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Crescent Moon Visibility of Rabi-ul Awwal 1440 AH
The crescent visibility map below for Rabi-ul Awwal 1440 shows that moon will be born on 7 November 2018 at 16:02 GMT/UT, but it will not be visible by the naked-eye anywhere in the UK/Morocco region on that date. However, on 8 November 2018 the moon will be easily visible in most of Europe/Africa. Hence, the month of Rabi-ul Awwal is most likely to start from 9 November 2018, InShaAllah.
When to Observe the Crescent Moon of Rabi-ul Awwal 1440 AH
Please look for the Hilal of Rabi-ul Awwal 1440 AH on 8 November 2018 (29th Safar) after sunset from the western horizon as per Sunnah and report your results (positive or negative) via our website Observation Report Form. [Photo Competition]
Results of Crescent Moon Observations for Rabi-ul Awwal 1440 AH
Announcement for start of Rabi-ul Awwal 1440 AH
On Thursday 8th November 2018 (29th Safar 1440 AH) the Hilal of Rabi-ul Awwal 1440 was not sighted in the UK but it was sighted in Morocco. We have also received a positive sighting report from Morocco Awqaf Ministry (login to view).
Therefore, the month of Safar 1440 AH will have 29-days and the month of Rabi-ul Awwal 1440 AH will start from Friday 9th November 2018, InShaAllah.
Note that Saudi Arabia do not normally make any official Hilal Sighting announcement from Safar to Shaban (as they usually follow the Ummul Qura Calendar in these months).
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Crescent Moon Visibility of Safar 1440 AH
The crescent visibility map below for Safar 1440 shows that moon will be born on 9 October 2018 at 03:47 GMT/UT, but it will not be visible by the naked-eye anywhere in the UK/Morocco region on that date. However, on 10 October 2018 the moon will be easily visible in most countries of the world. Hence, the month of Safar is most likely to start from 11 October 2018, InShaAllah.
When to Observe the Crescent Moon of Safar 1440 AH
Please look for the Hilal of Safar 1440 AH on 9 - 10 October 2018 (29th Muharram & next day) after sunset from the western horizon and report your results (positive or negative) via our website Observation Report Form. [Photo Competition]
Results of Crescent Moon Observations for Safar 1440 AH
Announcement for start of Safar 1440 AH
On Tuesday 9th October 2018 (29th Muharram 1440 AH) the Hilal of Safar 1440 was not sighted in the UK or in the UK/Morocco region. We have also received a negative sighting report from Morocco Awqaf Ministry (login to view).
Therefore, the month of Muharram 1440 AH will complete 30-days and the month of Safar 1440 AH will start from Thursday 11th October 2018, InShaAllah.
Note that Saudi Arabia do not normally make any official Hilal Sighting announcement from Safar to Shaban (as they usually follow the Ummul Qura Calendar in these months).
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Crescent Moon Visibility of Muharram 1440 AH
The crescent visibility map below for Muharram 1440 shows that moon will be born on 9 September 2018 at 18:01 GMT/UT, but it will not be visible by the naked-eye anywhere in the UK/Morocco region on that date. However, on 10 September 2018 the moon will be easily visible throughout most of the world. Hence, the month of Muharram is most likely to start from 11 September 2018, InShaAllah.
When to Observe the Crescent Moon of Muharram 1440 AH
Please look for the Hilal of Muharram 1440 AH on 10 September 2018 (29th Dhul Hijjah) after sunset from the western horizon as per Sunnah and report your results (positive or negative) via our website Observation Report Form. [Photo Competition]
Results of Crescent Moon Observations for Muharram 1440 AH
Announcement for start of Muharram 1440 AH
On Monday 10th September 2018 (29th Dhul Hijjah 1439 AH) the Hilal of Muharram 1440 was not sighted in the UK but it was sighted in Morocco. We have also received a positive sighting report from Morocco Awqaf Ministry (login to view).
Therefore, the month of Dhul Hijjah 1439 AH will have 29-days and the month of Muharram 1440 AH will start from Tuesday 11th September 2018, making Ashura (10 Muharram) to fall on Thursday 20th September 2018, InShaAllah.
Significance of Ashura (10 Muharram) 1. Narrated Ibn `Abbas (R): When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived at Medina he found that the Jews observed fast on the day of 'Ashura'. They were asked the reason for the fast. They replied, "This is the day when Allah caused Moses and the children of Israel to have victory over Pharaoh, so we fast on this day as a sign of glorifying it." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "We are closer to Moses than you." Then he ordered that fasting on this day should be observed. (Bukhari) http://sunnah.com/bukhari/63/168 2. Abdullah b 'Abbas (R) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said: "If I live till the next (year), I would definitely observe fast on the 9th [along with the 10th]", and the narration transmitted by Abu Bakr said: "He meant the day of Ashura." (Muslim) http://sunnah.com/muslim/13/173
3. Abu Qatadah (R) narrated that: the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Fast the Day of Ashura, for indeed I anticipate that Allah will forgive (the sins of) the year before it." (Tirmidhi) https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/8/71
Note that Saudi Arabia may announce the Muharram hilal on their SPA www.spa.gov.sa website.
