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Muslims will celebrate the Idd al-fitr festival on Wednesday, April 10.

According to Sheikh Yasir Kulumba, the secretary for religious affairs in the office of Supreme Mufti based at Kibuli, and Sheikh Ziyad Lubanga, the director of Sharia at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) based at Old Kampala, the crescent moon has not been sighted meaning that Muslims have to complete fasting the 30 days of Ramadan.

"I inform the Muslim community that the moon has not been sighted and Idd will be celebrated on Wednesday," Sheikh Kulumba announced.

Idd al-fitr is the festival held by Muslims to celebrate the end of the month of Ramadhan, the Islamic holy month where Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset every day for 29 or 30 days.

Known as Idd al-fitr, meaning feast of breaking the fast, it falls on the first of the Islamic month known as Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.

However, Muslims are required to undertake certain obligations before the observance of the Idd prayers.

Sheikh Imran Ssali, the secretary for religious affairs at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) says that all Muslims whether young or old, poor or rich are required to pay zakat al-fitr.

Zakatul al-fitr is a form of almsgiving that Islam considers required of every able Muslim at the end of Ramadhan.

The purpose of zakat al-fitr is to enable poor people to happily celebrate the festival of breaking the fast along with the rest of the Muslims. 

The amount of zakat al-fitr is the same for everyone regardless of their income.

Zakat al-Fitr is payable in the form of cash or food such as banana, rice, and maize flour among others.

Ssali, drawing from the hadith of Prophet Muhammad says the fasting of a Muslim will be hanging between earth and heavens and it will not be raised to the divine presence without paying the zakat al-fitr.

Available literature indicates that Idd al-fitr was originated by Prophet Muhammad after he migrated from Mecca to Madinah, all in Saudi Arabia.

Anas, a famous companion of Prophet Muhammad narrated that when Prophet Muhammad arrived in Madinah, he found people celebrating two specific days in which they entertained themselves with recreation.

He forthwith remarked that God had fixed two mandatory days of festivity for Muslims. They are Idd al-fitr and Idd al-Adhuha. 

Idd al-fitr begins at sunset on the night of the first sighting of the crescent moon. The night on which the moon is sighted is celebrated as chand raat (the night of the moon).

If the moon is not observed immediately after the 29th day of the previous lunar month (either because clouds block its view or because the western sky is still too bright when the moon sets) then the holiday is celebrated the following day.

Idd al-fair is celebrated for one to three days, depending on the country. It is forbidden to fast on the day of Idd.

During the Idd celebration, Muslims greet each other by saying “Idd Mubarak’ which in Arabic means have a blessed Idd day.

As it comes after a month of fasting, sweet dishes and foods are often prepared and consumed during the celebration.

Muslims typically decorate their homes and are also encouraged to forgive each other and seek forgiveness.