God willing, the central conjunction, or the "new moon phase" (when the moon, earth, and sun align in a straight line), will occur on Monday, April 8, 2024, at 6:21 PM UTC. This marks the moment before the birth of the Shawwal crescent.

In this position, it will be impossible to sight the newborn crescent—neither with the naked eye nor electronic devices—on Monday evening, as its birth occurs after sunset in all Arab and Islamic countries, except Morocco, where the crescent's birth precedes the call to prayer by 37 minutes.

However, on the evening of Tuesday, April 9, it will be possible to sight the crescent with the naked eye and electronic devices in all Arab and Islamic countries. The crescent will be visible above the horizon after sunset due to its angular height, size, distance from the sun's glare, and its setting duration, which approaches an hour, especially in North African countries. The crescent's age will range from 19 hours and 52 minutes in Dubai to 24 hours and 37 minutes in Marrakech.

These observations align astronomical calculations with religious crescent sighting traditions. God willing, the official start of Shawwal and **Eid Al-Fitr** will be on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in all Arab countries.

May Allah bring this occasion back to us, you, and the entire Muslim Ummah with blessings and prosperity.

"Allah knows best."  

Dr. Al-Dawi Al-Muntasir  

Head of the Geography Department.