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File: Download (pdf) for 1439/2018 | Related: Is Eid-ul Adha Connected with Hajj? | [YouTube]
Did you know the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are better than the last 10 days of Ramadan? Amongst the great days of Ibadah (worship) are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, which Allah has favoured over other days.
Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There are no days during which the righteous action is so pleasing to Allah than these days (i.e., the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah)." He was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah, except in case one goes forth with his life and his property and does not return with either of it." (Bukhari, Book 9, Hadith 259)
This year [1445H], the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are likely to start on Saturday, 8th June 2024, thus Eid-ul Adha is expected to be on Monday, 17th June 2024 (based on UK Moon Sightings), inshaAllah.
The above hadith and others indicate that these ten days are better than all other days of the year, with no exception. They are even better than the last ten days of Ramadan, but the last ten nights of Ramadan are better than the first ten nights of Dhul Hijjah because they include Laylat ul-Qadr, which is better than a thousand months (Quran 97:3)
Virtues of these ten days include:
- Allah swears by things to signify their importance, and Allah has sworn by these ten days in the Holy Qur’an in Surah Al-Fajr, where He says: “By the Fajr, And the ten nights” (Quran 89:1-2). Early scholars which include Ibn Abbaas (رضي الله عنه) have stated that these 10 nights mentioned in the Qur’an are indeed the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah.
- The Prophet (ﷺ) has said that these 10 days are the best 10 days of the year, as mentioned in the hadith above (and in others).
- They are the best days to make remembrance of Allah. It was narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him than these 10 days, so recite a great deal of Tahleel (Laa ilaaha illallaah), Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar) and Tahmeed (Alhumdulillaah) during them.” (Reported by Ahmad 7/224)
- They include the Day of Arafah (9th Dhul Hijjah), in which Allah completed this religion of Islam. Fasting this day erases the sins of the previous year and the following year (minor sins only; as major sins require repentance too). The Day of Arafah fasting [this year] is likely to fall on Sunday, 16th June 2024 so make sure to fast on that day too, InshaAllah.
- They include the day of “The big Hajj”, which is Eid-ul Adha day (10th Dhul Hijjah), and this day is the greatest day of the whole year.
So, the Muslims should start these days with sincere repentance to Allah, then he should do a lot of righteous deeds in general, and he should pay attention to doing the following deeds:
Fasting the first 9 days of Dhul Hijjah
It is recommended for Muslims to fast on the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah, because the Prophet (ﷺ) encouraged us to do righteous deeds in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah and fasting is one of the best of deeds as mentioned in the hadith Qudsi: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "(Allah said), 'Every good deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.’ Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk". (Bukhari, Book 77, Hadith 142)
Furthermore, fasting on the Day of Arafah caries specific rewards as stated in the following hadith: Abu Qatadah (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about the observance of Saum (fasting) on the day of Arafah (9th of Dhul Hijjah). He said, "It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year and the current year." (Muslim, Book 9, Hadith 260)
Reciting Tahleel, Takbeer and Tahmeed a lot
As mentioned previously, it is from the sunnah to recite tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (There is none worthy of worship but Allah)), takbeer (saying Allahu akbar (Allah is most great)), tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allah)), and tasbeeh (saying Subhan-Allah (Glory be to Allah)), during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. We should say these words out loud in the mosques, homes, streets and every place in which it is permissible to remember Allah so that we can perform this act of worship openly and proclaim the greatness of Allah.
Allah says in surah Al-Hajj: “That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade), and mention the Name of Allah on appointed days ...”. (Quran 22:28)
The majority of scholars are of the view that the “appointed days” are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah because it was narrated from Ibn Abbaas (رضي الله عنه) that the appointed days are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.
It was proven that Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنهما) used to go out to the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, reciting the takbeer out loud and the people would recite takbeer when they heard them, i.e., the people would remember the takbeer and each one would recite it by himself. This does not mean that they recited in unison – that is not prescribed in Islam.
Reviving sunnah that have been forgotten brings a great deal of reward, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet (ﷺ): “Whoever revives one of my sunnah that has died out after I am gone, will have a reward like that of everyone who does it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest.” (Tirmidhi)
Performing Hajj and Umrah
One of the greatest deeds that can be done during these ten days is the Hajj to the sacred House of Allah.
Allah says, “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses;” (Quran 3:97).
