Moonsighting for Safar 1439
1439 AH
 MUH  SFR  RBA  RBT  JMO  JMT  RJB  SHB  RMD  SHW  ZQD  ZHJ 

Al urjoonul qadeem of Muharram 1439: October 19, & October 18, 2017

On right is the old Crescent Moon (End of Muharram 1439 AH), October 18, 2017 (not the new moon to start Safar, (Photo on the right is provided by MCW member Mr Irshad Sait from India. This photo was taken by Dr. Abdul Rahiman of Kozhikode, India at 0530 IST today (Wednesday 28th of Muharram 1439 - 18th October 2017) from Kozhikode (India). Location : Lat 11�14'47" N & Long 75�46'36"E. Horns? were seen at 3 & 7 (horns in the photo reversed - 5 & 9 - as it was taken with Telescopic Camera). Altitude was 8 degrees. Click on the photo on the right to see full size.


Below is the old crescent moon Muharranm 1439. Photo taken and provided by MCW member Dr Javad Torabinejad from USA, October 18, 2017. Click on the photo to see full size.



Below is the old Crescent Moon with venus, photo taken by Ayyub Patel from Abha S. Arabia on the morning of Oct 18. Click on the photo below to see full size.

















New Crescent Moon of Safar 1439:

The Astronomical New Moon (conjunction) is on October 19, 2017 (Thursday) at 19:12 UT. On October 19, the moon cannot be seen anywhere. On October 20, the crescent Can be seen in Africa and Americas. On October 21, it will be easily visible almost everywhere in the world. (See visibility curves).

The earliest reported sighting of the new crescent was on Otcober 20 from Morocco.


October 20, 2017 (Friday):

  • Afghanistan:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Engr M Ibrahim Mayar from Kabul reported: Today, Fraiday,20 Oct. 2017 I upon sunset tried to see the new moon; but could Not see the Safar Helal. It is worth mentioning that Kabul City sky was considerably hazy throught the day.

  • Australia:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Engr Manzoor A Mian from Melbourne, VIC reported: The Hilaal of SAFAR has NOT been sighted anywhere in Australia. Therefore, the month of SAFAR will commence from Sunday 22nd of October 2017.

    2. Not Seen: MCW member Dr Shabbir Ahmed, President of Qubaa association of Western Sydney, NSW reported: The Hilaal of SAFAR has NOT been sighted anywhere in Australia. Therefore, the month of SAFAR will start from Sunday 22nd of October 2017.

    3. Not Seen: MCW member Imam Abul Qasim Rizvi, Imam Juma Melbourne reported: Crescent of Month of has not been sighted anywhere in the Australia therefore inshallah Saturday 21 October will be the 30th of Moharram. Inshallah Sunday 22 October will be the first Safar 1439 AH.

  • Barbados:


    1. Seen: MCW member Mr Mohammed Patel from from Jama Masjid in Bridgetown reported: Today, Friday 20th October, 2017 the crescent was SEEN at approximately 6:07 p.m. local time. Orientation 4 o'clock to 7 o'clock. Therefore we had 29 days of Muharram. Insha'Allah, the 1st of Safar will be on Saturday 21st October, 2017.

  • Egypt:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Dr Hisham M. Hamed from Cairo reported: Today, Oct 20, here in Ma'adi, a district in southern Cairo (29.97�N, 31.25�E), apparent sunset was at 17:19. The Moon was expected close to azimuth 256.11� from Geographic North, ~4.29� above the horizon, at 18:38.32. Prior to Maghreb, I setup my Nikon D3100, with Nikkor 300mm Lens, point in that direction. I noted that the sun was at that azimuth at 17:00 PM. I returned from Maghreb prayers at 18:44, and could see nothing. I started scanning with the Camera, at full zoom, and I could still see nothing. Noting that the crescent width was 14.251", this of course comes to me as no surprise. In any case, only about 0.7868 % of the moon was illuminated. The photographs that I took also failed to reveal anything.

  • Ghana:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Mr Baba Abdulai from Tamale reported: Date of sighting effort October 20, 2017. Time of sighting effort, from about 18:10 to about 18:25. The crescent was NOT seen in this location. The sky was quite hazy; perhaps with the on-set of the harmatan dusty conditions. I could see only two thin horizontal strands of clouds in the western horizon. Location of Sighting: Tiyumba School Park, near Lowlandi Rice Processing Centre, Tamale.

  • Indonesia:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Mr AR Sugeng Riyadi from Gumuk Kasi Banyuwangi and Rowasiya Observatory reported: The new crescent of Shafar 1439 AH was not sighted from Gumuk Kasi Banyuwangi on Friday, Oktober 20th, 2017 because the sky was cloudy. I tried to observe with East Java LFNU, Rukyat Hilal Team of Darussalam Blokagung Banyuwangi and Rowasiya Observatory.
      My students of CASA in Sukoharjo also tried to observe the moon, but the crescent was not sighted from Assalaam Observatory. However the 1st of Shafar 1439 AH in Indonesia will start on Saturday, October 21st, 2017 according to the Imkan Rukyat calculation.

