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Marrakech – The Grand Mosque of Paris announced on Wednesday evening that Friday, March 20, is the first day of Eid Al Fitr 2026/1447 AH – or Eid Seghir, as it is commonly known among Morocco’s Muslim community, one of the largest in France.
The announcement followed a meeting of the mosque’s religious commission during the traditional “Nuit du Doute,” or Night of Doubt, held on the evening of the 29th day of Ramadan.
The commission took into account both lunar observations and astronomical calculations before confirming that the Shawwal crescent had not been sighted, meaning Ramadan – which began on February 18 according to the Grand Mosque – will complete 30 days, and the festival will begin on Friday.
Rector Chems-Eddine Hafiz had earlier announced that two Eid prayers would be held at the mosque at 8:00 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. to accommodate the expected turnout.
The Grand Mosque’s declaration converges with an earlier announcement by the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), which had confirmed the same date as far back as March 10.
The CFCM, presided over by Franco-Moroccan figure Mohammed Moussaoui, stated that the astronomical conjunction of the new Shawwal moon would occur on Thursday, March 19, at 1:23 a.m. UTC, and that the conditions for its visibility were met – meaning Ramadan, which began on February 19 under the council’s calendar, will last only 29 days.
The council set Zakat Al Fitr at €9 per person, while the Grand Mosque fixed the amount at €7. The CFCM, however, noted that any amount between €7 and €12 is legitimate, as the evaluation varies depending on the religious authority each believer follows.
The alignment on Eid, however, belies the bitter dispute that marred the start of Ramadan just weeks earlier. The Grand Mosque of Paris declared February 18 as the first day of fasting following its Night of Doubt session, while the CFCM insisted on February 19 based on its astronomical calculation methodology adopted in 2013.
The CFCM accused the Grand Mosque of being swayed by Saudi Arabia’s decision to begin Ramadan on the earlier date, while Hafiz countered that the start of the holy month is determined by the lunar cycle, not by institutional arbitration.
The disagreement left millions of French Muslims split between two dates and reignited longstanding tensions over who holds the legitimate authority to speak for Islam in France.
That the two bodies now agree on the end of Ramadan offers a rare moment of unity for a community that remains caught between competing visions of religious governance.