Whoever Allah helps to go on Hajj to His House and do the rituals in the required manner will – inshaAllah – be included in the words of the Prophet (ﷺ): "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise." (Bukhari, Book 26, Hadith 1)
Sacrifice (Udhiyah/Qurbani)
One of the righteous deeds that bring a person closer to Allah in these ten days is to slaughter the sacrifice and to look for a good, fat animal and to spend money on it for the sake of Allah. Remember that if you intend to slaughter, then you should not clip your nails or cut your hair during the first ten days so hurry up and do so before Tuesday, 20th June 2023) Maghrib! One of the reasons for such is that we are resembling the people in Hajj by sacrificing an animal so we are allowed to share one of their conditions of not being allowed to cut their hair or nails.
However, do realise the difference between the Plane of Arafah, which is a location in Makkah (Saudi Arabia) and the Day of Arafah, which is a date of a lunar month (9th Dhul Hijjah) based on moon sighting in your own country. Therefore, fasting on the Day of Arafah is on 9th Dhul Hijjah and the sacrifice (Udhiyah/Qurbani) on 10th-12th Dhul Hijjah is based on local moon sighting, which may be different from the lunar date of Saudi Arabia!
The other acts of Ibadah in these ten days are: (a) read more Quran; (b) perform all the sunnah and the night prayers; (c) give charity; (d) spread knowledge; (e) repent to Allah and seek forgiveness from previous sins; (f) increase in asking for forgiveness by saying, “Astaghfirullah”; (g) fast with your body too, i.e don’t look at haram, don’t speak haram, don’t listen to haram, etc; (h) make dua’a for all the Muslims worldwide, InshaAllah.
Let us hasten to make the most of these great days before we miss the opportunity to do so!
Checked by Mufti Sajid Patel (8/2018)
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Related: Importance of Moon Sighting | First day's moon on UK horizon | Winning Crescent Moon Photos
Looking at the predicted crescent visibility maps for a whole year, it can be seen that from the start of 1439 AH (2017/2018) the first day's crescent moon (Hilal) appears on the northern hemisphere almost every month. [Read more]
Therefore, to encourage more Hilal sighting participation in the UK, we have decided to run a "Spot the Moon Photo Competition" every month from the UK and whoever is judged to submit the best photo of the Hilal will be the winner, InShaAllah.
If you wish to support the prize by purchasing any of the ICOUK Merchandise, please click: Donate.
Terms and Conditions (T&C)
The photo(s) will be published on our ICOUK website and the winner may be asked to select the next month's winning photo of the Hilal (with or without landscape). The photo(s) submitted must be original (with date/time stamp meta data) and the report must be submitted within 1 hour of the observer’s sunset time (so it can be taken into consideration for decision making when to start the month).
If the photo is not ready to be submitted within the above timescale (e.g. due to technical delays of downloading the files from the camera), then a note must be added to the report that it will be sent as soon as possible.
The ICOUK website photo upload may not accept photo sizes greater than 5 MB each, in which case you may submit the report without the photo and email it (or a Google/One Drive shared link) to the address stated on our online Contact Us form. Please contact us via SMS/WhatsApp if any problems ASAP.
The winning prize for any monthly Hilal Photo will be either a "Collins Moongazing: Beginner’s guide to exploring the Moon (Royal Observatory Greenwich)" book (or one of the ICOUK Merchandise on the Donate page) and for the Holy month of Ramadan, it will be a pair of (10x50) Astronomy Binoculars (or alternative competition prizes), InShaAllah.
The runners-up may claim an ICOUK keyring on the Donate page. We reserve the right to provide an alternative/equivalent value of the prize in unforeseen circumstances.
The winner will be notified within 3 days of sending the Observation Report and the prize will be sent to the observer’s address on the registration form or the equivalent value as a Gift Voucher.
Anyone wishing to take part in the competition must have prior Membership Registration on the ICOUK website to minimise any potential delays in the submission of the Observation Report photos.
The Judges who will assess the winning photos will include (1) Eng. Qamar Uddin (York), (2) Br Juned Patel (Bolton) and (3) one other (e.g. previous winner of the photo competition).
Credits/Acknowledgements
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “He who does not thank the people is not thankful to Allah”, (Abu Dawud, Book 43, Hadith 39).
Any observation photos submitted to our website are published under the observer’s name in an effort to thank them for their efforts. However, we reserve the right to add our website address/logo to the photos to help our visitors acknowledge the source under the relevant copyright laws. If someone else has given you permission to use their photos, please mention their name in the comment section of the report (e.g. Photo by: <full name>). If you wish to add some details on the photo (e.g. name, date/time, location etc), please do so on the top-left corner only and leave the rest of the photo blank (which may be watermarked by our website automatically).
If you have any comments or questions regarding this competition, please do not hesitate to email us via our online Contact Us form.