Criteria and Guidelines for Establishing the Islamic Lunar Calendar
The Crescent Council of Canada adheres to the following guidelines to establish and declare the Islamic lunar dates:
- The lunar date to sight the new crescent will be the 29th, i.e. the eve of the 30th
- Reliable sighting reports will be accepted from any country of the world.
- Both naked human eye and also optical aid sighting of the first moon (hilāl) is accepted.
- We will accept the testimony and declarations from any reliable Muslim organization, moon sighting committee, Islamic judiciary council of any Muslim country that has declared the sighting of the first moon (hilāl).
- The Crescent Council of Canada will utilize science, astronomical data and moon visibility maps but not over emphasize them.
- Astronomical data will be used for informing the public about the scientifically most possible date of the new lunar month but will be confirmed upon the sighting of the first moon (hilāl) on the 29th, i.e. the eve of the 30th.
- As a general rule, if a testimony does not reach the council by midnight (Eastern Time Zone), it will conclude in completing the current lunar month as 30 days. Accommodations will be made for exceptional cases where there may be possibilities of sighting based on astronomical information.
- This criteria will be adopted for all Islamic lunar months.
The Above Criteria is Endorsed by the Following Canadian Imams
- Shaykh Aarij Anwer, Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario
- Shaykh Abdullah Hatia, Halton Islamic Association
- Shaykh Ahmed Limame, Outaouasis Islamic Centre, Gatineau
- Shaykh Anver Malam, Jami Omar, Ottawa
- Shaykh Hassan Usman, Abu Hurairah Center
- Shaykh Ibrahim Gangat, Guelph Muslim Community
- Shaykh Ibrahim Hussain, Rahmat Masjid
- Shaykh Ilyas, Sidyot, Islamic Association of Saskatchewan
- Shaykh Ismail Albatnuni, Assunnah Muslims Association, Ottawa
- Shaykh Ismail Ulgar, Madinatul Uloom
- Shaykh Mazhar Mahmood, Lac La Biche Muslim Community
- Shaykh Mouhammad Mateen Butt, Barrie Mosque
- Shaykh Mohammed Badat, Masjid Bilal, Orleans, Ottawa
- Shaykh Muhammad Suliman, Mississauga Muslim Community
- Shaykh Navaid Aziz, Islamic Information Society of Calgary
- Shaykh Refaat Mohamed, Al-Abrar Muslim Association
- Shaykh Riad Ouarzazi, Milton Muslim Community
- Shaykh Syed Shah Qaudri, Islamic Foundation of Toronto
- Shaykh Yusuf Badat, Islamic Foundation of Toronto
If you are a Canadian imam who would like to appear on this list, please send us an email at [email protected]