Marawi marks Eid’l Fitr on Friday, the rest of BARMM on Saturday
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 20 March) — While most of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will mark Eid’l Fitr or the end of Ramadan on Saturday, March 21, Marawi City decided to hold congregational prayers for the event a day earlier on Friday.
This divergence highlighted a perennial debate within the Muslim world on whether to follow local moon-sightings or adhere to international sightings, specifically those from Saudi Arabia, in determining the closing of Ramadan.
The Bangsamoro Darul Ifta’ (BDI), the region’s premier Islamic religious authority, formally declared that the crescent moon of Shawwal was not visible on the evening of Thursday, March 19.
Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Abdulrauf Guialani announced that because monitoring teams across strategic regional locations could not verify a sighting, Ramadan would complete a full 30-day cycle. He set the official Eid for Saturday.
Despite this regional mandate, the atmosphere in Marawi City was festive early Friday morning. Hundreds of faithful gathered for prayer at the historic Masjid Dansalan, also known as the Bato Mosque.
A similar scene unfolded at the Lanao del Sur provincial compound, where Governor Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr. and his son, Mohammad Khalid “Mujam” Adiong, joined the congregation.
The Friday observance followed the recommendation of the Provincial Ulama Council and Provincial Mufti Al Aleem Amiloddin M. Sharief.
The split reflects two distinct schools of Islamic thought. One group adheres to the principle of local sighting, which requires observing the moon within one’s own geographical horizon or country. The other group prefers to follow the announcements of major Islamic hubs like Mecca to foster a sense of global unity among the Ummah.
The discrepancy has sparked a lively debate among local observers regarding the authority of the BDI.
Abqary Alon of BARMM Strategic Communications suggested that the BDI needs to strengthen its regulatory measures and use its administrative muscle rather than rely solely on persuasion.
However, residents like Namuil Maguindra pointed out the geographical inconsistency of following Saudi Arabia, noting that the timing of the sun and moon does not align between the two countries.
Datu Audie Kudarat Jr. clarified that even in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte the observance is not uniform, estimating that roughly 80% of the population in the two provinces would still wait until Saturday.
He urged for respect toward the decisions of local Muftis, stating that whether the timing is right or wrong is ultimately a matter for divine judgment.
This sentiment of tolerance was echoed by Jerald Kalim, who remarked that because people are inherently different, one should not interfere with those who choose to pray early or late, as the sincerity of the act remains between the believer and the Creator. (Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)
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