Bismillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim
(In the Name of ALLAH, THE MOST BENEFICENT, THE MOST MERCIFUL)
HILAL (Crescent Moon) SIGHTING (USA/Canada), RAMADAN,
EID-ul-FITR, EID-ul-ADHA, 1423 AH (2002-2003 CE)
9 Oct 2002
Revised 27 Nov 2002
Dr.Mohib.N.DURRANI,
E-Mail:mnd0@columbia.edu
North American Coordinator (Since 1987) for Astronomical Information
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Copyright (c) 1987-2002
Homepage: http://Hilal-Sighting.Com
**********************************************************************
ESTIMATED DATES: RAMADAN 1423 AH Wed 6 Nov 2002
***************** EID-ul-FITR 1423 AH Fri 6 Dec 2002
USA/Canada EID-ul-ADHA 1423 AH Wed 12 Feb 2003
**********************************************************************
(Comments are added, below, for the rest of the World)
Dr.Mohib.N.DURRANI
North American Coordinator for Astronomical Information,
Consultant: Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).
Consultant: Islamic Shura Council of North America.
Consultant: Islamic Fiqh Council of North America.
Consultant: Sharia Scholars Asson of North America (SSANA).
Email: mnd@columbia.edu HomePage: http://www.columbia.edu/~mnd
The following are the EXPECTED dates for Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Eid-ul-Adha
during the Islamic year 1423 AH, for USA/Canada. It should be noted that ACTUAL
SIGHTING OF THE HILAL (Crescent Moon) DETERMINES THE START OF AN ISLAMIC MONTH.
This Islamic year, 1423 AH, most of the Islamic countries, and muslims in other
countries, are expected to start their fasting month of Ramadan on different
dates (if they follow Ikhtelaaf-ul-Mata'le, local sighting criteria).
ISLAMIC DATE Shared Day of SIGHTING
============ Islamic Month on evening of:
For USA/Canada: ************ =============== ===============
1 RAMADAN 1423 AH Wed 6 Nov 2002 (*) Tue 5 Nov 2002
(for USA/Canada, and for countries west and south of Arabia.
For Jakarta, Dhaka, Agra, Peshawar and Tehran, Optical Aids may be
necessay for sighting.)
It is IMPOSSIBLE for the RAMADAN Hilal to be seen on the evening of Mon
4 Nov'02 from anywhere in the world. In fact, the Hilal sets BEFORE the Sun
on the evening of Mon 4 Nov 2002 in many places: Makkah, Dar-us-Salaam,
Istanbul, Cairo, Khartoum, Cape Town, Lagos, Algiers, Dakar, Rio-De-Jenerio,
Bones Aris, Sydney, Tokyo, Jakarta, Agra, Peshawar, Bukhara, Tehran.
(For countries north & east of Arabia the following are expected:
ISLAMIC DATE Shared Day of SIGHTING
1 RAMADAN 1423 AH Thu 7 Nov 2002 Wed 6 Nov 2002
These later dates are for Bokhara, Istanbul, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing)
For USA/Canada: ************ =============== ===============
1 SHAWWAL 1423 AH Fri 6 Dec 2002 (*) Thu 5 Dec 2002
(EID-ul-FITR)
(for USA/Canada, and for most of the world, the above dates are valid)
It is IMPOSSIBLE for the Hilal to be seen on the evening of Wed 4 Dec'02
from most of the world; except perhaps South America (with Optical Aids).
There is a TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE on Wed 4 Dec 2002 and
its map of visibility can be seen at the following link:
Go to "Data Services", then Eclipses "Recent and Upcoming Eclipses",
then "2002 Dec 4 - total solar eclipse (see map)"
US Naval Observatory
For USA/Canada: ************ =============== ===============
1 Zul-HIJJAH 1423 AH Mon 3 Feb 2003 Sun 2 Feb 2003
10 Zul-HIJJAH 1423 AH Wed 12 Feb 2003
(EID-ul-ADHA)
For MAKKAH: ****************
1 Zul-HIJJAH 1423 AH Mon 3 Feb 2003 (*) Sun 2 Feb 2003 (*)
10 Zul-HIJJAH 1423 AH Wed 12 Feb 2003 (*) (It is IMPOSSIBLE
(EID-ul-ADHA) for the Hilal to be
sighted in Makkah
on Sat 1 Feb 2003)
It is IMPOSSIBLE for the Hilal to be seen on the evening of Sat 1 Feb'03
from most of the world; except perhaps western S.Amer (with Optical Aids).
