Saturday, 5 March 2011:

• Canada:

  1. Not Seen: HiMY SYeD (MCW member) from Toronto Ontario reported: It has been raining and overcast all day in Toronto. Unfortunately, after sunset the cloud cover still extended to the entire western sky and no sighting attempt was possible, on Saturday March 5, 2011 from downtown Toronto, Canada.

• India:

  1. Not Seen: Iqbalhusen Bokda (MCW member) from Gujrat reported: Crescent for the month of Rabiu-al-sani was not seen today on Saturday 5th March here in Guujarat. No positive sighting report reached from any part of the country.

  2. Not Seen: Khalid Umer Maniar (MCW member) from Surat, Gujrat reported: Moon not seen anywhere in India on Sat evening, March 5. 1st rabi thani will be on 7th monday ie after completion of 30 days of rabi awwal.

• Lebanon:

  1. Not Seen: Dr. Hadi Jaafar (MCW member) reported: I tried to sight the moon Yesterday the evening of Saturday March the fifth here in Beirut. I scanned the hazy western horizon from about 5:40 to 6:05 PM local time using a 7*50 binoculars with no results. Conditions were not the best, some westerly winds with clouds low at the Horizon at the line where the sky touches the Mediterranean. Local sunset was at 5:36 and local moon set was at about 6:15 PM.

• Malawi:

  1. Not Seen: Yusuf M. Lambat (MCW member) from Blantyre reported: On March 5. in Blantyre, Malawi the sky was clear but no sighting.

• Morocco:

  1. Not Seen: Ehsan H. Hajar (MCW member) from Casablanca reported: Unfortunately I was unable to spot the new crescent of RBT, Casablanca western humid horizon and thin low cloud layer were hampering as usual, increasing city lights reflection within the 45 minutes or so duration after SS made it even difficult to observe the thin Hilal Hope to hear positive results from other locations.

  2. Seen: Qamar Uddin (MCW member) from York UK reported: We have received reliable sighting news from Morocco Awqaf Ministry [Click here]. Therefore, the Ulama (including Wifaq/Batley) have decided that the month of Rabi-ul Awwal 1432 AH will have 29 days and the month of Rabi-ul Thani 1432 AH will start from Sunday 6 March 2011, Insha-Allah.

• Norway:

  1. Not Seen: Milad Ali Ershaghi (MCW member) from Holmenkollen reported: On Saturday, March 5th, 2011, sunset time was 5:54pm and moonset time was 7:13pm in Oslo, Norway. I looked for the moon between 7:05pm-7:10pm near my home but was unable to see it.

• Pakistan:

  1. Not Seen: Sultan Alam (MCW member) from Karachi reported: Today, 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 all over Pakistan at more than 19 places but the moon could not be sighted, as it was astronomically expected tonight. It was clear or little hazy at half places but other half places were full cloudy. Note 1: Today (Saturday, 5 March 2011) the conditions of the moon were so defective in the half world especially in Pakistan that according to the all old and new criteria of moon-sighting, there was no solid proof in the history of astronomy to sight such a moon by naked eyes in Pakistan. Note 2: Chairman of central official moon-sighting committee of Pakistan "Mufti Munee-bur-Rahman" told me on my mobile phone that as he did not receive any positive report of moon sighting from all over Pakistan, therefore he officially announced that Sunday 6 March 2011 is the 30th Rabee-ul-Awwal 1432 and 1st Rabee-uth-Thani 1432 will fall on Monday 7th March 2011. Note 3: After some days, inshaallah, a detailed report of this observation will be available at www.esnips.com/web/

• South Africa:

  1. Not Seen: Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim (MCW member) from Cape Town reported: The Hilaal was not sighted in Cape Town. The official first day of Rabi-ul Thani will correspond to Monday, 7 March 2011.

  2. Not Seen: Rashid Motala (MCW member) from Durban reported: The crescent moon was not sighted in S. Africa this evening. Monday will be the 1st.

