1. Conjunction (New Moon)
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3. Big Moon (must be second day moon?)
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4. Why not with Saudi Arabia
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5. Moon in Qur'an, Sunnah, & Fiqh
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6. Month is 29 or 30 Days
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10. Sighting Criteria
10.1
Question:
In South East Asia there's Mohammed Ilyas, currently residing in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. I assumed you already knew him. I've read some of his books. His method in the determination of the new visible moon is highly complex. From what I gathered the criteria used by South East Asian countries to determine the hilal is, at sunset, at least 2° altitude for the moon, 8 hr. after conjunction and 3° hypotenuse difference between the sun and the moon. That criterion is used if the hilal is hidden behind the clouds. Can you please tell me if this method is feasible? (Oct 19,1997)
Answer:
I, Khalid Shaukat know Dr. Ilyas personally. I have spent some days with him, attending conventions for moon-Sighting and Islamic calendar. His criteria are very approximate, and have failed many times since 1996, that I have monitored regarding actual moon-sighting. The criteria described by you are not his criteria. They are the criteria adpopted in South East Asian countries, and will not yield a visible crescent.
10.2
Question:
Your model for predicting the new moon and the confirmation of the model by verification of moonsighting has demonstrated that we are on the right path. The problem is that many Middle Eastern countries and some of the U.S. & Canadian communities led by Middle Eastern immigrants assume Saudi decision on new moon as having sighted the new moon.
Your observations may be correct that the Saudi months start with the new moon and not observing the new crescent moon. This status will never change unless the source of the problem is corrected, which is the criterion used in decision making process in Saudi Arabia. You should increase your efforts to contact the right people. They will not listen to the Pakistanis or Indians (Rafiq's). The only way is to educate and convince influential Saudis visiting here. You need one right Royal family individual or a religious leader, who can understand your system. They may be able to make a difference, otherwise present chaos will continue. GOOD LUCK
If that can be done, I can foresee Muslim Ummah united in at least their observation of Ramadan and Eids. (Jan 1, 1998)
Answer:
We are trying to educate Muslims all over the world as well as Saudi Arabia. In-sha-Allah with our sincere efforts something good will come out with the help of Allah. May Allah bless you for your concern, and show guidance to all of us including the decision makers all around the world.
10.3
Question:
I compared your predicted moon dates with the US Naval Observatory data, unfortunately there are differences between these two. I am not an astronomer (I am Chem. Engineer) and don't know how you calculated those dates. Is there any reason that yours is not compatible with theirs?
Answer:
It looks to me that you are confusing "New moon" reported by US Naval Obs. with a visible crescent. "New moon" reported by US Naval Obs. is totally invisible. Any Islamic dates based on that would be 1 or 2 days ahead. We calculated dates based on a crescent that could be seen.
10.4
Question:
What is the minimum angular separation required to see the new crescent? How can I calculate it for a particular place and date for a new born moon? (Dec 21, 1998)
Answer:
Minimum separation (elongation) for visibility, statistically known, is about 10.5 to 11° for naked eye, and about 7.5 to 8 for powerful telescopes. Remember, these are for perfect atmospheric conditions, which do not exist most of the times and places. To calculate this separation is not easy. It requires a lot of mathematical terms to calculate the positions of sun and moon based on local horizon in question, and then their separation angle is calculated using spherical trigonometry. The more accurate lunar theory and calculation methods you use, the better the results would be.
10.5
Question:
How much time is required for the 1st hilal to remain in the sky after sunset for visibility according to your findings? Why it is invisible if it remains above the horizon for more than 40 minutes after sun set? (Jan 20, 1999)
Answer:
Time varies for locations and months. On one particular evening a crescent may be thinnest in Japan but the same crescent will be 15 hours to 18 hours thicker in USA, and would remain in the sky above horizon at different latitudes for different duration.
Sometimes the crescent may remain above horizon for more than 1 hour but it may not be seen, because it does not have any light of its own; it merely reflects sunlight, which it can only reflect if moon is at least a certain angle from the sun. Even when it meets minimum angle requirement, in some cases, the crescent is invisible because of being too low on the horizon, such that the background light of the setting sun on the horizon is brighter than the crescent.
If you understand that moon does not have its own light, then its presence on the sky does not mean it is visible. You should realize that on 28th or 29th evening of a lunar month the moon disappears from sight; this is mainly for the same reason that it is not at sufficient angle to reflect sunlight.
