Moonsighting for Rabi-al-Awwal 1432
1432 AH
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The Astronomical New Moon is on Thursday February 3 at 2:31 UT. On Feb 3 it can only be seen in North America. On Feb 4, it can be seen all over the world except New Zealand and Australia. Northern Australia may see it with difficulty (See visibility curves).

Sighting Reports

The earliest sighting of the new crescent was on Thursday, February 3, 2011 in San Diego, California in USA.

Thursday, 3 February 2011:

  • Barbados:

    1. Not Seen: Latif Dana (MCW member) reported: Crescent for Rabi-ul-awwal was not seen today (Thursday, Feb 3, 2011) here in Barbados

  • India:

    1. Not Seen: Iqbalhusen Bokda (MCW member) from Gujrat reported: Crescent for Rabi-ul-awwal was not seen today (Thursday, Feb 3, 2011) here in Godhra. The sky was clear. I could get only negative reports from many parts of the country.

  • Morocco:

    1. Not Seen: Ehsan H. Hajar (MCW member) from Casablanca reported: On Thursday, Feb 3, 2011, I was unable to spot the new hilal, Casablanca western horison was obscured with clouds and high water vapor. Hopefully other location in the country might have better conditions. I will advise of positive sighting if announced tonight.

  • Nigeria:

    1. Not Seen: Sheik A.A. Ishola (MCW member) from Ikorodu, Lagos reported: On Thursday, Feb 3, 2011, here in ikorodu area of lagos state the crescent of rabiulawwal was not seen due to unperfect weather condition . But all my effort to get brothers from north proof abortive.

  • Norway:

    1. Not Seen: Milad Ali Ershaghi (MCW member) from Holmenkollen reported: On Thursday, February 3, 2011 - sunset time was 4:36pm and Moonset time was 5:34pm in Oslo, Norway. I looked for the moon between 5:21pm and 5:34pm from a high point near R�a with a good view of the sky - but was unable to see the moon.

  • Pakistan:

    1. Not Seen: Sultan Alam (MCW member) from Karachi reported: Today, (Thursday, Feb 3, 2011), on my request, nearly 100 persons (members of the moon-sighting committees of our institute "JAMIA-TUR-RASHEED" + my friends + their companions) tried to sight the moon at more than 20 places all over Pakistan but the moon could not be sighted, as it was astronomically expected tonight.
      Almost it was cloudy or hazy all over Pakistan.

      Note 1: Chairman of central official moon sighting committee of Pakistan mufti munee-bur-Rahman told me on my mobile phone that as he also did not receive any positive report countrywide therefore he announced officially that Friday 4 February is 30th Safar and Saturday 5 February 2011 is 1st Rabee-ul-Awwal 1432 in Pakistan.

  • South Africa:

    1. Not Seen: Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim (MCW member) from Cape Town reported: The Hilaal was not sighted in Cape Town this Thursday evening, the 3rd February 2011 (corresponding to the end of the 29th day of Safar 1432 AH at sunset today). The official first day of Rabi-ul Awal will be Saturday, 5th February 2011 in South Africa.

    2. Not Seen: Rashid Motala (MCW member) from Durban reported: The Hilaal was not sighted this evening (Thursday, Feb 3, 2011) in S. Africa. Saturday will be the 1st.

  • Tanzania:

    1. Not Seen: Hamza Rijal (MCW member) from Tiny Island of Zanzibar reported: The Hilal was not sighted in tiny island of Zanzibar on 3rd February, even though the sky was very clear, the First day of Rabi-ul-Awal will be Saturday February 5, 2011

  • UK:

    1. Not Seen: Aziz Raje (MCW member) from Ilford Essex reported: Many of us attempted a sighting this evening (Thursday, Feb 3, 2011) but there were heavy clouds on the Horizon in south of England, so we were not able to sight the Hilal. We had no reported sighting news from anywhere else in the UK either. We have also received negative reports from Morocco and South Africa. Wifaqul Ulama have therefore decided that we will complete 30 days of Safar and so the 1st Day of the Month of Rabi ul Awwal in the UK will be on Saturday 5th Feb 2011 Insha Allah.

