International Astronomical Center

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Saturday 31 December 2005), at 03:12 UT.

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Saturdat 31 December 2005 from Hawaii (USA) by ICOP member Mr. Abdul-Rashid Abdullah.

Saturday 31 December 2005:

• Indonesia:

  1. ICOP member Dr. Thomas Djamaluddin said: "We (Badan Hisab Rukyat Jawa Barat, Western Java committee for calculation and observation of the crescent) observed from the minaret of Great Mosque of Bandung. Sunset at 18:08 LT. Unfortunately the western horizon was cloudy. Today is the day for observation in Indonesia to be reported to Ministry for Religious Affairs. Insha Allah next Monday, 2 Jan 2006 there will be a meeting led by the Ministry to determind the Eid al Adha."

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Mutoha MMC said: "Tried to sight the hilal in Saturday, 31 December 2005, two members of Jogja Astro Club (JAC) Mr. Mutoha MMC and Brother Agus Triawan togehter with team from Dept. of Religious Affairs from Parangkusumo Beach Yogyakarta (110°E/8°S). The western sky very cloudy and the location there are a little drizzle, so that we didn't see the hilal. Next day (1/1) insya Allah we try again to sight the hilal in one day after conjunction from my location."

• Pakistan: ICOP member Mr. Fahim Hashmi said: "Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman on Sunday announced the sighting of the moon of Zilhaj. The announcement follows a meeting of the committee held with Mufti Muneeb in the chair at Habib Bank Plaza for the sighting of the moon. Chief meteorologist Arif Mehmood and chief manager space science provided technical assistance during the process."

• Iraq: ICOP member Mr. Bacil Moudhaffar said: "Crescent was not seen this evening Sat. 31/12/2005 from Baghdad."

• UAE: ICOP member Mr. Abdulkarim Chalermthai said: "I with family 4 members not see the Crescent. Partly cloudy." On the next day, Mr. Chalermthai said: "Today Hilal is high above horizon 30 degree first I try with binacular after Maghrib prayer 6:08, then I shot the crescent for about 5 photo."

• Kuwait: ICOP member Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "In Kuwait on Sat 31 Dec 2005 I could not sight Thul Hejja crescent as expected because of small elongation, low altitude, small age, short lag, small phase & small width."

• Saudi:

  1. ICOP member Mr. Saleh Al-Saab mentioned that he didn't see the crescent and the sky was hazy.

  2. ICOP member Mr. Edrees Al Shubbar said: "The moonsighting group of Safwa tried to sight the Moon on the 31 December 2005 Saturday using 20*50 Telescopic with out any success althought it was claimed seen by people around the area and at Kuwait as well, and the next day 01 January 2006 Sunday the moon was seen by naked eyes."

• Syria: ICOP member Mr. Ayman Saddik mentioned that the sky was cloudy. On the next day Mr. Saddik said: "In Aleppo on Sunday 1 January 2006 I could not sight Thul Hejja crescent as expected because The western horizon was cloudy."

• Morocco: ICOP member Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann said: "Passing two weeks in Morocco, I tried to do some observations here, knowing that Morocco is only slightly outside the calculated visibility zone. The weather was very fair, warm and stable, I had a great view out over the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, some cloud streaks and haze appeared in the West, but in the assumed direction of the crescent, the sky was still free of cloud streaks. But no observation of the crescent by binoculars or naked eyes could be performed during the 23 minutes between sunset and moonset." On the next day Mr. Kaufmann said: "While spending two weeks in Morocco, I continued my observations of yesterday in the vicinity of the city of Agadir. In comparison with yesterday, the western sky was even a little more obstructed by haze and cirrus clouds, nevertheless, the crescent could be first sighted through binoculars already 27 minutes before(!) sunset. Sighting by naked eye was performed immediately after sunset. The moon's crescent and Venus (also in the shape of a nice crescent as visible through binoculars) about 8° to the right of it created an impressive constellation. The observation could be continued until a couple of minutes before moonset, when it was extinct by the horizon's haze. Not a single observation was announced throughout the country on 31 December 2005, so 2 January 2006 was announced as the first day of the month. As for Germany, the Central Council of the Muslims in Germany (ZMD) declared 1 January to be the first day of the month (without giving further reasons)."

