According to the calendar, the last day of the blessed month of Ramadan falls on Sunday, March 30. Therefore, this year’s Eid al-Fitr has been scheduled on the calendar for Monday, March 31. 

Conversely, former President Uz Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a distinguished scholar with extensive knowledge of astronomy, has written and published an article on an online newspaper, discussing the possible date for this year’s Eid al-Fitr. In his piece, he stated that Sunday, March 30, was highly likely to be Eid al-Fitr. 

He explained that, based on astronomical calculations, the moon would remain visible for 8 to 20 minutes after sunset on March 29 in several Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco. Given this, he argued that the following day, Sunday, March 30, was very likely to be the 1st of Shawwal and, therefore, Eid al-Fitr. 

March 29 also marks the 29th day of Ramadan. On that day, sunset in the Maldives is expected at 6:14 p.m., with the moon setting at the same time. While there could be debate over whether this meant the next day was astronomically the 1st of Shawwal for the Maldives, the former President explained that since many Islamic countries would observe it as such, March 30 was likely to be the 1st of Shawwal in the Maldives as well. 

He based this argument on the principles and standards traditionally used to confirm the sighting of the moon. 

Meanwhile, renowned scholar Dr Hassan Hameed also shared his analysis, presenting a different conclusion. 

He pointed out that in 2025, the Ramadan moon had not been seen in the Maldives, possibly due to rain. He explained that the new moon had emerged on Friday, February 28, at 5:44 a.m., and had set at 6:44 p.m. Since the time between these two events was only 13 hours, he argued that, according to certain moon sighting criteria, the moon would not have been visible in the Maldives, as at least 17 hours were required for it to receive enough sunlight to be visible. 

He further explained that determining the visibility of the Eid moon required checking when it was born, something that could easily be verified through astronomical records or online sources. 

According to his calculations, the new moon was born at approximately 4:00 p.m. Malé time (precisely at 3:57 p.m.), while both the moonset and sunset would occur at 6:14 p.m. that day. He cited sources confirming these figures. 

Dr Hassan Hameed noted that when the moonset and sunset coincided, the moon would not be visible due to the sun’s glare. He also outlined another reason why the moon would not be seen, explaining that only 2 hours and 17 minutes separated the moon’s birth and setting. He reiterated that for the moon to be visible in the Maldives, at least 17 hours needed to pass between its birth and setting. Additionally, he pointed out that astronomical data showed the moon’s brightness at the time of setting to be 0.0 per cent, further confirming that it would not be visible. 

He also explained that calculations based on Mecca’s time zone led to the same conclusion. Since only about four hours would separate the moon’s birth and setting, such a young moon would not be visible, even under perfectly clear skies. He noted that no verified sources had ever recorded a sighting under such conditions. 

Based on these observations, Dr Hassan Hameed concluded that March 30 would likely not be Eid, and that Eid al-Fitr would instead fall on Monday, March 31, 2025. 

With these differing opinions from two respected scholars, the final decision now rests with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. Their announcement, based on the moon sighting session on Saturday evening, will ultimately determine the official date of Eid al-Fitr in the Maldives.