Moonsighting for Safar 1427 AH

Dr. Shabbir Ahmed, (MCW member) Imam of Rooty Hill Mosque, Sydney, Australia: Not Seen
The Hilaal of SAFAR 1427 has not been sighted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 anywhere in Australia, therefore moon-sighting committee of Australia and Majlis ul Ulamaa of Australia have declared that the month of SAFAR will start from Thursday 2, March 2006.

Hussain Khushaish (MCW member) from Kuwait: Not Seen
In Kuwait on Tuesday 28 Feb 2006 I could not sight the crescent even with 20*60 binocular . The western horizon was hazy the last 6 to 8 degrees .Mercury was seen with difficulty with naked eyes after finding it bt binocular directly above the sunset location

Hamza Rijal, (MCW member), from Island of Zanzibar, Africa: Not Seen
Although there was no way to see the moon on Feb 28, I tried sighting the moon at my common locality without success. There is no report at any part in our island which indicates moon was sighted. Therefore, the official 1st day of Safar 1427 AH in Zanzibar will be on Thursday, 2 March 2006.

Rashid Motala (MCW member) from Durban, South Africa: Not Seen
The Hilaal for Safar was not sighted in South Africa this evening, Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006. The 1st will be Thursday.

Dr Abdurrazak Ebrahim (MCW member) from Cape Town, S. Africa: Not Seen
All official reports received on Tuesday evening, 28 February 2006 [the end of the 29 Muharrum 1427 AH] have indicated that no moon was sighted. The month of Muharrum has been extended to 30 days.
The official first day of Safar in Southern Africa [South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho] will correspond to Thursday, 02 March 2006.
I was at the Green Point [Cape Town] sighting locality and although the field of vision was clear there was no sight of the moon either by binoculars [10x50] or the naked-eye.

Muhammed Yasin Qamardeen (MCW member) from Lagos, Nigeria: Not Seen
The crescent is NOT VISIBLE, in spite of good and clear western sky. Also the reports from Ilorin in Kwara state and Damaturu in Yobe state of Niogeria indicate negative obvservation.

Bankih Kacem, (MCW member) from Beni Isguen, Ghardaïa, Algeria: Seen
A verry thin crescent was seen by 3 binoculars and telescope; some craters were idetified. Six persens observed the Safar 1427 crescent from Merkich station in Beni Isguen. Two persens in Ghardaia have seen this crescent by naked eyes.

Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti (MCW member) from Oxford, UK: Not Seen (due to overcast)
Negative sighting. At the end of the 29th day of of the preceeding lunar month (Tuesday, 28th February) at the usual moonsighting site, we could not sight the new crescent because the horizon was overcast [ghaym]. By Isha time we do not know of any positive sightings reported. Instead, we received news from Morocco that professional observers there could not sight the moon ['adam thubut] and that the religious authority there has declared that they will be completing [istikmal] 30 days for the month of Muharram. Therefore, by following Morocco, the 1st day of Safar in the UK should be on Thursday the 2nd of March.

Augustus Paul, from Roseau, Dominica: Seen
I am indeed happy to had been able of reaching to the usual stand point last evening 28/02/06 where I'm accustom to position myself in search of the new moon. I'm thankful to report that I sighted the new moon on Feb 28, at about 21 minutes after sunset (at 6:33pm) here in Roseau, Dominica.

Muhammad Hafiz (MCW member) from Guyana: Not Seen (due to overcast)
Myself and the members of Rose Hall Town Masjids and Islamic Center tried to observe the Hilaal after sunset on Tuesday, 28th February, 2006 in Guyana. Due to the rain season and clouds on the Horizon, Hilaal sighting was made impossible. Official First Day of Safar in Guyana was declared as Wednesday, 1st March, 2006.

Dr. Tariq L. Jangda from Richmond, Virginia: Seen
Moon was sighted locally in Richmond, Virginia at about 6:20 PM, moon was extemely thin on a clear sky lower in the horizon. Visual sighting was confirmed by binoculars."

Javad Torabinejad (MCW member) from Blacksburg, Virginia: Seen
This evening (Tuesday, 28th of February), my son and I sighted the moon in Blacksburg, VA. The western sky was partly cloudy and it was even more so closer to the horizon. The slender crescent was seen in between these clouds and it was first sighted through a pair of 7X50 binoculars at 6:29 and immediately after by naked eye (sunset 6:15). The horns were pointing at 3 and 7 O'Clock.

Shahnoor M Syed from Chicago, Illinois: Not Seen (due to overcast)
Due to overcast conditions Hilal of Safar was not sighted in Chicago.

Lyana M. Snow and husband Syed Z. Imam from San Antonio, Texas: Seen
We sighted the moon for Safar at 6:55pm Central Standard Time USA. We started looking for it at 6:30pm, 3 minutes before sunset, but could not see it until 6:55. It was extremely thin, but recognizable with a naked eye.

Ruth Jeffery (MCW member) from Houston, Texas: Seen
At 6:39 p.m. the new moon sliver was sighted in Houston, Texas, by one adult. Relatively low on the horizon, very small. At 6:45 the sighting was verified by two additional adults at the same location.

Clay Chip Smith (MCW member) from Austin, Texas: Seen
From Austin, Texas, USA: Immediately following Maghrib Salah, members of the Austin Eid Committee and the North Austin Muslim Community Center of Texas stepped out of the Masjid to spot the Hilal. Using only the naked eye, over 1 dozen members were able to spot the Hilal, which was about 10 degrees above the horizon at initial sighting. The Hilal had both its horns pointed up. Some commented that the sky was exceptionally bright and the Hilal was particularly thin upon initial sighting. We watched the Hilal for few minutes before it went behind trees.

Mohammad Al-Bedaiwi, NAMCC Vice President, from Austin, Texas: Seen
The Hilal of Safar was sighted in Austin TX by many members of the North Austin Muslim Community Center, NAMCC after Maghrib Prayer. I saw the Hilal myself as well. (Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006). The Hilal was very small and hard to see – but was visible with naked eye.

Qaiser Imam, from Round Rock, Texas: Seen
My family and I saw the moon of the month of Safar with naked eyes and it was visible for 37 minutes. Brother Afzal Ahmed and Brother Dr. Naeem Silat of Hilal Committee of Greater Austin called me to confirm that they have seen the moon. May Allah bring the blessing of this month on Muslim Ummah.

F. B. Rasheed, Imam of a mosque, from Lawton, Oklahoma: Seen
Al-hamdu lillah we (myself and Syed Ahmed, Muhammad Asad, and Zandra Rasheed) were blessed to sight the hilal for the start of the month of Safar at 7PM here in Lawton, Oklahoma. The sky was partly cloudy but the hilal, though small, was very distinct and visible with the naked eye.

Gulamabbas A. Khakoo (MCW member) from Buena Park, California: Seen
Sighted the Crescent for the month of Safar on Tuesday, Feb. 28th, 2006 here in Long Beach, Ca. USA Local time 6:15pm. The sighting was with a naked eye and very clear on the left side of the sun. Temperature: 62 deg F. Humidity: 61%. Pressure: 30.1" Hg. Sunset at: 5:48pm.

Dr. Youssef Ismail (MCW member), Windy Hill, San Francisco, California: Seen
I am reporting a positive sighting for the Safar Moon 1427. I was at Windy Hill as usually. The moon was first sighted at 6:18 pm it was approximately 8 fingers above the horizon, with its limbs at about 4 and 7 O'clock. It was also quite high above the horizon, and just to the left, that is almost directly above the sunset point. Did not take a bearing on the directions though. Will have photos tomorrow insha Allah as soon as the film is developed.