The Muslim world is once again divided over the dates of Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha 1446H / 2025, due to differing moon-sighting methods. While some countries follow their local crescent sightings, others adhere to the official Saudi announcement based on the Sharia-compliant sighting in Mecca.

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Morocco, Mauritania, Afghanistan (under Taliban), Brunei, and Malaysia declared that Arafat Day falls on Friday, June 6, and Eid al-Adha on Saturday, June 7, having started the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah a day later than Saudi Arabia.

In contrast, most Arab and Muslim-majority countries — including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Indonesia, Australia, USA, UK, Canada, and France — announced Thursday, June 5 as Arafat Day, and Friday, June 6 as the first day of Eid.

This recurring divergence highlights the variety of jurisprudential and astronomical approaches in the Islamic world regarding moon sighting. It also reflects the ongoing debate between those who rely on local visual sightings and those who follow the Mecca-based calendar, turning the start of Eid into a frequently contested religious and astronomical event.