ISNA Fiqh Council fixed
dates for N. America (fixed by the "New Moon before
12:00Noon GMT") are:
Ramadan 1428
September 13
(Begins from the sunset on Sep. 12)
Eid al-Fitr
October 12
(Friday)
Eid al-Adha
December 20 (Thursday)
Saudi dates in Ummal-Qura
calendar (fixed by the "New Moon date + moonset after
sunset in Makkah") are:
Ramadan
1428 September 13 (Begins
from the sunset on Sep. 12)
Eid
al-Fitr October
13 (Saturday)
Eid
al-Adha December 20
(Thursday)
Do
these dates fulfill the Shariah requirement of a visible
Hilal? Actually NONE. ISNA Fiqh Council says that
“Seeing the Moon” (Ru’ya) is not required by the
Shari’ah.
The
Hilal cannot be seen in the USA, Canada or Makkah
on Wednesday, September 12. Its altitude is too
low. It will be easily visible on Thursday evening,
making Friday, Sep 14, the first date of Ramadan. (In
South Africa and South America it may be visible on Sep.
12)
Shawwal moon will be visible only in South America (and
southern USA??) on Friday, October 12. For most of the
USA, Canada and Makkah the most likely Eid date is
Sunday Oct. 14.
D.
Hijjah Hilal is likely to be seen on December 11 in most
of the world (except December 10 in South America). The
moon is too far south to become visible in the northern
hemisphere on December 9 or 10. Based on the moon’s
probable visibility in Saudi Arabia, Hajj date in Makkah
should be December 20.