SL MOON

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2024-07-01T09:40:00.005+05:30

Crescent Visibility Data for 1446 AH (JUL-2024 to MAY-2025)

2024-06-13T06:36:00.000+05:30

How to A Read crescent🌙 Visibility Map 🗺

2024-05-19T05:59:00.000+05:30

Exhausting the Public by an Impossible Day of Sighting

2024-04-26T09:21:00.015+05:30

Great suspicion is caused if the crescent is reported to have been sighted after those of reliable knowledge of religion and astronomy state that it cannot be seen, those engaged in this field are inevitably aware of this.
The levels (of visibility) are: total impossibility of visibility, remote possibility of visibility, close possibility of visibility, the possibility of seeing is more likely, and finally, possibility is evident and clear.
The ordinarily impossible might be rationally possible, but what we mean here by impossibility is that it is ordinarily and rationally impossible. When the visibility is ruled impossible, witness for it is not accepted. [1]

As mentioned above by the great scholar of the 14th century Taqi al-Din al-Subki “When the visibility is ruled impossible, witness for it is not accepted” based on this we are seeing it as part of our present-day moon-sighting criteria:

“If reliable Muslim astronomers confirm that on a particular day sighting the first crescent is impossible, based on the observation of astronomy that day shall be accepted as a day the first crescent shall not be visible.” [2]

Impossibility of the crescent visibility can be divided into two, total impossibility and not possible.

Total impossibility: this can occur under two instances on the 29th day of the lunar month:

Conjunction occurs after sunset or with the sunset.
Moonset before sunset.

The not possible visibility is when the crescent is below the Danjon limit. Danjon limit is the minimum angle between the Sun and the Moon from which the Moon can be seen shortly after the conjunction, this limit will vary from the observation methods and the instruments used. [3]

Even though these matters are explicit and well established, I wonder why the authorities cause confusion among the public requesting them to sight while knowing that the visibility of the crescent is impossible. It would be much clearer if they could inform the public in advance about completing the month with 30 days and announcing the commencement of the next month.

Example:

29th of Ramadān 1445 (09/APR/2024)

The crescent was sighted and the month of Shawwal commenced on 10/APR/2024, so the 29th of Shawwal 1445, falls on 08/MAY/2024,

which is an impossible day to sight the crescent. It should have been made known to the public that the month of Shawwal would be 30 days. And also, the commencing of Zul Qa'dha 1445, would be on 10/MAY/2024. Further, the next sighting for the month of Zul Hijjah 1445, would be on 07/JUN/2024.

This method preserves the actual sighting, while eliminating confusion.

And Allah knows best!
M. Irfan Razick

26/Apr/2024

Revised: 30/Apr/2024 with updated maps.

Click here to download this post as PDF

References:

Samira Daoud Al-Aani (2013), الأدلة في اثبات الاهلة – للإمام تقي الدين علي بن عبد الكافي السبكي [Evidence in proving the crescent moon - by Imam Taqi Al-Din Ali bin Abdul Kafi Al-Subki]
ACJU (2008): Five criteria on deciding the first crescent
Wenceslao Segura (2021), Danjon Limit: Schaefer’s Method

Completing an Islamic Month on the 28th Day

2024-02-02T14:26:00.011+05:30

For the first time in my life, I have experienced the waxing crescent being sighted on the 28th day of the month, on the 28th Jumada al-Akhirah (Friday 12th, January 2024) for the month of Rajab.

However, it was not only my colleagues and I who witnessed the crescent, there were other witnesses from various places in Sri Lanka, as Puttalam, Norochcholai, Negombo, and Colombo (where my colleagues and I were witnesses). The factor that caused the crescent of Rajab to be sighted on the 28th day of Jumada al-Akhirah was due to the previous four months having 30 days.

This made me recall the incident that happened on June 14, 2018, where the moon for Shawwal was sighted on the 28th of Ramadān; however, the administration rejected it, despite the witnesses being greater in number than in January 12, 2024. Even though the crescent visibility states that the crescent could be visible by naked eye in both the circumstances, I wonder why the authorities accepted one (2024) and rejected the other (2018).

Yet again, another incident comes to mind of 2012 and 2013. According to the visibility map, the crescent could not be observed by naked eye, and agreeing to the Hilal criteria #3, it cannot be accepted.