    2. Not Seen: Qamar Uddin (MCW member) from York reported: On Thursday 3 February 2011 (29 Safar1432 AH) many people from throughout UK have attempted to sight the crescent moon (Hilal) after sunset. None of the groups were able to sight the Hilal as most places were cloudy. We have not received any reliable sighting news from countries east of UK or Morocco either.
      Therefore, the Ulama (including Wifaq/Batley) have decided that the month of Safar 1432 AH will complete 30 days and the month of Rabi-ul Awwal 1432 AH will start from Saturday 5 February 2011, Insha-Allah.

  • USA:

    1. Not Seen: Javad Torabinejad (MCW member) from Blacksburg VA reported: This evening (Thursday, February 03, 2011), it was cloudy and thus the moon could not be sighted. I arrived at my sighting location before sunset (sunset: 5:48 pm EST) and stayed till 6:00 pm (moonset: 6:38 pm). At 6:00 pm, the temperature, dew point, relative humidity, and pressure were 28.4 F, 15.8 F, 59%, and 30.36 in, respectively.

    2. Not Seen: Mohammad Majibur Rahman (MCW member) from Houston TX reported: On Thurseday. 03 February 2011, the sky was completely cloudy and dark and the crescent moon was not seen with bare eyes.

    3. Not Seen: Talib Abu Hamzah (MCW member) from Douglasville GA reported: It was very cloudy here in the Atlanta area making it impossible to see the moon with a disk illumination of 1%. Based on the Sunna concerning cloudiness, today is the 30th of Safar for our area.

    4. Seen: Kazim Mamdani from San Diego, CA reported: I sighted the crescent moon for Rabiul Awwal at 5:50 PST in San Diego, CA. First with binoculars then with naked eye too.

    5. Seen: Zachary Twist (MCW member) from Hills overlooking Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area reported: On Thursday evening, Feb. 3, 2011, I was with my wife and three children at the Lawrence Hall of Science in the hills overlooking Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area. The sun set at 5:35 and it was a mostly clear sky with some thin, wispy clouds above the horizon. At 6:14pm we all clearly saw the very thin crescent moon approximately 3-4 fingers above the horizon, almost directly above where the sun had set. The crescent's orientation was almost directly facing upward with its tips at 4 and 8 o'clock. The moon remained visible as it moved lower until about 6:25 when it dissipated in the haze just above the horizon. (At 6:16 I also received a call from expert moon-sighter Youssef Ismail, who described seeing the similarly placed and oriented crescent in a location 40 miles to the south.)

Friday, 4 February 2011:

  • Australia:

    1. Not Seen: Dr. Shabbir Ahmed (MCW member) Imam of Rooty Hill Mosque Sydney, NSW reported:

      Awaiting sighThe Hilaal of RABI�UL AWWAL 1432 has not been sighted anywhere in Australia on Friday, Feb 4, 2011. However, there were high chances of physically sighting the moon, particularly in the western states of Australia. Unfortunately, no one was able to sight the moon. After receiving the confirmation of the moon not being seen in any state, the Hilaal Committee and Majlisul Ulamaa� of Australia have hence declared that the month of RABI�UL AWWAL 1432 will commence from Sunday 6th February 2011.

  • Canada:

    1. Seen: Nuh ibn Zbigniew Gondek (MCW member) from Ottawa Ontario reported: This evening (Feb 4, 2011) under clear skies I sighted the crescent moon for Rabiul Awwal at 5:31 EST in Ottawa, Canada easily with the naked eye.

    2. Seen: HiMY SYeD (MCW member) from Toronto Ontario reported: Alhumdulillah, after praying Maghrib at home, I looked out my kitchen window and easily almost immediately spotted the new crescent moon in clear skies. I went in the backyard and snapped a few photos. Attached is one of the better ones.

  • Fiji Islands:

    1. Not Seen: M Shamim Ali (MCW member) from Samabula Suva reported: New Moon for the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal was not sighted throughout Fiji Islands on 29th of Safar and as such the new month commenced on Sunday 6th Feb 2011.

  • Hungary:

    1. Seen: Dr. Mustafa Al-Majari (MCW member) from Tolna reported: I have seen the hilal of Rabi' al-awwal 1432 on Friday, 04 Feb., 2011 in Tolna, Hungary. Yesterday we tried to see the hilal but the weather was cloudy and hazy.

