Eid ul-Fitr 2024 LIVE: Moon-sighting announcements from the UK and around the world as Saudi Arabia announces date

Pakistani authorities have deployed more than 100,000 police and paramilitary forces at mosques and marketplaces ahead of the end of ramadan.

Though attacks during Eid are rare in Pakistan, intelligence agencies alerted the Interior Ministry that militants could use the holiday to target civilians as well as government and military compounds.

The country has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in recent years, mostly claimed by Pakistani Taliban and separatists who mainly operate from the south-western Baluchistan province.

On Tuesday, people were shopping as usual at various markets, with women buying bangles, jewellery and clothes for themselves and their children

Eid is traditonally celebrated as a three day official holiday in Muslim nations. The festivivites start with a prayer services that normally takes place before dawn.

It is traditoanl to eat something sweet services before the paryers which typically take place in open areas.

After prayers, Muslims usually spend the day visiting relatives and exchanging gifts such as new clothes or money. Many also donate to those who are less fortunate.

In some countries, families visit graveyards to offer their respects to family members right after the morning prayers.

There is also often a party atmosphere in Muslim cities during Eid as the cities are decorated with lights to mark the end of Ramadan.

The start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of a crescent moon which marks the beginning of the Islamic lunar month.

Once the crescent moon is sighted, Muslims start the month long fast. The end of Ramadan is marked by the next sighting of a crescent moon which signals the beginning of Eid al-Fitr.

As a crescent moon was not visilbe after evening prayers on Monday, Muslims then fast one more day to complete a 30-day month.

In the UK, HM Nautical Almanac Office says the moon should easily be visible on Tuesday April 9 and Wednesday April 10.

Unlike holy holidays such as Christmas, Ramadan does not have a fixed date. This is because the date is decided using the Islamic calender which is based on the cycles of the moon. Although it does always fall on the ninth month of the Islamic calender.

For example, next year Ramadan will start on March 1 2025 and Eid al-Fitr will then be celebrated, roughly, 30 days later on March 30.

An Iranian newspaper is reporting that activists including wildlife conservationist Niloufar Bayani, who has convicted in 2019, has been released.

The activists were were among more than 2,000 prisoners granted amnesty on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

In Iran’s capital Tehran shoppers have been spotted buying food ready to mark the holy holiday.

If you want to wish someone you know a happy Eid, you can say: ‘Eid mubarak’ to them.

When translated into English, it means ‘blessed festival’ or ‘blessed feast’. It is the most common way people express their celebration to family and friends.

Typically, the polite response to ‘Eid mubarak’ is to say ‘Khair Mubarak’, which wishes the person good will in response.

Another way of wishing someone a happy Eid is to say: ‘Eid sa’id’

And some people say Jazak Allah Khair to celebrate the end of Ramadan. This translates to: ‘May Allah reward you with goodness.’

Both spellings are correct and the choice of whether to use ‘al’ or ‘ul’ often depends on regional preferences. Both terms still refer to the same holiday whichever is used.

The difference between the words is that Eid ul-Fitr could be translated to mean ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast’ or ‘Festival of Fast-Breaking.’

While Eid al-Fitr is commonly used to refer to the celebration of Eid.

Both words remain interchangeable when referring to the holiday.

Zakat ul-Fitr, or the Zakat of Breaking the Fast of Ramadan, is the special obligatory alms paid by all Muslims at the end of the Ramadan fasting month.

It is also called Sadaqat al-Fitr “the Charity of Breaking the Fast” of Ramadan and Muslims have to give a portion of their wealth to those in need.

Zakat ul-Fitr must be done before the Eid prayer, which is only to be performed in congregation, building family and community spirit.

Mosques throughout the UK will host Eid prayers at different times of the morning.

Eid prayers also often take place in large, open spaces, such as fields or halls.

Once Eid prayers are finished, Muslims will traditionally visit their relatives and friends to wish them a happy Eid and often exchange gifts or sweets.

This has lent itself to another name for Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Sweets.

Millions of Indonesian Muslims are travelling on packed airplanes, trains and buses and they head home to celebrate Thursday’s Eid al-Fitr festival with family.

It is believed the number of travelers heading home could reach 193 million, or nearly 72% of the population.

Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry expects this to be the largest movement of people in the country’s history.

Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

Every year, there is a vast exodus of people from urban centers across the vast archipelago to more rural hometowns to celebrate the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The homecoming tradition is known as ‘mudik.’

The end of Ramadan is traditionally marked by the sighting of a new moon 29 to 30 days after Ramadan started. This means Muslims often have to wait until the night before Eid until the date can be verified.

As a new moon was not sighted on Monday after evening prayers in Saudi Arabia, Muslims in the Middle East fasted for an extra day.

When the sighting has been verified, Eid is declared on television, radio stations and at mosques.

Welcome to our Eid al-Fitr live blog as Muslims come together to mark the end of Ramadan. We’ll provide you with updates from around the world as Muslims celebrate the holy holiday.