Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court called on Muslims across the Kingdom to sight the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah on Sunday evening, the step that sets the month tied to Eid al Adha timing and answers when is eid al adha 2026 will be determined. Anyone who sees the moon, with the naked eye or binoculars, should report it to the nearest court or an official center.
Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, urged Muslims to “increase acts of worship and good deeds, such as prayer, charity, fasting and remembrance of Allah, during the blessed first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah.” He also singled out fasting on the Day of Arafah for non-pilgrims, saying it expiates the sins of two years.
Saudi Arabia Moon Sighting
The court’s call gives Muslims in the Kingdom a clear instruction for Sunday evening: look for the crescent and, if it is sighted, take the testimony to the nearest court or contact the nearest official center for assistance. That is the practical action point in the story, because the sighting begins the month that frames the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah.
For readers following when is eid al adha 2026, the significance is procedural rather than symbolic. The sighting of the Dhul Hijjah crescent determines the start of the month linked to Eid al Adha timing, so the evening observation is the first concrete step in that calendar.
Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan Guidance
Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan used the approach of the month to give direct religious guidance. He said Muslims should “increase acts of worship and good deeds, such as prayer, charity, fasting and remembrance of Allah, during the blessed first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah.”
Al-Fawzan also pointed to the Day of Arafah, calling fasting on that day especially meritorious for non-pilgrims and saying it expiates the sins of two years. He reminded those offering the Udhiyah sacrifice to refrain from cutting their hair, nails or skin from the start of the month until the sacrifice is completed.
What Muslims should do
The immediate instruction is simple: Muslims in the Kingdom who see the crescent on Sunday evening should report it to the nearest court or ask the nearest official center for help with testimony. That gives the authorities the sighting evidence needed to register the start of Dhul Hijjah.
For worshippers, the next days are the period Al-Fawzan highlighted: prayer, charity, fasting and remembrance of Allah during the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah. For those planning an Udhiyah sacrifice, his guidance also sets a conduct rule for the month, with hair, nails and skin left untouched until the sacrifice is completed.
The practical question after Sunday evening is whether the crescent will be sighted and registered, because that is what moves the calendar from an observation call to the start of Dhul Hijjah. Once that happens, the religious observances Al-Fawzan described become the immediate frame for Muslims in the Kingdom.
