The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has announced on Sunday that the moon of Rabi-ul-Awal could not be sighted in any part of Pakistan. Thus the Eid-Millad-un-Nabi (PBUH) will take place on Saturday, September 6, 2026 in Pakistan.
The month of Rabi-ul-Awwal which is the third month of the Islamic calendar year is of fundamental significance to Muslims everywhere in the globe since it signifies the birth of Prophet Muhammad. This year is even a more special one as Muslims all over the world will also observe the 1500th birth anniversary of the Prophet (PBUH), making it a historic and a spiritually symbolic point in the Islamic history.
Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has announced to commemorate year 1447 Hijri as 1500th blessed birth anniversary of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Sallallho Alaihe Wassallam)@MORAisbOfficial #News #RadioPakistan https://t.co/mgkyp7Yj9u
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) August 25, 2026
Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced the decision after chairing a meeting at the Pakistan Meteorological Department Met Office after Asr prayers. In Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and others, zonal committees also did not report the sighting of the moon.
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) had earlier foreseen that the Rabi-ul-Awwal moon would be born on August 23 at 11:06 AM, and by the evening of August 24, it would be 32 hours and 13 minutes old, an age generally favourable to sighting. The spokesperson has also pointed out that there would be a window of 45 minutes before the moonset following sunset, in coastal regions, so that visibility could increase as a result. But no reliable evidence was presented, and the Central Committee voted the final decision on that basis.
With this announcement, the planning of Eid Milad-un-Nabi which falls on September 6, 2026, has officially started all over Pakistan. Religious congregations, Milad processions, conferences, Mehfil-e-Naat, and prayers will be held in the mosques and community centers to mark the 1500th anniversary of the day as believers express their love, respect and devotion to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