  • Mauritius:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Mr Nissar Ahmad Ramtoola from Port Louis reported: THE NEW MOON HAS NOT BEEN SIGHTED ON FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER NIGHT IN MAURITIUS. HENCE Saturday 21 October is 30th day Of Muharram and Sunday 22 October will be the 1st day of Saffar 1439. The sky was clear mostly all over the Island but moon was not sighted.

  • Morocco:


    1. Seen: MCW member Mr Ehsan H. Hajar from Casablanca reported: On October 20, I was hoping for a clear horizon at Sunset, expecting sufficient time would permit sighting. Unfortunately it was impossible to penetrate the thin red layers almost to 20 degrees high.
      However, it was announced that Hilal of Safar was sighted in Morocco and the beginning of Safar 1939 would be Saturday October 21st. The announcement was PUBLISHED on ministry of Habous web sight http://www.habous.gov.ma

  • Namibia:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Mr Ahmed Mohamed Barakah from Windhoek reported: On October 20, the Hilaal for Safar was not sighted in Namibia, Therefore the official first day of Safar shall be on Sunday, 22 October 2017.10.21

  • Saudi Arabia:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Dr Ayyub Patel from Abha reported: Today 20th october 2017 the sky was partly cloudy but especially near the sunset position where the crescent would have been seen. Alas the clouds came in the ay at 5.45 to 6.20pm local time and hence we report no sighting with naked eye or binoculars.

  • South Africa:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Mr Rashid Motala from Durban reported: On the evening of Friday 20th October 2017, the Hilaal was NOT sighted in South Africa. Therefore Safar 1439 will commence on Sunday, 22nd October 2017 in South Africa.

    2. Not Seen: MCW member Dr Abdurrazak Ebrahim from Cape Town reported: The Hilaal for Safar was not sighted by naked eye in Southern Africa [South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique]. Therefore the official first day of Safar shall be on Sunday, 22 October 2017.10.21 Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban had inclement weather.

  • Tanzania:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Mr Hamza Rijal from Tiny Island of Zanzibar reported: The Hilal was not sighted in tiny Island of Zanzibar on this Friday evening, 20th October 2017, therefore the official day of the month of Safar 1439 AH will correspond to Sunday, 22 October 2017.

  • Trinidad and Tobago:


    1. Seen: MCW member Mr Ishmael Khan from Princes Town, Trinidad reported: On October 20, constant rain and cloudy skies made it impossible to view the crescent. However, the crescent was sighted in the Central part of the island as well as it was sighted regionally by very responsible and dedicated Islamic Organizations. These reports have been accepted clearly indicating the crescent to be from 3:00 O'Clock to 7:00 0' Clock at Maghrib time confirming that the first night of Safar 1439 is on the night of Friday 20th October 2017 and the first day being Saturday 21st October 2017. May Allah have mercies on us all. Ameen.

  • USA:


    1. Seen: MCW member Dr Javad Torabinejad from Blacksburg VA reported: This evening (Friday, Oct 20, 2017), the crescent moon was sighted in Blacksburg, VA (Lat: 37� 15' 40" N, Lng: 80� 26' 56" W, and elevation: 646 meters). I arrived at my sighting location at 6:27 pm EDT (sunset: 6:39 pm; apparent sunset: 6:33 pm). Using a pair of binoculars (7x50), I started looking for the crescent in a mostly clear western horizon. My first optical aided sighting was at 6:45 pm followed by my naked-eye sighting eleven minutes later at 6:56 pm. During the session, a friend joined me; he was using a pair of (10x50) binoculars. He also sighted the crescent through the binoculars and then with naked eye. The crescent was very thin with its horns at 2:30 and 6:30 O'clock (2:30;4:30;6:30). It was setting when we left the site at 7:27 pm (moonset: 7:32 pm). At 6:55 pm, the temperature, dew point, relative humidity, and pressure were 62.4 F, 50.4 F, 65%, and 30.29 in, respectively.

    2. Seen: Moon-Sighting Committee of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America announces that Saturday, October 21st, 2017, will be the first day of the month of Safar, 1439 A.H. for the entire region of the United States and parts of Southern Canada. This determination is based on the fact that there were reported sightings of the crescent moon by the naked eye during the sunset of Friday, October 20th 2017, from many locations.

    3. Seen: The Moon-sighting Sub-committee wishes to inform the community that the new crescent for the month of Safar was sighted in Orlando, Florida, as well as other cities on Friday, October 20, 2017. Therefore SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016 is established as the 1st Day of Mahe Safar, 1439 AH.

    4. Seen: Br Imad from North Cambridge, Massachusetts reported: Just wanted to report naked eye sighting the crescent moon at 6:25PM on Friday evening Oct. 20, 2017. Location: North Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

  • Zimbabwe:


    1. Not Seen: MCW member Mr Ayub Mahomed from Harare reported: On Oct 20, the Moon was not sighted in Zimbabwe. Ist Safar will be on Sunday 22 October.


October 21, 2017 (Saturday):

    October 20, 2017 (Friday) was the 29th day of Muharram in every country of the world. So it was not necessary to see the moon on the 30th day, October 21, 2017 (Saturday). We feel it is unnecessary to publish sighting reports for this day. See the visibility curve above.

top Back to Top