Sighting the Eid moon in the UK 2019 - A Public List of Locations

Sighting the moon on the 29th of Ramadan around the world

 The Prophet Muhammad famously stated that Muslims should fast with the sighting of the new crescent, and should conclude their fasting for Ramadan with the sighting of the next new crescent, and begin the festival of Eid.

Thus, on the 29th of Ramadan, Muslims from around the world with gather in groups, searching for the new crescent moon that will mark the beginning of the Eid festivities, and complete their month of fasting.

This is done across the world - Morocco, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Oman etc etc etc. Groups go out with ifar, have fun with their friends and family in a festive environment, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tiny sliver of a moon.

So how comes everyone else has all the fun, but we Muslims in the UK can't participate in this joyous occasion?

The New Crescent Society seeks to address this by encouraging moonsighting. We aim to revive the traditional practices of moonsighting, and hope to educate the general public in how to do so.

Cape Town, South Africa

Marrakesh, Morocco

Sighting in the UK: Tuesday 4 June

Sighting the moon for Eid corresponds to Tuesday 4 June this year, which is the 29th of Ramadan if you followed local sightings. If you followed the Saudi moon, the 4th June still corresponds to the night where the moon will first be seen in the UK to mark Eid. You can read more about this here.

On this day, we highly recommend you go out!!

Take some food with you, take a prayer mat, take your family and friends, and seek the moon. You'll be fulfilling the sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. Seeing the moon with your own eyes and ending the month of Ramadan is a wonderful experience.

There is a common myth that the moon is not visible in the UK - which is absolutely not true. Go out and have a go!

London, England

The New Crescent, as seen from South London for Ramadan last year

How do I sight the moon? And where shall I go?

 Sighting the new crescent is not too difficult, as long as the weather plays ball.

You first need to find a location with a clear view of the sunset. This is because the new crescent will always appear near the sunset. You know your area better than us! Ask yourself - where can you see the sunset with a clear view? That's bound to be a great place.

Then, on Tuesday 4 June:
  1. Go to your location before maghrib / sunset. This will be around 9.11pm in London, though this time will vary slightly in different areas in the UK.
  2. Note where the sun has set and mark that point. The moon will appear very near this point.
  3. At sunset  - have some iftar and pray maghrib! The moon won't be visible straight away so you can use this time.
  4. After praying, return your eyes to the place where you saw the sunset. Around 40 minutes to an hour after the sunset, the sky should be dark enough for the moon to become visible.
  5. Wait...and insha allah you'll see the moon appear!
To see these steps in action in a 60 second video, click here! or watch the video below


A public listing of moonsighting locations - we need your help!

The New Crescent Society is creating a publicly accessible list moonsighting locations for Eid al Fitr 2019.

This means that all who want to sight the moon will know their nearest location.

People around the country are sighting the moon on hills, beaches, and from the tops of buildings - but we don't always know who they are, or where they are doing the sighting!
  • To add your own moonsighting location / event, click here
  • To view the list of sighting locations, click here

We will be updating daily, so make sure you send this to your friends. 

Let's get all of the locations that we know into one place.

Please share this far and wide - happy moonsighting!!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do Muslims in the UK have to follow Saudi Arabia for Eid al Adha? A set of resources

Image
Imad Ahmed 11 July 2021 / 30 Dhul Qaidah 1442 Unfortunately, we've found ourselves in the same situation again! Muslims in the UK will be celebrating Eid, and fasting for Arafah in the UK, on different dates. This is particularly painful on the day of Arafah, where some Muslims will actually be celebrating Eid, and other Muslims will be fasting! At this time of the year we often get the question: Do Muslims in the UK have to follow Saudi Arabia for Eid al Adha?   The short answer is 'no, you are not obliged  to follow Saudi. Quite the opposite'.  We have prepared some resources which answer the question, below.  But first - what are the dates for Eid al Adha 2021 / 1442? Dates according to Local Moonsighting Eid: Wednesday 21 July / 10 Dhul Hijjah 1442 Fast of Arafat: Tuesday 20 July  / 9 Dhul Hijjah 1442 Saudi-following mosques will be doing all of the above one day earlier. This is because of a glitch in the 'mixed'  Saudi calendar system, leading to a s...
Read more

The Kabah and Stonehenge: a Mysterious Connection?

Image
THE KABA AND STONEHENGE: A MYSTERIOUS CONNECTION?  by Imad Ahmed Stonehenge and the alignment to the Moon Several news articles report today that researchers and tourists will be flooding to Stonehenge in January 2025, because it coincides with a major astronomical event, known as the ' major lunar standstill' . This is when the moonrise and moonset are at their respective farthest points from each other. Pilgrims and researchers will observe the alignment of Stonehenge to the moon's most extreme southern rising point. This alignment only happens once every 18 or 19 years (or 18.6 years to be more precise), and will be livestreamed.  U Mass stone circle - a modern stone circle showing how ancient ones may have worked Dail Mail today Daily Mail BBC today NB: linking to the BBC or the Daily Mail is not an endorsement of either - !! The Kabah and the alignment to the Moon But do you know, the Kabah is also oriented along with the moon? And there is something very significant t...
Read more

Saudi false moonsighting. Do UK Muslims have to follow Saudi's calendar for Hajj?

Image
Imad Ahmed 8 June 2024 / 1 Dhul Hijjah 1445 Saudi false moonsighting.  Do UK Muslims have to follow Saudi's calendar for Hajj? Unfortunately, we've found ourselves in the same situation again! Muslims in the UK will be celebrating Eid, and fasting for Arafah in the UK, on different dates. This is particularly painful on the day of Arafah, where some Muslims will actually be celebrating Eid, and other Muslims will be fasting! At this time of the year we often get the question:  Do Muslims in the UK have to follow Saudi Arabia for Eid al Adha?   The short answer is 'no, you are not  obliged  to follow Saudi. Quite the opposite'.  We have prepared some resources which answer the question, below.  But first - what are the dates for Eid al Adha 2024 / 1445? Dates according to Local Moonsighting Eid:  Monday 17 June / 10 Dhul Hijjah 1442 Fast of Arafat:  Sunday 16 June  / 9 Dhul Hijjah 1442 This is based on local sighting, from the moon we saw...
Read more