Marrakech – The Islamic Commission of Spain (CIE), headed by Dr. Aiman Adlbi, confirmed that Friday, March 20, is the first day of Eid Al Fitr 2026/1447 AH for the country’s Muslim community.
According to a statement issued by the commission, the announcement followed the non-sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon. Ramadan, which began on February 18 in Spain, will thus complete 30 days before giving way to the three-day celebration.
The CIE had earlier set Zakat Al Fitr – the obligatory charitable contribution due before the Eid prayer – at a minimum of €5 per person. The commission noted that mosques across Spain serve as collection and distribution points for the alms, which are designated exclusively for the needy and cannot be diverted to fund mosque operations.
Under Spain’s 1992 Cooperation Agreement between the state and the CIE, enshrined in Law 26/1992, Muslim students in public and subsidized schools are entitled to be excused from classes and exams during Islamic holidays, while Muslim employees may request to substitute Eid days for general public holidays under the same legal framework.
Eid Al Fitr is recognized as an official public holiday in the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, both of which have sizable Muslim populations with deep ties to neighboring Morocco.
Spain is home to approximately 2.4 million Muslims, with Moroccans and Spanish nationals of Moroccan descent forming the two largest segments of the community.
Moroccans alone account for an estimated 1.1 million residents, making them the country’s largest foreign community. Catalonia, Andalusia, Madrid, and Murcia host the highest Muslim populations in absolute terms, while Ceuta and Melilla lead in percentage.
Islam’s presence on the Iberian Peninsula stretches back over thirteen centuries. The history dates to 711 CE, when Amazigh Muslim General Tarik ibn Ziyad, identified as hailing from the Nafza tribe in Morocco’s Rif region, landed at Gibraltar, launching the Umayyad conquest of Hispania.
The territory that became Al-Andalus flourished for centuries under successive Muslim dynasties before the Reconquista and the eventual expulsion of the Moriscos in the early 17th century.
In 1492, the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada, the last Muslim-ruled kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, ending nearly eight centuries of Islamic rule. That same year, they issued the Alhambra Decree, which expelled Spain’s Jewish population. Muslims in Granada were initially promised religious freedom under the terms of surrender.
Those promises were broken. Forced conversions began in earnest by 1502, when Muslims in Castile were given the choice: convert to Christianity or leave. Those who converted – at least outwardly – became known as Moriscos. Many continued practicing Islam in secret while publicly living as Christians.
The Moriscos endured over a century of suspicion, persecution, and cultural suppression. In 1567, Philip II banned the Arabic language, Islamic dress, and customs entirely, which triggered the Second Rebellion of the Alpujarras.
The final blow came between 1609 and 1614, when Philip III issued the expulsion decrees that forced out the remaining Moriscos – an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people – from Spanish territory altogether.
Today’s growing Muslim community represents a demographic and cultural reconnection with that deep-rooted heritage.
Celebrations across Spain will feature communal dawn prayers, the exchange of gifts and new clothes, family gatherings, and the traditional greeting of “Eid Mubarak.” In Madrid, public squares such as Plaza Abu Baker are expected to draw thousands of worshippers, with halal food stalls and children’s activities rounding out the festivities.