10.6
Question:
How long it takes for the moon to get a separation of 7° from the sun, which is considered as the limit for which the sun light falling on moon cannot come to the earth, and moon remains invisible? (Nov 20, 2000)
Answer:
It takes a minimum of approximately 8.5 hours to 15.5 hours for the moon to move 7° away from the sun. 8.5 hours is the case when the moon is closest to earth and is 5° from the ecliptic plane at the time of moon birth (example: Dec 14, 1955). 15.5 hours is the case when moon is farthest from the earth and is 0° from the ecliptic plane at the time of moon birth (example: Dec 10, 1977). The crescent will be visible to the high powered telescopes about 2.5 hours after it has attained 7° angle from sun, i.e., at 11 to 18 hours of age. To the naked eye it would be visible at 16 to 23 hours of age.
10.7
Question:
The US Naval Observatory's site can provide the percentage of the moon's illuminated area for a given place and time. My question is, approximately, how much area (in terms of percentage) should be illuminated for the crescent to be seen?
(Feb 2003)
Answer:
Surface illumination is not the only factor that will make it visible. If that moon is too low on the horizon, such that the background sky illumination from the setting sun is more than moon's surface illumination then the moon will not be visible. Sky background illummination also depends on many other factors, like pressure temperature, humidity, particulates in the atmosphere, the distance the rays from moon travel in the atmospheric layer, the distance between moon and earth, the distance between sun and earth etc.
10.8
Question:
What could be the safe lower limit on the age of the moon, so that any claim before that limit can be safely disregarded?
Safe limit would mean that any claim before this should certainly be rejected but it does not mean that a claim after this should be accepted either.
What would such safe limit be for naked eye and what would it be for telescope? (Feb 2003)
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11. Ittihad-ul-Matali' or Ikhtilaf-ul-Matali'
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12. Eid-ul-Fitr and Yaumul-Arafah
12.1
Question:
The crescent for the new moon of Shawwal was not sighted (with the eye) by Muslims anywhere across the world today, Tuesday, Jan 27, 1998. Therefore we continue to fast tomorrow (Wednesday) to complete the 30 days. Why we cannot have Eid, when 30 days are completed? (Jan 27,1998)
Answer:
This 30 day complete argument is wrong. If you start fasting before new moon was even born, then you did not start the month on the right day. 30 day complete argument is only good when the previous month began with the correct sighting of the moon, and not by mistaken claims.
All experts of the world about moonsighting are unanimous that moon can not be seen in Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and East coast of North America on Jan 28, 1998 (Wednesday). Non-sighting of the moon after 30 days is a clear proof that the month did not begin correctly, otherwise moon is always visible on 30th day, given clear skies.
12.2
Question:
I have noticed that the moon was visible more than two hours after sunset, and it seems to be big. Some people may ask me about this, and I want to have an answer. Does this mean anything. Does it favor the fact that Eid is supposed to be on Friday, Jan 7, 2000 instead of Saturday. (Feb 13, 2000)
Answer:
No, certainly not. It does not favor the Eid of Friday. Khalid Shaukat and many other tried to see the moon in Washington DC area even on Friday, Jan 7, 2000 and the finding was that despite very clear horizon (no clouds) and moon setting 1 hour after sunset, we could not see the moon even on Friday. That means the moon was impossible to see the day before.
The moon is visible all over the world within about 36 hours of the time it becomes visible first, except the polar regions. So, non-visibility in clear horizon on Jan 7, was a clear proof that it was not visible in that area the day before. Now moon was sighted in Texas, Arizona, and westward on January 7. So, even though it was not visible in Washington DC area we celebrated Eid on Jan 8, based on (Ittihadul-Matali) one horizon.
Now moon was visible more than 2 hours on Jan 8. Yes, of course; same thing happenend in Washington DC area. Even on Jan 7, it was setting 1 hour after sunset, but it was still not visible. So, do not look at a big moon of Jan 8, and estimate when could it have been visible. On Jan 6, in Washington DC area it was 4 hours old; on Jan 7, it was 28 hours old still not visible, and on January 8, it was 52 hours old. Age is very misleading factor for visibility. Moonset after sunset also is misleading for visibility. Also remember that moon sets about 50 minutes later every day, so on the third day you can expect it to set after two hours.
12.3
Question:
What is the definition of "YAWM ARAFAH" and how are we going to fast "YAWM ARAFAH" for example Monday, March 5, 2001 is 9th Dhul-Hijjah in North America and it is day of EID for Hujjaj.
Answer:
Hujjaj do not have a day of Eid. They never pray Salatul-Eid. According to all four school of thoughts, fasting is on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah based on local sighting. This has been the way for over 1300 years. Just 50 years ago, people in Iran, Afghanistan, and Far East did not know when YAWM ARAFAH was in Makkah. How were those Muslims fasting on YAWM ARAFAH, or was their fast invalid? Also remember, that Hajj was prescribed seven years after Eid-al-Adha was prescribed. so, saying that Eid-al-Adha has always been on the day after hajj is not right.
