In the name of Allah, the Lord of the universes, and peace and salutation on the noblest of all prophets and messengers; Allah’s willing, the majority of the Muslim countries would be observing the new crescent moon Friday night, June 27th, 2014. On that day, the moon would set before or with the sun in the majority of the Muslim countries, which would make it impossible to see the moon in those countries. Consequently, the governments that require the “eye sighting” of the crescent moon to be a pre-condition for the starting of the month, Saturday, June 28th, 2014 would be the last day of the month of Shaaban, and Sunday, June 29th would be the first of the blessed month of Ramadhan.
The “eye sighting” of the crescent moon on Friday, June 27th, would be impossible from all Northern and some Central locations of the Islamic world. This includes: Iraq, Sham (Syria and Levant countries…), Saudi Arabia and Northern Africa; this is because the moon either sets before or at the same time as the sun. As for the rest of the locations of the Islamic world, the “eye sighting” would be also impossible because the moon would set only few minutes after the sun.
As for the Muslim countries and the Muslim minority countries that do not require the “eye sighting” to be a precondition for the starting of the month, but use astronomical calculations and are satisfied with the crescent being in the sky and sets after the sun, even if it is only for few minutes, and also the possibility to sight the moon with a telescope in south America, Ramadhan will start on Saturday, June 28th 2014.
Following are the setting times of the moon with respect to the sun on Friday, 27th 2014, in some Muslim cities: The moon will set 7 minutes before the sun in Baghdad. 6 minutes before the sun in Damascus and Beirut; 5 minutes before the sun in Kuwait, Amman, Al-Quds and Tunis; 4 minutes before the sun in Manama and Algiers; 3 minutes before the sun in Doha, Muscat, Abu Dubai, Cairo and Tripoli; 2 minutes before the sun in Riyadh; 1 minute before the sun in Rabat; sets with the sun in Makkah almukarramah; 2 minutes after the sun in Sana’a; 4 minutes after the sun in Khartoum. And the longest the moon would stay after the setting of the sun is 9 minutes, which would be in Nouakchott. The “eye sighting” of the crescent in all these locations would be impossible even using a telescope.
It is worth noting that, in the history of tracking the moon, 29 minutes is the least time required for the setting of the moon after the sun set, to be able to sight the crescent with a “naked eye” (not using any observation aids)…
In Summary, The countries that pre-condition the “eye sighting” of the crescent as the starting of the month would start the blessed month of Ramadhan on Sunday June 29th, 2014. And for those using astronomical calculations, the blessed month of ramadhan would start Saturday June 28th, 2014.
