International Astronomical Center

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Monday 10 December 2007 from South Africa, the crescent was also seen on this day from Tanzania.

Monday 10 December 2007:

• Australia: Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Sam De Francesco said: "Australia will be celebrating 'Eid ul-Adha over three days this year - those that follow Saudi (Wed), those that follow calculations (Thu), and those that follow moonsighting (Fri)."

• Indonesia:
  1. Cloudy: ICOP member, Mr. Mutoha MMC said: "Today is the 2nd day crescent observation. From Bela-belu Hill near Yogyakarta, with groups from Lajnah Falakiyah Nahdlatul Ulama Organization about 20 persons we have observed the crescent for determining the first day of Zulhijjah 1428 AH. According the astronomical calculation at our location, sunset 17:48 LT ; moonset 18:23 LT ; moon alt 6,5° and moon-sun elong 8,2°. The western sky was cloudy cause the crescent was not sighted. Visit http://rukyatulhilal.org/visibilitas/1428/zulhijjah.html"

  2. Cloudy: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "I can't SEE the New Crescent of Thul Hejjah 1428 H when I observe in my location (7°33' S, 110°46' E, 111 m, GMT+7) because the western was totally cloudy. The astronomical calculation at my location : sunset @ 17:47 PM ; moonset @ 18:20 PM ; moon altitute 6,4°."

• India: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Amin said: "ON MONDAY 10 DEC. 2007 the Sky was clear but relatively altitude of Moon was below 5 degree at the time of Sunset. No one could see the Crescent since it was not visible in our sky. Moon set was at 6:34 and Sunset was at 6:05. As per HM Nautical Almanac Office it was below denjon limit and negative possibility."

• Pakistan:

  1. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Sultan Alam said: "Central govermental moonsighting committe of Pakistan has announced that Shawwal moon has not been seen in pakistan on 10-12-2007. Members of presonal moon sighting committees of our institute "JAMIATUR RASHEED, AHSANABAD, KARACHI, PAKISTAN'' have told me on mobile phone that they also have not seen moon. sky was cloudy and rainy in most areas of Pakistan. 12-12-2007 is the 1st Zilhajjah in Pakistan and 21-12-2007 is Eid day in Pakistan."

  2. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Tahir Gul Hasan said: "It was cloudy. It rained in the early morning as well as in late afternoon, hence, the crescent was not visible."

• Iran:

  1. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Alireza Mehrani mentioned that he was NOT able to see the crescent by binoculars, and it was hazy.

  2. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Zahed Aram mentioned that he was NOT able to see the crescent by naked eye, and it was partly cloudy.

• Oman: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammed Al Bussaidi said: "We had two Meade telescopes a 14 and 10 inch, the western horizon was hazy, and we could not see the crescent moon here in Muscat."

• Bahrain: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. A.Hameed Ali Haji said: "The new crescent was not seen, it was partly cloudy."

• Kuwait: Not Seen/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "In Kuwait on Monday 10 Dec 2007 at Kabad desert 55 km south west of Kuwat city I could not see the crescent even with 20*60 binocular. The western horizon was clear exept last 2 degrees was hazy."

• Saudi: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Saleh Al-Saab said: "The crescent was less than (4) degrees above the horizon at Monday sunset, the sky was not clear so it was logic not seeing the crescent, What is NOT logic and NOT understandable at all is sighting the crescent on Sunday !!!!!!! I am very sorry ."

• Yemen: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Saleh Belfakih mentioned that he didn't see the crescent by naked eye despite the clear sky.

• Jordan: Not Seen: ICOP member Dr. Tarek Katbeh said: "I've tried to observe it yesterday from the top of my friend's house using the 10" Meade telescope, but the crescent was not seen, it was a bit hazy."

• Egypt: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Rami Labib mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by naked eye.

• Algeria:
  1. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Houcine Chikh Aissa said: "More than 20 persons were prensent in N'tissa station. Thul Hijjah 1428 crescent was not seen neither by naked eyes nor by binoculars (03). The western horizon was hazy. Jupiter was seen by binoculars at 18:08. Aide Mubarek for all Muslimeen."

  2. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Bankih Kacem said: "Six (06) persents have tried to observe the Dul Hija 1428 crescent from Merkiche station but it wasn't seen. The western horizon was clear with a few haze."

• Morocco: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Othman Fadli mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by naked eye despite the superb sky.

• Senegal: Cloudy: ICOP member Dr. Abdoulaye Gaye said: "The Hilal was not sighted Monday night anywhere in Senegal as stated on TV, by the national committee for hilal sighting. Therefore, we complete 30 days of Dhul Qa'dah and Eidul Adha is on Friday, December 21, 2007, Insha Allah."

• Tanzania: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Zaffar Sheriff said: "Crescent was seen with binoculars in Daressalaam. We had to wait for naked eye confirmation which was received from Mwanza (2.3S , 32.5E)."

• Nigeria: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammed Ya'sin Qamardeen said: "As at the moment the official day in Nigeria was not confirm. I spoke with Prof Gwandu, the Chairman of Sultanate Council on Moon committee just about one and half hour before sunset here in Nigeria and he told me over phone that he was unable to confirm the first day, as he is away on journey for some day now."

