A New Year's Resolution: Four Steps to Solving the UK Islamic Calendar Conundrum

A New Year's Resolution

Alhamdulillah we have been blessed to begin another new year in the Islamic Calendar, and have commenced 1441 AH.

Another year has passed, and yet the problem of the Islamic Calendar in the UK remains with us. Even for the month of Muharram this year, some people will commemorate Ashura on Monday 9 September, and local sighters will do so on Tuesday 10 September.

This issue continues to cause much pain and division within the Muslim community, particularly around  Eid, where we can find areas, streets and even single families not agreeing on which day to celebrate Eid.

This problem will continue to occur until we have a community based conversation about the way forward. 

In our view, there is a solution: to revive the traditional sunnah practices of moonsighting here in the UK, and not outsource our Islamic Calendar to foreign countries. As long as we continue to rely on word from abroad, we will not achieve unity in the UK.

Here is what you can do!:

1. Educate Yourself

Read, speak to astronomers, research!

For reference, you can:

• Check our educational videos on YouTube
• Moonsighting.org.uk has a lot of good resources, and publishes the monthly lunar visibility maps.
• Contact us (info@newcrescentsociety.com) and request a full day's training in moonsighting. We have already delivered such at training in London - perhaps you can host one elsewhere?

You can also come to the Astronomy & Islam programme at the Royal Observatory. There you can enjoy a Planetarium show, and speak to an astronomer and our Director more in depth.

Tickets available here: https://www.rmg.co.uk/see-do/exhibitions-events/astronomy-and-islam-mornings

2. Work with Local Mosques

Ultimately, mosques are key decision makers in this field. We need to work with local mosques to begin a community conversation and discuss the way forward.

• If you are an Imam or Mosque Committee Member - have a dialogue about local sightings in the UK with the committee. Ask a speaker to give a talk at your mosque. Find out - what do your congregation want? 
• If you are a regular attendee - speak to your Imam or committee. Speak to other people who have a standing in the community and ask - can we move forward and get a consensus?
• Contact us (info@newcrescentsociety.com) and request a phone conversation, a meeting or a training. Perhaps we can work together ?

A local mosque, Imam and committee, meeting New Crescent Society on their roof to discuss moonsighting!

3. Get sighting - you can do it!

The single most important thing is to go out and sight the moon every month. If we have sighters up and down the country, we will see the moon every month.

If we have people who can lead groups in every locality, we can all participate and we won’t need to outsource to abroad.

Sighting is easy! Anyone can do it - and only when we all work together, can we make the difference. Learn how to do it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD4gf67n9cc

New Crescent Society delivered its first one day course for Muharram 1441 in West London - in time, we hope that you can lead these courses in your own locality!

Sighting location: West London

4. Launch a National Hilal Committee  (in time!)

Once we have lots of people around the country sighting the moon, and experienced, we can work towards bringing the whole community together to launch a committee or a board that can convene the calendar in the UK. 

In our view, this can only happen once we have a sufficient number of moonsighters up and down the country. Until then, a committee would not be effective, as they would not be receiving sufficient hilal sighting reports!

Finally - New Crescent Society is expanding and we need your help. Web designers, graphic designers, legal experts, fundraising experts, social media experts, local sighting leads, community liaison leads, and trainers ! More details soon!!