Islamic festival Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated with fun, food, family and friends across the UAE after a month of fasting during Ramadan. The UAE’s Moon sighting committee will meet Monday evening to search the skies for the crescent that signals the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid. If spotted, Eid is on April 9. If not, the festival will be marked on April 10.
Like all things in Islam, festivities start with a special prayer. On the first day of Eid, mosques and open-air places of worship called musallahs will receive worshippers dressed in their Eid best shortly after sunrise for special congregational prayers.
Here are the prayer timings across the Emirates as revealed by authorities and calculated by Khaleej Times. Where applicable, Emirate-specific timings will be updated once the official announcements are made.
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Dubai
A representative from the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai revealed to Khaleej Times that the prayer will be held at 6.18am.
Sharjah
According to the Hijri calendar published by the Department of Islamic Affairs in Sharjah, mosques and musallahs will host the prayer at 6.17am.
Abu Dhabi
Prayer timings in general are two to four minutes after Dubai. As per the Islamic Hijri calendar published by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, the Eid prayer will be held at 6.22am in Abu Dhabi city and 6.15am in Al Ain.
Ajman and Umm Al Quwain
Generally, the timings in these Emirates are the same as Sharjah. That’s 6.17am.
Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah
The timing in these Emirates are a couple of minutes behind Sharjah. That would be 6.15am.
It’s best to leave for the mosques for the special prayer soon after you offer Fajr.
How the Eid prayer is offered
The Eid prayer is a congregational one and consists of two units (raka’ah). In the first, the Imam will lead worshippers in offering multiple takbirs before reciting the surah Fatiha and another chapter from the holy Quran. In the second unit, too, multiple takbirs are said. At the end of the prayer, the Imam will give a two-part sermon.
Muslims are expected to listen to the sermon before hugging their loved ones Eid Mubarak and beginning the day’s festivities.