• South Africa: Seen: ICOP member Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim said: "The Hilaal was sighted from four different towns (Klerksdorp, Ligtenberg, Malopolani, and Springs) in the northern Gauteng Province of South Africa this Monday evening (10 December 2007 – end of 29 Dhul Hijjah 1428 AH). Cape Town was blanketed by cloud cover. The topocentric illumination of 0.88% of this sighting is a South African record. Insha’Allah, the first day of Dhul Hijjah 1428 AH will correspond to Tuesday, 11 December 2007."

• Norway: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Imran Mushtaq said: "Islamic Council of Norway have declared the 10.Dhulhijjah in Norway would be on Thursday 20.12.2007"

• UK:
  1. Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Sulayman Gani said: "15 of us attempted sighting with the naked eye 20 minutes after the maghrib Salaat." Mr. Gani added that he was not able to see the crescent.

  2. Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Abdurrashid Ayoubi from Kettering said: "Went to the site immediately after Maghrib. The western horizon was thick with clouds. did not see the crescent."

  3. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti from Oxford said: "Not seen in Oxford. Negative sighting. The two of us attempted to perform the obligatory sighting tonight in Oxford on 29 Dhu l-Qa'dah or Monday, 10th of December, immediately after Maghrib prayers---in spite of the fact that the crescent is not expected to be visible locally. The local horizon is partly cloudy. There are reports of negative sightings tonight from Morocco and Indonesia, but positive sightings in South Africa. This news of positive sighting to the East of UK (positive--as it does not contradict any physical, scientific facts), despite not being able to sight locally in the UK, makes it sufficient for those in the UK to begin the month of Dhu l-Hijja for the UK to be tomorrow, Tuesday, the 11th of December, by following the default rule [dabit] in Islamic Law in this matter that whenever it is known that the crescent has been positively sighted in the East, local sighting inevitably follows, but not the other way round [mata hasalati r-ru'yatu fi l-sharqi lazima ru'yatuhu fi l-gharbi wa la-'aks]. So 'Id al-Adha, the 10th of Dhu l-Hijja, should properly be in the UK on Thursday, 20th of December. May Allah accept our fasts, prayers and takbirat during this great month!"

• Trinidad and Tobago: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Ali Abdurrahman said: "Although the crescent was not sighted in Trinidad, we accepted the sighting of Grenada and Barbados."

• Guyana: Not Seen: ICOP member Dr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "Myself and the members of Rose Hall Town Masjids and Islamic Center tried to observe the Hilaal after sunset on Monday, 10th December, 2007 in Guyana. Due to extensive rainy clouds on the Western horizon, Hilaal observation was made impossible. Based on the Hilaal visibility curve, the Hilaal for the month of Zul Hijjah will InshaAllah be seen in the American region today, thus Eid Ul Adah will be celebrated in Guyana on Thrusday, 20th December, 2007."

• USA:

  1. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Milad Ali Ershaghi from (Claremont, CA) said: "Local Sunset time was 4:42pm and Moonset time was 5:25pm in Claremont, California, USA. I had a clear view of the horizon (no obstructions), and tried to find the new moon from 5:08pm - 5:24pm, but did not see it - perhaps due to the presence of haze on the horizon."

  2. Partly Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad from (Pilot Mountain, NC) said: "The western horizon was partly cloudy with a thick haze in the lower section."

  3. Not Seen: ICOP affiliate member Hilal Sighting Committee said: "The Hilal was not sighted tonight anywhere in the US. Therefore, we will complete 30 days of Dhul Qa'dah and Eidul Adha will be on Friday, December 21, 2007, Insha Allah."

  4. Not Seen: ICOP member, Mr. Gulamabbas Khakoo from (Buena Park, CA) said: "Unable to sight the crescent of Dhil-Hijjah from Buena Park, CA. Local time 16:55pm to 17:25pm this evening of Monday, Dec. 10, 2007. The sky was clear. Insha-Allah I will try to-morrow Tuesday, Dec. 11th, 2007."

Monday 10 December 2007:

1. Saudi (Claim of Sighting)
2. Iraq (Following Saudi)
3. Kuwait (Following Saudi)
4. Bahrain (Following Saudi)
5. Qatar (Following Saudi)
6. UAE (Following Saudi)
7. Oman (Following Saudi)
8. Yemen (Following Saudi)
9. Jordan (Following Saudi)
10. Palestine (Following Saudi)
11. Syria (Following Saudi)
12. Lebanon (Following Saudi)
13. Egypt (Following Saudi)
14. Libya (Conjunction before Dawn)
15. Tunisia (Following Saudi)
16. Algeria (Following Saudi)

Tuesday 11 December 2007:

1. Indonesia
2. Malaysia
3. Turkey
4. Mauritania
5. South Africa (Actual Sighting of The Crescent)
6. Trinidad and Tobago
7. Guyana
8. Norway
9. Holland

Wednesday 12 December 2007:

1. India
2. Bangladesh
3. Pakistan
4. Iran
5. Morocco
6. Senegal