• Nigeria:

  1. ICOP member Mr. Usman Duhhu said: "I tried sighting the crescent with Mr Yunus Ya'qub at our usual sighting site, here in Bauchi, but we could not see it, in spite of the clear sky. I communicated with other sighters in Abuja, Gombe and Ilorin and they told me that they did not see the crescent too. We are awaiting the announcement by the Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs regarding the offifial beginning of the month."

  2. ICOP member Mr. Bashir Sani said: "We tried seeing the crescent yesterday December 31 (Age at sunset 2 hours)here at the main campus of Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru Zaria but it wasnt visible. However, we were able to see a big and very visible crescent today January 1, 2006. The official first day in Nigeria is Monday January 1, 2006. For ICOP members it will be Tuesday January 2, 2006. Eid will therefore be on Wednesday January 11, 2006. Eid mubarak to all." On the next day, Mr. Sani said: "We tried seeing the crescent yesterday December 31 (Age at sunset 2 hours)here at the main campus of Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru Zaria but it wasnt visible. However, we were able to see a big and very visible crescent today January 1, 2006. The official first day in Nigeria is Monday January 1, 2006. For ICOP members it will be Tuesday January 2, 2006. Eid will therefore be on Wednesday January 11, 2006. Eid mubarak to all."

• South Africa: ICOP member Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim said: "I was at the sighting locality Bakoven. There were 8 crescent observers present. Venus was visible 10 minutes before sunset. The sun set at eye-level horizon at 20h03 local South African time and the horizon was clear. Immediately after sunset there was a reddish haze on the horizon to an altitude of 4 degrees. I used a 10x50 binoculars to try sighting the crescent but was unsuccessful. At 20h25 I drove to a higher elevation but there was no binocular sight of the moon. All the sighting localities in and around Cape Town and the rest of South Africa reported a negative sighting. The official first day of Dhul Hijjah 1426 AH will be Monday, 02 January 2006."

• UK: ICOP member Mr.Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti "Negative sighting. At the end of the 29th day of of the preceeding lunar month (Saturday, 31st December) at a poor moonsighting site, a group of us could not sight the new crescent. The horizon was clear. Although the moon set only 6 minutes after sunset and it was definitely below the horizon, we nevertheless attempted the sighting in order to perform the religious duty [ta'abbud] of physically going out to spot the moon on laylat al-ru'ya on the way to Maghrib. By the time of Isha', we have received no news of a positive sighting from anywhere East of our position. Indeed, we received news from Morocco that professional observers there could not sight the moon ['adam thubut] in spite of clear skies. The religious authority there have declared that they will be completing [istikmal] 30 days for the month of Dhu l-Qa'da and that the 1st of Dhu l-Hijja is on Monday, the 2nd of January. By following Morocco, the 10th of Dhu l-Hijja in the UK should also be on Wednesday the 11th of January." On the next day Mr. Al-Akiti said: "Positive sighting. We attempted for a second day (but this time while travelling from Manchester to Oxford) to sight the crescent of the Dhu l-Hijja on Sunday the 1st of January; and wa-l-hamdulillah the three of us witnessed at 16.49 the beautiful and thin first day hilal (horns appeared to be at 1 and 7 o'clocks respectively) to the left of sunset and also to the left and below Venus at half the perpendicular angle. Allahu akbar...hilalu khayrin wa-rushdin! May Allah accept our 'amals during the special ten days of this month!"