  • Iran:

    1. Seen: Alireza Mehrani (MCW member) from Esfahan reported: On Friday February 4, 2011 (Bahman 15, 1389), Temperature was 2.8 C� (37 F�), Humidity 42%, Visibility 10 km. Moon was seen.

  • Kuwait:

    1. Seen: Abdulaziz Al-Sumait (MCW member) from Kuwait reported: Right after sunset prayer In our camp south of Kuwait on Friday evening Feb.4th, 2011. I, with Salem Alrashed and all my family & relatives had seen Hilal (Rabee alawal) from 5:40pm until 6:30pm. Horns were at 3:30 to 9:00. The weather was clear and the sunset @ 5:28pm

    2. Seen: Hussain Khushaish (MCW member) from Kuwait reported: In Kuwait on Friday 4 Feb 2011 I saw the crescent on the following order Sunset at 17:28. First seen with binocular At 17:28 (during Maghreb Adhan Exactly); First seen with naked eye after it was hidden by a cloud at 15:38; Last seen with naked eyes at 18:26; Last seen with binocular at 16:30. Moon set at 18:48. The westeren horizon was clear with some clouds at the western horizon. Photo of the crescent is attached.

  • Malaysia:

    1. Seen: Ibrahim Jamil (MCW Memeber) from Bangi, Selangor reported: On Friday, Feb 4, 2011, I and my friends, Mr. Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, Mr. Muhammad Syafiq bin Nordin, Mr. Mohd Fahmi bin Zakaria and Mr. Faliq bin Isa have seen the hilal of Rabi' al-Awwal 1432 in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia (02� 30' 00� N, 101� 49' 00� E). We observed the new moon in the sky at 7:44 p.m. until it set at 8:10 p.m. The sky was clear, however there were clouds in the general area of the moon, but did not block the view.

  • Morocco:

    1. Seen: Ehsan H. Hajar (MCW member) from Casablanca reported: I sighted RBA hilal today Friday Feb.4th. The new crescent was well visible by naked eye withinn 20 minutes after sunset & before the end of civil twilight The sky conditions were near perfect and the new horizontal Hilal horns laying between 3 & 8 o'clock.

  • Pakistan:

    1. Seen: Sultan Alam (MCW member) from Karachi reported: Alhamdolillah, today (Friday 4 February 2011= 30 Safar 1432 in Pakistan), we easily sighted the moon in Karachi and in many parts of country, as it was expected tonight astronomically. I requested many members of the moon-sighting committees of our institute "JAMIA-TUR-RASHEED" and many of my friends all over Pakistan to sight the moon. Nearly one hundred Persons easily sighted the moon at more than 13 places in 3 provinces (Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab). As it was fully cloudy or rainy in province Sarhad therefore there is no positive report from there.

  • Sweden:

    1. Seen: Muhammad Shafiur Rahman Chowdury from Stockholm reported: I and Muhammad Abdul Ahad, and members of Anjuman-e Al Baiyinaat, Sweden tried today (Friday, 04 February, 2011) to sight the crescent moon from Kista and Akalla of Stockholm for month of Rabi-ul-Auwaal 1432 Hijri. Alhamdulillah! We could sight the crescent moon individually by bare eyes very clearly, because the sky was superb. I could sight it from Kista Subway Station at 17:33 and another city Akalla, near the Akalla Masjid at 17:47 and the another member of Anjuman-e Al Baiyinaat, Sweden Muhammad Abdul Ahad also could sight it from Kista Galleria Student Hostel (9th Floor) at 17:45. So, Anjuman-e Al Baiyinaat, Sweden has declared that the 1st day of Mahe Rabi-ul-Auwaal Sahreef 1432 Hijri will be on Saturday, 05 February, 2011 in Sweden.

  • United Arab Emirates:

    1. Seen: Mohammad Hashim (MCW member) from Abu Dhabi reported: We tried to see the moon on 3rd of Feb, 2011 as it was stated in the calender that it will be the 1st of rabi ul awwal. We stayed there for more than 40 mins and could not sight the moon. Then on Feb 04 at 18:30 we saw the cresent. The cresent horns were from 4:30 to 8:30(approximately). The sky was clear, little bit haze was there; but no clouds. To avoid the smoke and dust we drove around 35kms out of city. The moon was sighted by tens of people.
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