12.4
Question:
Based on authentic moonsighting, when was Eid-al-Fitr 1423 AH?
Answer:
On 4th Dec 2002, the crescent was invisible from almost all areas of the world. There was a remote chance of seeing it off the west coast of South America / Polynesian Islands on 4th Dec 2002 with optical aid but no reports were received. Reports from Hawaii say that moon was not seen in clear skies.
ISNA's methodology for determining the beginning of Ramadan and Shawwal for North America has been consistent since 1993. ISNA keeps telephone lines open to receive any witness of sighting on the relevant evenings. After receving the witness ISNA asks its astronomer consultants to evaulate it by talking to the witness. If the witness of sighting contradicts with indisputable scientific evidence then only it is rejected. This time for Shawwal 1423, not a single claim came to ISNA on Dec 4. ISNA waited until 6:30pm PST which was 90 minutes after sunset on west coast giving ample time to receive any witness of sighting. It was past 10:30pm on East coast of Canada and was getting too late in the night. Finally ISNA and Shura Council made their decision to call Dec 5 as 30th day of Ramadan, and Dec 6 to be Eid.
Based on authentic and correct moonsighting, Ramadan started in North America on Nov 6, 2002, while it started in India, Pakistan, & Bangladesh on Nov 7. Eid was celebrated on Friday Dec 6, in all the following countries:
(1) Japan (2) Indonesia (3) Malaysia (4) Singapore (5) Brunei (6) Bangladesh (7) India (8) Pakistan (9) Afghanistan (10) Iran (11) Oman (12) Mauritius (13) Kenya (14) Tanzania (15) South Africa (16) Morocco (17) UK (18) Trinidad and Tobago (19) USA (20) Canada
The problem is that when Saudi Arabia or any other country announced that Eid is on Thursday, Dec 5, 2002, people translated it as if the moon has been sighted there. In fact, about a week before moonsighting day, on Nov 27, Saudi Arabia declared Dec 5 as Eid day, as evident from a fax received by a prominent ISNA Shura member who mentioned it in the Shura Conference Call on Nov 27. How did Saudi Arabia see the moon a week before the 29th day of Ramadan?
Dr. Saleh AlSaab, former head of the Astronomy Department at the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh, currently teaching at the Institute for Gifted and Talented in Riyadh, reported that NONE of the 6 official Hilaal sighting committees saw the Hilaal on Wednesday evening. Yet the offical Saudi announcement was for Eid ul Fitr on Thursday, Dec 5! Jordanian Astronomical Society sent an airplane with expert observers with instruments to try to see the moon from above clouds, and they did not see anything on Dec 4.
Just because some cities or countries are celebrating Eid on Dec 5, 2002 does not mean they have seen the moon. They may be basing their decision on some calculations. A pious Muslim's testimony of spotting some other object for a moon does not fulfill Shari'ah requirement when he is clearly mistaken by scientific evidence as Allah (SWT) says, "Ashshamsu wal-qamaru bi-husbaan".
Abdul-Rashid Abdullah from Oahu Hawaii reported: "On Dec 4, five teams of at least 3 brothers each went to sight the Hilal all around the Leeward (west) side of Oahu and 1 team on Kauai. The skies were reasonably clear but there was no sighting of the Hilal." Remember, the most West has the best chances of visibility on any given day.
The conclusion is that moon was not sighted anywhere in North America nor any place East of it on Dec 4 2002.
Any sighting claim has to be rjected because the moon was invisible, and people make mistakes in taking other objects (jet smoke, thin piece of cloud, helicopters, etc.) for the moon.
12.5
Question:
I heard that Saudis have hilal sighting committees. Those committees did not see the moon on February 1, 2003. Hajj date, however, was announced by Saudi authorities as February 10. You say sighting was not possible. Was it based on Ummul-Qura calendar? (Feb 4, 2003)
Answer: Dr. Saleh Al Saab (Previous head of Astronomy and Geophysics Institute at KACST), (Consultant and Member of the 6 Official Saudi Hilal Sighting Committees of Saudi Arabia established by the Crown Prince/Shura Council in 1419 AH) reported: "The 6 Official Saudi Hilal Sighting Committees from Makkah, Riyadh, Qassim, Hail, Tabuk and Asir; attempted Hilal observation on the evening of Friday, January 31st, 2003 and on Saturday, February 1st, 2003. The Hilal was not seen by individuals and collective members of the 6 Committees under clear skies using naked eyes, telescopes and binoculars." This means that Saudi Hajj announcement is either based on Ummul-Qura calendar or false sighting claims.