“If reliable Muslim astronomers confirm that on a particular day sighting the first crescent is impossible, based on the observation of astronomy that day shall be accepted as a day the first crescent shall not be visible.” (ACJU: Five Criteria on deciding the first crescent 2008)

But however, just as the previous incidents, the administration accepted the witness in 2012, and rejected it in 2013.

This arises a question on the accountability of the authority regarding this matter. Also, I fear that unclear decisions and verdicts may lead to great confusion in the future generations.

May Allah guide us all!

සඳ දෘශ්‍යතාවයේ නව නිර්ණායකයන්

2023-09-08T14:20:00.019+05:30

සඳ දෘශ්‍යතාවයේ නව නිර්ණායකයන්

Click here to download

1444AH Annual Summary for Sri Lanka

2023-07-22T05:42:00.001+05:30

Crescent Visibility Data for 1445 AH (JUL-2023 to JUN-2024)

2023-07-02T06:32:00.005+05:30

Download Crescent Visibility Data for 1445 AH

Solar Qibla Times (2023-2050) for Sri Lanka

2023-05-07T13:49:00.009+05:30

Solar Qibla Times (2023-2050) for Sri Lanka

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1443AH Annual Summary for Sri Lanka

2022-07-30T06:20:00.005+05:30

Crescent Visibility Data for 1444 AH (JUL-2022 to JUN-2023)

2022-06-25T05:46:00.011+05:30

Download Crescent Visibility Data for 1444 AH

Crescent Visibility Data for 1443AH (AUG-2021 to JUN-2022)

2021-07-09T06:33:00.003+05:30

Download Crescent Visibility Data for 1443

1441AH Annual Summary for Sri Lanka

2020-08-21T07:00:00.001+05:30

Crescent Visibility Data for 1442AH (AUG-2020 to JUL-2021)

2020-08-21T06:55:00.000+05:30

Download Crescent Visibility Data for 1442

New Criterion for Lunar Crescent Visibility (Tamil)

2020-06-25T15:27:00.000+05:30

பிறை காண்பதற்கான புதிய அடிப்படைகள்

Click here to download the document

Current Fajr Time and Angle in Sri Lanka Compared with Astronomical Twilight Angle

2020-06-14T10:18:00.000+05:30

Solar Zenith Angle by Al-'Aalim Abdus Samad Makdoomi رحمه الله

2020-05-18T07:33:00.000+05:30

1440AH Annual Summary for Sri Lanka

2019-09-01T19:23:00.000+05:30

Crescent Visibility Data for 1441 (AUG-2019 to JUL-2020)

2019-08-04T10:26:00.000+05:30

Download Crescent Visibility Data for 1441

Sun Over Ka'ba 2019

2019-07-16T07:45:00.001+05:30

Note: Observations made one or two days before or after given dates will also give satisfactory results.

Crescent Visibility Data for 1440 (SEP-2018 to AUG-2019)

2019-06-19T08:20:00.000+05:30

Download Crescent Visibility Data for 1440

1438AH Annual Summary for Sri Lanka

2017-09-22T08:16:00.000+05:30

Crescent Visibility Data for 1439 (SEP-2017 to AUG-2018)

2017-08-17T08:28:00.000+05:30

Download Crescent Visibility Data for 1439

Crescent Visibility Data for 1438 (OCT-2016 to AUG-2017)

2016-08-11T13:55:00.001+05:30

Download Crescent Visibility Data for 1438

Evolution of Publishing Crescent Visibility Data

I would like to remind the great services of M. Hafil Master, student of renowned astronomy scholar Sheikh M. I Abdus Samad Makdoomi (Rahimaullah) and M. Iflal Master BSc Special (Geography) from Weligama, who did their best in the past providing the crescent visibility data charts mostly hand written.

May Allah Accept their services and grant them sound health!

Following are some of their fabulous work:

Download high-resolution file of above tables

Shawwal 1437 (05th JUL 2016) Sighting

2016-07-05T20:41:00.000+05:30

Before sunset

First sighted at 06:57pm

Alhamdulillah, sighted the crescent of Shawwal 1437 at Nimal Road masjid by myself and many others.