Moonsighting for Muharram 1427

NO SIGHTING IS EXPECTED ANYWHERE

Javad Torabinejad (MCW member) from Blacksburg, Virginia: Not Seen
Although there was no way to see the moon this evening (Sunday, 29 January), I tried sighting the moon in Blacksburg, VA with no success. Using a pair of 5X70 binoculars, I started the scanning the western horizon at 5:45 (sunset 5:43) till past the moonset (moonset 5:55). Weather permitting, I'll try sighting tomorrow, insha-Allah.

Jim Stamm (MCW member) from Tucson, Arizona: Not Seen
Too much haze and clouds (which would have been only a few molecules) to attempt an observation of the < 7 degree elongation Moon.

Abdul Sattar Ridhan (MCW member) from San Jose, California: Not Seen
Yesterday (Sunday January 29th ) I was not able to sight a Crescent. Weather was cloudy here in San Francisco Bay Area. but had enough open area near where sun set. If there was any moon to see I would have been able to see that. January 30, 2006 (Monday):

Salah Sukkarieh (MCW member) from Sydney, Australia: Not Seen
The moon could not be seen on Monday 30th January in Sydney, Australia. Despite there being a clear day, there were clouds on the western horizon. For a little more detail, the clouds covered from the horizon up to approximately 5 degrees above the horizon. The moon’s trajectory went behind the clouds at approximately 20:15. Sunset was at 20:04. The best time for observation was at 20:24 which corresponded to approximately 3.5 degrees above the horizon. Thus up until 20:15 the moon could not be seen.

Shahid Iqbal Swabi from Karachi, Pakistan: Seen
Muharram moon has been sighted in Karachi on Monday 30 Jan 2006 and Pakistan will, Insha Allah, have First Muharram on Tuesday 31 Jan 2006. Karachi Observatory management personally witnessed the moon. This was stated by Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman Chairman, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in Quetta during a meeting held for deciding about moon sighting. Pakistan Television also telecasted the announcement.

Hamza Rijal, (MCW member), from Island of Zanzibar, Africa: Seen
On January 30, I was at the common sighting locality with my 3 children, and to my surprise, my 8 years old daughter was the first to observed the Hilal. Immediately after the Sunset around 18:55 local time (15:55 GMT) we all successfully sighted a very thin Crescent. Mufty and Qadhi Office here in Zanzibar a tiny island along the east coast of Africa, made an official announcement today, 31st January 2006 as beginning of Islamic New Year i.e. 1st Muharram 1427.

Smajl Sarajlic from Vienna, Austria: Seen
We have seen the crescent moon - hilal, from 60 km south of Vienna, on Jan 30, 2006 at 17:15.

Bankih Kacem, (MCW member) from Beni Isguen, Ghardaïa, Algeria: Seen
The Muharam 1427 crescent was observed from Merkich station. Western horizon was partly cloudy. It was seen firstly with binoculars 10 min before sunset at 18:05 then covered by clouds and seen secondly at 18:50 easily by naked eye. Three members are present at this observation. Good and happy new year for all Muslim.

Samy Khadem-Al-Charieh (MCW member) from Berlin, Germany: Not Seen
I'm sorry to report that we had no sightings for Muharram 1427. The sky is covered by clouds for some days now. So neither yesterday, nor today could we make observations here in Berlin, Germany.

Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti (MCW member) from Oxford, UK: Not Seen
At the end of the 29th day of of the preceeding lunar month (Monday, 30th January) at the usual moonsighting site, I could not sight the new crescent because the horizon was overcast [ghaym]. The new moon is expected to be visible today, however, as the minimum conditions for sighting visibility [shurut imkan al-ru'ya] are met, and the difference in setting times of the sun and moon over the local horizon [qaws al-makth] is 75 minutes. By the time of Isha', we received news of positive sightings from South East Asia and Morocco on Monday (sighting was attempted on Sunday but with negative results amidst clear skies), and the authorities in those countries have declared that the next day is the New Year of 1427. This news is sufficient for us to establish the new month [thubut al-hilal] of Muharram in the UK, so that tomorrow, Tuesday, the last day of January, is the first day of Muharram; and not the 30th of Dhu l-Hijja, by default, following the principal rule in Fiqh for this case: whenever the crescent is sighted during the night in question anywhere in the East, its sighting follows without doubt in the West, but not the other way round.

Ahmed Mohamed, (MCW member) from Windhoek, Namibia: Not Seen
We did not see the moon on Mon 30th Jan 2006 due to cloudy wheather in Windhoek Namibia. Namibia in it's rainy season, and overcast.