• Tanzania:

  1. Not Seen: Hamza Rijal (MCW member) from Tiny Island of Zanzibar reported: No sighting on March 5. We have completed 30 days for Rabiu Awal in tiny island of Zanzibar, Insha-Allah Monday 7 March 2011 we expect to be the first day of Rabiul Thani.

• Trinidad and Tobago:

  1. Not Seen: Kahiam Hosein, Coordinator Darul Uloom Moon Sighting Committee of Trinidad and Tobago reported: The Moon to commence the month of Rabiiul Aakhir 1432 AH was looked for after Maghrib on Sat 5th March 2011. The moon was NOT SIGHTED in Trinidad and Tobago and its defined region including Barbados, Grenada and Guyana. Therefore 1st night ofthe month of Rabiiul Aakhir would be the night of Sunday 6th March and the 1st day of the month would be the day of Monday 7th March 2011.

• UK:

  1. Not seen in UK, but Seen in Morocco: Qamar Uddin (MCW member) from York reported: On Saturday 5 March 2011 (29 Rabi-ul Awwal 1432 AH) many people from throughout UK have attempted to sight the crescent moon (Hilal) of Rabi-ul Thani after sunset. Special arrangements were made to observe from high locations as the first visibility started from the UK before most of the world. Unfortunately, none of the groups were able to sight the Hilal as most places were cloudy. However, we have received reliable sighting news from Morocco. Therefore, the Ulama (including Wifaq/Batley) have decided that the month of Rabi-ul Awwal 1432 AH will have 29 days and the month of Rabi-ul Thani 1432 AH will start from Sunday 6 March 2011, Insha-Allah.

     I regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances the official Hilal sighting report from the Morocco Ministry of Religious Endowment and Islamic Affairs was not received in time last Saturday 5th March 2011, when the decision for the start of Rabi-ul Thani 1432 AH was made.
     In the light of the reliable positive sighting report, the Ulama (including Wifaq/Batley) have retracted their previous statement and have subsequently decided that the month of Rabi-ul Awwal 1432 AH will have 29 days and the month of Rabi-ul Thani 1432 AH would have started from Sunday 6 March 2011, Insha-Allah.

  2. Not Seen: Aziz Raje (MCW member) from Ilford Essex reported: There were several people in anticipation of a sighting this evening as it was a rare opportunity in the UK. Sadly we had Rain and Clouds in Many places so none of us were able to sight the Hilal. We have not received news of any sighting from anywhere to the east of UK or Morocco. Wifaqul Ulama have therefore decided that we will complete 30 days of Rabi ul Awwal and the 1st day of Rabi ul Thani 1432 in the UK will be on Monday 7th March 2011 Insha Allah. NOTE: Based on reliable sighting news from Morocco, the UK Ulama (including Wifaq/Batley) have decided that the month of Rabi-ul Awwal 1432 AH will have 29 days and the month of Rabi-ul Thani 1432 AH will start from Sunday 6 March 2011, Insha-Allah.

• USA:

  1. Not Seen: Javad Torabinejad (MCW member) from Blacksburg VA reported: Due to the presence of an overcast condition in Blacksburg, VA, no sighting was performed.

  2. Not Seen: Ms. Ruth Jeffery (MCW member) from Baton Rouge LA reported: No sighting was possible due to completely overcast and rainy skies in Baton Rouge, La., on March 5th.

  3. Seen: Dr. Muhammad Rafiq Khokhar (MCW member) from Pearland TX reported: I and my son (he is an M.D. too) in Pearland, TX (suburb of Haboyouston) observed the crescent on the evening of Saturday, March 5, 2011 at about 6:50 pm (sunset @ 6:24) without ony optical aid. Sky conditions: generaly clear, but sight haze along the western horizon. Orientation of crescent: approximately 4 O'clock to 8 O'clock (or may be 3:30 to 8:30) We observed the crescent for at least 10 minutes till 7:00 and then we returned home.