• USA:

  1. ICOP member Mr. Abdul-Rashid Abdullah said: "The Hilal is clearly visible in our skies tonight. It was witness by my entire family in Ewa Beach, HI looking towards the western skies. At 18:41 it was still fairly high above the horizon. I am sort of a novice at this but I would say it was about 12-15 degrees above the horizon. Unfortunately, I was unable to take any more precise measurements."

  2. ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad said: "This evening (Saturday, Dec. 31), I attempted sighting the moon in Blacksburg, VA with no success. I arrived at the location a couple minutes after sunset and with the aid of a pair of 7X50 binoculars, I started scanning the southwestern horizon (where the moon supposed to be located). While to the west the sky was extremely favorable for sighting, unfortunately the target location was partly to totally cloudy! Due to the age of the moon for the eastern part of the US and unfavorable sky condition, I was unable to sight the moon."

  3. ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm said: "No attempt was made to observe the crescent, due to clouds."

  4. ICOP member, Dr. Salman Shaikh said:

     Alhamdulillaah in North America, Dhul-Hijja started correctly on Monday, Eid ul Adha on 
     Wednesday, Jan 11 Insha'Allaah, following negative Hilaal sighting from the contiguous 
     USA and Canada.
      
     This has been announced Alhamdulillaah by (among others):
     http://www.icna.org/index3.html Islamic Circle of North America
     http://www.shariahboard.org/  Shariah Board
     http://www.ulemacouncil.com/ North American Ulema Council
     http://www.jucanada.org/ Jami'yyatul Ulama
     http://www.hilaalcommittee.com/ Hilaal Committee
     http://www.moonsighting.net/pages/4/index.htm The Committee for 
     Crescent Observation Intl. (CFCO)
      
     You may want to use my attached viewgraphs to demonstrate why Dhul-Hijja
     should be determined, like other months, by local Hilaal sighting and not 
     by Saudi Annoucement Insha'Allaah. For more details, including the Fatwah of 
     Sheikh AlOthaimeen of Saudi Arabia supporting Local Hilaal sighting for all 12 
     months, please see my paper at www.jas.org.jo/hilaal website.
     

• Guyana: ICOP member Dr. Muhammad Hafiz said: " I am currently in Guyana. Myself and the members of Rose Hall Town Masjids and Islamic Center, and the Sheldon Masjid tried to observe the Hilaal after sunset on Saturday, 31st December, 2005 despite the rainy season in Guyana. Due to continuous rain today and clouds on the Horizon, Hilaal sighting was made impossible. The Central Hilaal Sighting Committee of Guyana is in the process of contacting other parts of Guyana and the Caribbean/South America to determine if Hilaal was seen." On the next day Dr. Hafiz said: "Myself and the members of Rose Hall Town Masjids and Islamic Center, observe the Hilaal after sunset on Sunday, 1st January, 2006. From the thickness, altitude and moonset time of the Hilaal it corresponded to a second day Hilaal. Due to the rainy season the Hilaal could not be observed in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad on Saturday, 31st December, 2005. Also, it was not seen in Panama on this date. After speaking to Mufti Ramzan (Imam, #78 Masjid/Member of the Central Hilaal Sighting Committee of Guyana) it seems as if the contact with Spanish speaking countries in South America is very limited, explaining why Hilaal sighting reports have not come from other countries in South America. The Central Hilaal Sighting Committee of Guyana will issue their decision tomorrow after trying once more to make contact."

Sunday 01 January 2006 :

1. Saudi
2. Kuwait
3. Bahrian
4. UAE
5. Qatar
6. Jordan
7. Egypt
8. Oman
9. Germany

Monday 02 January 2006 :

1. Morocco
2. South Africa
3. USA

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Saturday 31 December 2005), at 03:12 UT.

Friday 30 December 2005:

• Iraq: ICOP member Mr. Bacil Moudhaffar said: "Waning Crescent was easily seen on Thu. 29/12/2005. Waning Crescent was not seen even with binocular on Fri. 30/12/2005."