New Crescent Society

6 Mind-Blowing Facts about the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction from Islamic History Imad Ahmed 3 Jumada al Ula 1442 On Monday 21 December – the date of the Winter Solstice no less – the planets of Jupiter and Saturn will meet up in the sky in what is known as the ‘Great Conjunction’. Whilst many Muslims today do not believe in any real significance in these planetary meet-ups, what many modern Muslims do not know is conjunctions have held great significance in the past for Muslims, for all sorts of reasons. For example: Did you know that early   medieval Muslim and non Muslim astronomers recorded that the Prophet Muhammad  was born under the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction?  Some astronomers – Muslim  and  non-Muslim - even said that the conjunction at the birth of the Prophet Muhammad  ﷺ  marked a new age, being the birth of Islam. Whether you're Muslim or not - read below for more fun facts about the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction that every one will find sup...

When is Eid al Fitr 2020? A Rare Eid Together, but Socially Distant Imad Ahmed Introduction: Ramadan in Isolation It has been a peculiar Ramadan for Muslims in the UK living with the coronavirus pandemic. The mosque doors have been locked, and we have observed our fasts in isolation. Whilst it appears that the mosques will be closed for Eid prayers – Muslims are of course keen to know: when will we celebrate Eid in the UK? The date for Eid al Fitr in the Islamic calendar is the 1 st of Shawwal, and begins when the crescent moon is seen at the end of Ramadan. In each locality throughout history, Muslims have gone out looking for the moon on the 29 th of Ramadan every year. If they saw the moon, it meant that Ramadan had ended, Shawwal had started, and Eid had begun in their locality. If didn’t see it, it meant there remained one more day of fasting, and Eid would begin the day after that. This follows the famous saying of the Prophet Muhammad  ﷺ : صُومُ...

When is Ramadan 2020 / 1441 in the UK? or The Curious Case of the Umm al Qurra Calendar and the Phantom Crescent in the Night-time. Imad Ahmed It’s at this time of year that the New Crescent Society begins to get flooded with the following two questions: When will Ramadan begin? Will we commence Ramadan together on the same date? Unfortunately, it does not appear that we will commence Ramadan together this year, and we’ll have another year of confusion. This blog will explain State the dates for Ramadan this year; Explain why we have these different dates; Update you on some curious developments in how Saudi Arabia conduct their calendar; and Offer a proposed solution to UK Muslims for the future. 1. Dates for Fasting. In the UK, we can say there are two main positions with regards to calculating the calendar in the UK (this is an oversimplification). This is as follows: Local Moonsighting: First Fast will be Saturday 25 April , insha allah, ba...