As Salamu ‘Alaikum,
Alhamdulillah the month of Rabi’ Al Awwal will begin tomorrow 9th March 2008. Although the moon has not been sighted in the UK, it has been sighted in Morroco and as Morroco is to the east of the UK we are able to rely on their sighting. The following is the Moonsighting report from Shaykh Muhammad Afifi Al-Akiti:
Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti (MCW member) from Oxford UK reported: Seen in Morocco
Negative sighting. A group of us attempted to perform the sighting tonight in Oxford on 29 Safar, Saturday 8th of March, immediately after Maghrib prayers. Unfortunately the local horizon is overcast. However, by Isha time we receive reports of positive sightings from various places in Morocco. This news, despite not being able to sight locally in the UK, makes it sufficient for those in the UK to begin the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal from today’s Maghrib to tomorrow, Sunday, the 9th of March, by following the basic rule [dabit] in Islamic Law in this matter that whenever it is known that the crescent has been positively sighted in the East, local sighting inevitably follows, but not the other way round [mata hasalati r-ru'yatu fi l-sharqi lazima ru'yatuhu fi l-gharbi wa la-'aks]. Hence first day of Rab’ al-Awwal will be March 9 (Sunday), and the 12th of Rabi’ I, should fall in the UK on Thursday, 20th of March (beginning from Maghrib, 19th of March).
Source: www.moonsighting.com
Was Salam
Jashim
