International Astronomical Center

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Monday 03 March 2003 from Guyana by the members of Rose Hall Town Masjid and Rose Hall Town Isla .

Monday 03 March 2003

• Jordan: ICOP member, Mohammad Odeh said: "No attempt for crescent observation was done since the sky was cloudy."

• Morocco: Dr. Abdelkhalek Cheddadi said: "The Moroccan Awqaf Ministry announced on Monday evening (March 3=Dhul-Hijja 29) that the crescent has not been observed. So 1st Muharram 1424 in Morocco, is Wednesday, March 5, 2003. Wa kull aam wa antum bi khayr."

• South Africa:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim Snr said: "The Hilaal was not sighted in Southern Africa this evening of Monday, 3 March 2003. The 1st Muharrum will officially correspond to Wednesday, 5 March 2003. Here in Cape Town the western sky was absolutely clear and even with the aid of binoculars the Hilaal was not sighted. A Blessed New Year to all."

• USA:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. Gulamabbas Khakoo said: "Unable to sight the crescent this evening of Monday 3rd, here in Buena Park, California. There was a very heavy cloud in sighting area. With Salaams and Dua's."

  2. ICOP member, Dr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "The New Crescent was not seen on Monday, March 3rd, 2003 in Opa Locka Florida, USA due to rainy clouds on the horizon. Happy New Years to all. May Allah (SWT) bless and unite us as a Ummah, Inshallah."

     Dr. Hafiz added in another E-mail:-

     Groups:- Sultan Hafiz reported from Guyana, that the New Crescent was seen by the members of Rose Hall Town Masjid and Rose Hall Town Islamic Center on Monday, March 3rd, 2003 at 6:15 PM after sunset.

     Once again the calculation proves correct. The third world Muslims of Guyana have learn to use the calculation and sighting for each month without depending on news from North America or Muslims communities scattered through out Guyana being separated by islands, rivers and unreliable telecommunication. All the Masjids look for the Hilal based on the Islamic Hejric Calendar sent to them on a yearly basis. If they see it well and good. It they don't see it, then they calculate using the Islamic Calculation of the Hilal (in order words following the dates of the calendar). If some one claim they saw the Hilal before the prescibed date (when the moon is hidden/conjunction), the Masjids will not follow this claim since the Islamic Hejric Calendar is telling them when the moon will be hidden/conjunction and impossible to be seen as the Hilal. They no longer need an astronomer to tell them if the sighting is correct or not at that crucial time. The astronomers do their job once a year and the rest is left to the data and the format it is presented in. Ramadan 1422 AH demonstrated this once more. When Muslims were fighting if the Hilal was seen in the USA, Muslims in Guyana followed the calendar. Many have come to see that the calendar is the same as sighting and know that they don't need to look for the Hilal, yet they choose to do so since the calendar reminds them when to look. The calculation they use comes from Astronomers in North America yet until today Muslims in North America are still divided. Guyana was once divided just as North America. When a system was established that was based upon Unity, Shariah and ease, many Masjids followed. Those who refused, soon learned that they were the odd ones and followed later since they had no system and the Non-Muslims laugh at them. We have the Astronomers and calculation yet we cannot correct this problem in USA. Inshallah, I will be sending the calendar format used to fix the double standards of the Muslim in Guyana when they were divided. The exact double standard exists among Muslim of the USA. They look upon the calendar with its dates as if its just another calendar and wait long hours for sighting. The dates needs to be posted in another format which is compatable with the Sunnah. If you can provide me with the names and addresses of the Masjids in North America that go with sighting in North America I will appreciate it. I will start mailing copies of this calendar to each Masjid under Ulema Council of America. The dates of this calendar was agreed upon by the Muslim Astronomers of North America."

• Trinidad and Tobago: Mr. Ali Abdurrahman said: "the moon was not sighted in Barbados, Grenada and Guyana as well."

Tuesday 04 March 2003

• Syria: Mr. Taalib said: "Moon sighted outside Damascus at 5:37pm Tuesday (March 4), altitude ~14 degree. Sighted by my nine year old son and myself. Partly cloudy sky."

• Kenya: ICOP member, Mr. Mahmood Essa said: "I am happy to let you know that I was able to sight the new crescent quite easily this evening of 4/03/03, with naked eyes, and thus Insha Allah, tomorrow Wednesday 5/3/03 will be the first day of Muharram A.H. 1424, here in Kenya. I take this opportunity in wishing all muslim brothers and sisters a Happy and Blessed Islamic New Year."

Tuesday 04 March 2003:-

1. Saudi
2. Jordan
3. Syria

Wednesday 05 March 2003:-

1. Morocco
2. Kenya
3. South Africa
4. Trinidad and Tobago