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Eid al-Fitr 2016: Everything you need to know about the end of Ramadan

Just as Muslims started the month of fasting by looking at the crescent moon, which marks the beginning of every new month in Islamic or lunar calendar, Eid al-Fitr will also celebrated following the sighting on the crescent moon. The Ramadan dates change each year, and so does the date of Eid al-Fitr. The reason for this change in dates is due to the difference between the lunar and the Gregorian calendar. The lunar calendar is shorter by 11 days as compared to the Gregorian calendar.

According to the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), which "recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar'i method for determining the beginning of lunar months including the months of Ramadan," Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated in most countries on Wednesday, July 6. The FCNA also states that the astronomical new moon is on Monday, July 4, but the first day of Shawwal, which is celebrated as Eid al-Fitr, will be on July 6.

"On July 4, sunset at Makkah is 7:07 p.m. and moonset is at 7:04 p.m. Moon is born before sunset in Makkah and moonset is before sunset," FCNA explained. "Therefore, first day of Shawwal 1437 is not on July 5, but is on Wednesday, July 6, 2016."

According to Moonsighting.com, the new moon can be seen on Tuesday, July 5 in most countries including Australia, South-east Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Americas. This means Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated in these countries on July 6. Other parts of the world, such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on July 7 due to the delay in the moon sighting in these countries.

Muslims are most likely to get 30 fasts this year and celebrate Eid al-Fitr on July 7 in India.

That said, the final decision on the Eid dates will be announced only after the visibility of the new moon. We'll update more information once the dates have been confirmed.