($) = Indicates slight probability of sighting, optical aids would help.
($$) = Indicates very slight probability of sighting AND WITH HELP OF
OPTICAL AIDS and clear skies on West Coast.
(!) = If the southwestern states of USA are clouded (when the Hilal sighting
could be expected) the date of sighting could be delayed by one day.
(*) = IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT since some of the Muslim Countries had
announced, for many years, the start of the months of Ramadan,
Shawwal, and Zul-Hijjah on a day earlier that those based on
astronomical information (in my opinion), hence,
IT IS POSSIBLE that EID-UL-ADHA COULD BE ANNOUNCED to be ONE DAY EARLY,
for Makkah, on Tue 11 Feb 2003, from Saudi Arabia.
This information may be of help for arrangements of Eid Prayers.
It is to be noted that the Islamic Shura Council of North America has adopted
the ruling that for Ramadan, Shawwal, Zul-Hajj and all months, the opinion
of Ikhtelaaf-ul-Matale (local sightings within USA/Canada) would be adopted.
The following is the change from 2001 CE:
=========================================
"Previously, for Eid-ul-Adha the announcement made from Makkah was followed.
There was a special conference scheduled at mid 2000 to re-evaluate the
position for Eid-ul-Adha. At that conference, ISNA decided that ALL the
Islamic months would be based on AUTHENTICATED sightings in USA/Canada."
The Shura Council of North America includes the following four major
Islamic Organizations in USA and Canada:
1. Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
2. Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
3. The Jamaat of Warithuddin Muhammad
4. The Jamaat of Imam Jamil Al-Amin
It should be noted that HILAL (Crescent Moon) SIGHTING IS ONE DATE EARLIER,
in the evening, than the date for the common shared day. The Islamic Date
starts from the start of the night (after sunset) of the previous shared date.
===========================================================================
THE FOLLOWING IS THE CORELATION BETWEEN COMMON DAYS (DATES) FOR THE
ISLAMIC AND GREGORIAN CALENDARS:
SHABAN Sighting was on evening of Mon 07 Oct 2003 from many places in USA/Cnda.
SHABAN 1423 AH 1 5 10 15 28 29 (30)
OCT/NOV 2002 CE 8 12 17 22 4 5 ( 6)
Tu Sa Th Tu Mo Tu (We)
Nisf-Shaban -- | -- Nisf-Shaban
Night of Mo 21 Oct -- | -- Morning of Tu 22 Oct
[Note: There was a 8" telescopic sighting (no naked eye nor binocular) of the
Hilal by a world-class amateur astronomer (Jim Stamm) from Tucon Arizona on
the evening of Sun 06 Oct 2002!]
===========================================================================
RAMADAN 1423 AH Sighting (USA/Cnda) on evening of Tu 5 Nov 2002 CE, inshallah:
RAMADAN 1423 AH 1 5 10 15 20 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 30
NOV/DEC 2002 AD 6 10 15 20 25 26 28 30 1 2 3 4 5 DEC '02
We Su Fr We Mo Tu Th Sa Su Mo Tu We Th
| ----- >>>>>
ODD Nights of Ramadan: Starts with night of Tu 26 Nov 2002 CE
If RAMADAN 1423 AH Sighting (for other countries) on evening of
Wed 6 Nov 2002 CE, shift the Gregorian dates to the left by one date.
===========================================================================
SHAWWAL 1423 AH 1 EID-UL-FITR (It is IMPOSSIBLE for Eid-ul-Fitr
DEC 2002 AD 6 EID-UL-FITR to be on Thu 5 Dec 2002 CE
Fr EID-UL-FITR anywhere in the World; excpt S.Amr)
===========================================================================
ZUL-HAJ 1423 AH 1 5 10 EID-UL-ADHA (It is IMPOSSIBLE for Eid-ul-Adha
FEB 2003 AD 3 7 12 EID-UL-ADHA to be on Tue 11 Feb 2003 CE
Mo Fr We EID-UL-ADHA anywhere in the World. except
perhaps, Peru and Hawaii.
May Allah (Subhana wa Tala) accept our fasts and our Hajj, amin.
Please continue to pray for the welfare of the Muslims and of all.
Your brother in Islam,
Mohib.