ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council has made an announcement about their prediction regarding the moon sighting for Muharram-ul-Haram 1448 Hijri, where the new year will commence in Pakistan on June 17, 2026.
According to the Secretary General Khalid Ijaz Mufti, the new moon will be born on June 15, 2026, at 7:54 am (Pakistan Standard Time).
Moreover, by the time of sunset on the same date, the age of the moon will remain under 12 hours across the nation, making it highly improbable to witness the crescent.
Mr. Mufti said that for spotting the moon, its age should usually be no less than 18 hours, considering the factors like clarity of the atmosphere, etc. Moreover, the time difference between sunset and moonset is equally important.
On June 15, the difference between these two events in Karachi will be no more than 37 minutes, while in Peshawar, it will be up to 42 minutes.
As such, on June 15, there will only be a margin of 37 minutes in Karachi and 42 minutes in Peshawar, which does not allow for any possibility of sighting the moon despite the clear weather conditions.
The experts also stressed that, considering the extremely young age of the moon, the sighting of the moon would not be possible, regardless of the use of binoculars and telescopes in Pakistan on the evening of June 15.
Therefore, based on the calculations, it is predicted that Dhul Hijjah 1447 Hijri will have thirty days, thereby making the first day of Muharram 1448 Hijri fall on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
However, the actual date will be confirmed after the review of testimonies from moon-sighting committees in Pakistan carried out by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
Muharram is the first month in the Islamic calendar and starts the Islamic year. It is considered one of the four holy months in the Muslim calendar and is named ‘forbidden’ or ‘sacred’ because it is the time during which fighting is forbidden in Islam.
