1. MOON SIGHTING "Keep the fast after seeing the Hilal and complete the fast after seeing the Hilal (of Shawwal)." Hadith of Prophet (SAW)

2. START OF THE HIJRI MONTH Q: When is the first of the month? A: It is the day following the evening when you are reasonably certain of the presence of the crescent on the horizon of the place where you reside, in a manner in which it is visible to the naked eye.

3. THE HORIZON ← Scattered sunlight ← Anti-twilight Arc ← Earth’s shadow

4. EXAMPLE 1a - RAMADHAAN 1430 Conjunction is on Thursday 20 th August 2009 at 11:03 am LONDON On Thursday 20 th August 2009 (28 Sha’baan), –The sun should set at 8:13 p.m. when: –The crescent should be 9 hr 11 mins. –The angle of separation between sun and moon should be 6.3° –The altitude of the moon above the horizon should be -2.6° –The moon should set at 7:58 p.m. The crescent is NOT above the horizon in London

5. CRESCENT VISIBILITY CURVE Thursday 20 th August 2009

6. EXAMPLE 1b - RAMADHAAN 1430 Conjunction is on Thursday 20 th August 2009 at 11:03 am LONDON On Friday 21 st August 2009 (29 Sha’baan), –The sun should set at 8:11 p.m. when: –The crescent should be 33 hr 09 mins. –The angle of separation between sun and moon should be 19.4° –The altitude of the moon above the horizon should be 0.2° –The moon should set at 8:14 p.m. The crescent is NOT above the horizon in London

7. CRESCENT VISIBILITY CURVE Friday 21 st August 2009

8. EXAMPLE 1c - RAMADHAAN 1430 Conjunction is on Thursday 20 th August 2009 at 11:03 am LONDON On Saturday 22 nd August 2009 (30 Sha’baan), –The sun should set at 8:09 p.m. when: –The crescent should be 57 hr 07 mins. –The angle of separation between sun and moon should be 32.7° –The altitude of the moon above the horizon should be 2.7° –The moon should set at 8:30 p.m. The crescent is above the horizon in London

9. CRESCENT VISIBILITY CURVE Saturday 22 nd August 2009

10. EXAMPLE 2a - SHAWWAAL 1430 Conjunction is on Friday 18 th September 2009 at 7:45 pm LONDON On Saturday 19 th Sep 2009 (28 Ramadhaan), –The sun should set at 7:06 p.m. when: –The crescent should be 23hr 22min old. –The angle of separation between sun and moon should be 13.9° –The altitude of the moon above the horizon should be –2.7° –The moon should set at 6:51 p.m. The crescent is NOT above the horizon in London

11. EXAMPLE 2b - SHAWWAAL 1430 Conjunction is on Friday 18 th September 2009 at 7:45 pm LONDON On Sunday 20 th Sep 2009 (29 Ramadhaan), –The sun should set at 7:04 p.m. when: –The crescent should be 47hr 19min old. –The angle of separation between sun and moon should be 26.3° –The altitude of the moon above the horizon should be 0.4° –The moon should set at 7:09 p.m. The crescent is NOT above the horizon in London

12. EXAMPLE 2c - SHAWWAAL 1430 Conjunction is on Friday 18 th September 2009 at 7:45 pm LONDON On Monday 21 st Sep 2009 (30 Ramadhaan), –The sun should set at 7:01 p.m. when: –The crescent should be 71hr 17min old. –The angle of separation between sun and moon should be 38.7° –The altitude of the moon above the horizon should be 3.0° –The moon should set at 7:30 p.m. The crescent is above the horizon in London

13. AGHA’S RULING “If the moon is sighted in the East, it also applies to the West as long as the latitude of the two locations are not greatly further away from one another”

14. “If the new moon is sighted in a city, it is sufficient for other cities, provided they share the same horizon, in the sense that the actual sighting in the first city would necessarily be followed with the sighting in the second city if there were no barriers like clouds, fog, mountains etc”

15. ANY QUESTIONS ?