Dhul Hijjah Moon Sighting Today: Dhul Hijjah is the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar for 1447 AH. It is a very special time for Muslims because it is linked with Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha, also called Bakrid. This month is also the time when Qurbani, or sacrifice, is done. The new crescent moon will decide when the holy month starts, so people in many countries are looking at the sky on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has asked Muslims to watch for the crescent moon on the evening of May 17. The court said people should look with the naked eye or with binoculars and telescopes, and anyone who sees it should report it to the nearest court and give their testimony. Moon-sighting groups in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, India, Jordan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have also asked people to look for the new moon on that day.
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Importance of the Moon Sighting
In the Islamic calendar, a new month starts only after the crescent moon is seen. Dhul Hijjah matters even more because it opens the door to Hajj season in Saudi Arabia. That is when Muslims from many countries travel for pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. So this one moon sighting helps fix the dates for Hajj, Arafat Day, and Eid-ul-Adha.
The Saudi court also used a formal call in its notice, asking people to sight the moon on the 29th of Dhu al-Qadah 1447 AH, which matches Sunday, May 17, 2026. This is why the night has become so important for Muslims waiting for the start of the holy month.
Expected Dates for Dhul Hijjah, Arafat Day, and Eid
If the crescent moon is seen on May 17, then 1 Dhul Hijjah will begin on Monday, May 18, 2026. In that case, the Day of Arafah is expected on Tuesday, May 26, and Eid-ul-Adha is likely to be celebrated on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Several Islamic calendar sources give the same expected dates.
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If the moon is not seen on May 17, then Dhul Hijjah will most likely begin on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 instead. That would push the Eid date one day later in places that follow the local sighting. For this reason, Muslims are being told to wait for the official moon-sighting announcement after Maghrib prayers from local committees or mosques.