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14. Suggested Global Islamic Calendar
14.1
Question:
I like the proposal of Moonsighting.com for global islamic calendar that takes 12:00 Noon UTC (or GMT) as the cut-off time for the month to begin everywhere in the world. However, Islamic day begins with Maghrib. In the case of Ramadhan, for example, those living close to IDL - theoretically may have to offer Taraweeh Prayer even before conjunction - in case conjunction is to happen close to midnight at IDL locations (which of course is close to 12 Noon UTC). Hence my suggestion is to keep the cut-off time at 6:00 (am) UTC. This - I believe - would take care of the above issue.
Answer:
Yes, you are right in saying that those who live close to IDL - theoretically may have to offer Tharawih even before conjunction. But this will happen very rarely and only to the areas that are 3 to 4 time zones west of IDL, say, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. For those rare ocassions, Taraweeh prayer for those areas can be ommitted for the first night as it is not ("Fard") obligatory. This does not pose any problem.
The problem in your suggestion is that if we take 6:00 am UTC, cutoff time then if the conjunction occurs at 6:01 am UTC (0:01 at 90W longitude), the moon would be 18 hours old at local Maghrib time and it could be visible, and we would be asking them not to start the month. At 90W longitude, there are large areas of Central America and North America where people could see the moon. This situation in my suggestion would occur at IDL, where there is no big land mass, and hardly any Muslims to see the moon. This is the very specific reason to choose 12:00 Noon UTC.
14.2
Question:
What is the accuracy of calculated Islamic calendar, such as adopted by ISNA, and what is the probability of the calculated calendar being wrong? How the issue of different longitude and latitude is handled with one calendar for whole world?
Answer:
The calculated Islamic calendar adopted by Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) and ISNA is based on very exact calculations. Its position is that Ittihadul-Mataali' should be adopted for the sake of global unity. To exercize this Ittihadul-Mataali' Ulamaa' of FCNA decided to follow The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), headed by Dr. Yusuf Qaradawi states that the sighting was not a requirement but just the means of ascertaining the beginning of lunar cycle for a new month, and that is now attained by exact calculations.
The criteria are that after conjunction somewhere on the globe, at local sunset, the angle between sun and moon should be at least 8 degrees and moon should be at least 5 degrees above horizon. The presence of moon above horizon at sunset somewhere on the globe results in the possibility of sighting, whether by naked eye or by telescope. If these conditions are met, the month starts the next day, otherwise the month starts on the day following next day.
To see the details of ECFR criteria, please see the answer to Question No. 10.10 on this web page. (2009)
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15. Visibility Maps
15.1
Question:
Why do you not provide time stamps for the various maps (showing lunar visibility across the planet)? Or even show several hourly maps (or animation) that showcase how the lunar visibility changes in the course of 24-48 hours of interest. As it is; the map is incomplete as it provides the lunar visibility area, but at what time?
Answer:
The visibility maps are not for any specific time. They are composit maps, showing the visibility after local sunset at every point (latitude and longitude) on the globe for a specific date shown on top left.
15.2
Question:
Your visibility maps (showing lunar visibility across the planet) many times show that Saudi Arabia is out of visibility zone, yet Saudi announcement comes they have seen the moon. Is there a possibility that your calculation have some error?
Answer:
SAUDI DATES: We recently found out that many a times Saudi sightings were before sunset. Saudi desert areas have been known to be without any city lights, or city pollution. It is well known that Saudi Bedouins (Baddoos) see stars in the day time. So, it is very possible that they see the new crescent moon before sunset (sometimes several hours before sunset). Please note that our visibility maps are calculated for visibility at local sunset time at every point on the globe for a specific date. All those calculations are based on the collected observation data after sunset (from 1860 AD to the present) from different locations on the globe. The data of observations we have were all from cities which have city lights, city pollution and after sunset. We do not have any data for sighting before sunset. New evidence show that Saudi claims of sighting comes from desert areas and many times the sightings were before sunset. We, at moonsighting.com started calculating the possibility of sighting before sunset, and our finding for sighting possibility before sunset (under consideraion of Saudi desert areas) was a big surprise. The moon being few degrees above the horizon before sunset may have been seen, which would set in a short time and would not be visible if people try to see it after sunset. It should also be noted that the new crescent moon in desert areas with dry climate and no city lights and no city pollution would have very different refraction effects.
My scientific basis to believe such sightings are three things; elongation being more than Danjon limit, thickness of the crescent more than 0.11 arcminutes and human optics of desert dwellers. Human optics cannot be put in calculations. On this scientific basis I think sightings before sunset may be possible. Such moon may not be seen if the observer waits to see after sunset because many a times, it sets while Muslims still are praying Maghrib prayer, thus making it invisible after sunset.
You can see a Table for actual Saudi dates on www.moonsighting.com/actual-saudi-dates.pdf from 1389 AH (1969 AD) to the present.
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Updated October 2, 2020
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