Muhammed Yasin Qamardeen (MCW member) from Lagos, Nigeria: Not Seen
Date of observation Monday 30, January 2006; sunset time. 18.45. The crescent is not visible, perharp due to dusty sky. However some muslims in Nigeria had mark the begining of new hijrah year today {Monday 30th, January 2006}. after they counted the preceeding month of dhul-hijjah to be twenty nine days long. This is unconnected with nscia unofficial announcment.

Dr Abdurrazak Ebrahim (MCW member) from Cape Town, S. Africa: Seen
The 1427 AH Muharrum Hilaal was clearly visible to the naked-eye this Monday evening, 30 January 2006 [corresponding to the end of the 29 Dhul Hijjah 1426 AH]. The field of vision was clear. The sun set behind a band of cloud about 0.5 degrees above the eye-level horizon. My viewing locality was at Green Point, Cape Town at 0 meters above sea level. The young waxing crescent was first seen through binoculars [10x50] at 17h59 local time, which was 6 minutes after sunset. The Hilaal was first observed by naked-eye at 20h08 local time with cusps at 5 and 11. The altitude at first sighting was Topo - 7.63; elongation 16.07; width 39 as; percentage illumination 01.96; and age 26 hrs 50 min. The official 1 Muharrum 1427 AH in Southern Africa will correspond with Tuesday, 31 January 2006.

Rashid Motala (MCW member) from Cape Town, South Africa: Seen
The Hilaal for Muharram was sighted this evening in Cape Town, about 15 minutes after sunset. It was an easy sighting. Other parts of the country were overcast.

Muhammad Hafiz (MCW member) from OpaLocka, Florida reporetd: Not Seen
Myself and the members of Rose Hall Town Masjids and Islamic Center tried to observe the Hilaal after sunset on Monday 30th January, 2006. Due to continuous rainy season in Guyana and clouds on the Horizon, Hilaal sighting was impossible.

Javad Torabinejad (MCW member) from Blacksburg, Virginia: Not Seen
Due to cloudy sky in Blacksburg, VA, no moonsighting was attempted.

HiMY SYeD (MCW member) from Toronto, Canada: Not Seen
Tonight (Monday January 30, 2006), with mixed clouds in the sky and a light rain, it was very hard to see the moon from here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, therefore this is a negative moonsighting report.

Imam F. B. Rasheed of Masjidul Falah, Lawton, Oklahoma: Seen
Three of us were blessed to sight the hilal for Muharram 1427 here in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA at 6:10 PM after the athan for Salatul Maghrib. The hilal was easy to see and distinct. The sky was clear.
1. Imam F. B. Rasheed of Masjidul Falah
2. Talib Bilal Abdul-Hakim
3. Sr. Zandra Rasheed

Ghulam Ahmad Khan from Houston, TX: Seen
Al-Hamdulillah, I, Ghulam Ahmad Khan, Qari Muhammad Hashim Abbasi, Qari Matiullah Khalid and many other brothers saw the moon of Muharram-ul-Haram today, i.e. Monday, January 30, 2006, at 06:15 PM at Madrasah Islamiah, 6665 Bintliff Dr. Houston,TX-77074.

Musodiq Bello from Houston, TX: Seen
We observed the moon clearly on Houston, TX tonight (Monday Jan. 30). It was very visible, quite big, and stayed in the sky for long (more than 15 mins, perhaps much longer). I observed it around 6.45pm towards the west. The crescent was facing up, and to my left (something like 7 o'clock). The interesting thing is that we were able to see the shape of the full moon also, with a much lower intensity.

Ruth Jeffery (MCW member) from Houston, TX: Seen
The new moon sliver was sighted in Houston, Texas, on January 30, 2006, at 7:06 p.m. by two adult witnesses. By that time it was very low on the horizon, clearly visible, magnified by the atmosphere.

Qaiser Imam (MCW member) from Austin, TX: Seen
Four of my family members including myself saw the crescent for the month of Muharram on January 30, 2006 at 6:13 pm. At 6:17 pm Dr. Naeem Silat of Austin called me to confirm that he has also seen the crescent.

Paul Burnham (MCW member) from Chino Valley, Arizona: Seen
The new moon was observed visually by my wife and I from our home in Chino Valley, Arizona this evening of January 30. Initial observation was at 1815 MST and intermittent observations continued until it set behind the suburban skyline about an hour later.

Gary Peterson (MCW member) from Tempe, Arizona: Seen
I want to let you I saw the moon with the naked eye tonight, January the 30th, 2006 from Tempe, AZ at 6:05 MST.