Saudi Official Announcement Re. Eidul Adha, 1429, 2008

Press release from moonsighting.com

Saudi Announcement (Official): Saudi Supreme Judicial council has just announced that Saturday, November 29 was 1st Zul-hijjah. Eid-al-Adha will be on Monday, December 8. It was reported that moon was not sighted on Thursday, November 27, 2008 which was 29th Zul-Qi’dah in Saudi Arabia. So 30 days are completed on November 28.

Markazi Jamat Ahle Sunnat UK & Europe: Following the Sunnah of RasoolAllah SAW and Shariah, President Markazi Jamat Ahle Suunat Allama Zafar Mahmood Firashwi announced due to the impossible sighting of the Moon in Majority of the world on the 27th November and limited sighting on the 28th November, we Officially announce the 1st of Dhul Hijja to be Saturday the 29th November 2008 and hence Eid-ul-Adha to be on Monday 8th December 2008. May Allah (SWT) give the Leaders of the Islamic Ummah the Taufiq to announce the correct sighting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS for SWEDEN for Dhul Hijjah 1429 Hijri: As Sweden is situated in the northern part of the world and its location is more than 60 degree north (Moon is generally visible from 60 degree north to 60 degree south), so it is never possible to sight the Hilal until a few days of the month in Sweden. So, for these types of problems, according to Shariah of Islam, we have to follow the nearest (better if possible- then take eastern) muslim oriented regions for starting the Arabic months. According to Shariah we should not start the months following the Governmental declaration but we have to be assured that general people of that muslim oriented region also sighted the Hilal or Crescent moon. The Crescent moon has to be seen by bare eyes in Saudi Arabia; it is not acceptable to see the Crescent moon by any reinforcement technique (Telescope, Binocular, CCD image etc)".

So, According to this Fatwa as well as Sharia of Islam, Anjumane Al Baiyinaat, Sweden on behalf of the Muslim Community of Sweden is now announcing, "Inshallah the month of Dhul Hijjah ‘1429 Hizri will start from 3o November 2008 and Eid-ul-Adha 1429 Hijri will be 9 December 2008 in Sweden. Because according to the reliable reports, the Hilal or the Crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah was not sighted anywhere in Saudi Arabia neither on 27 November 2008, nor on 28 November 2008, although the Saudi Government surprisingly has Declared that the 1st day of Dhul Hijjah ‘1429 Hijri will be 29 November 2008 and Eid-ul-Adha will be 8 December 2008".

Moonsighting for Dhul-Hijjah 1429

The Astronomical New Moon is on Thursday, November 27, 2008 at 16:55 Universal Time (i.e., 11:55 am EST, and 8:55 am PST ). This crescent moon is impossible to be seen anywhere in the world on November 27. On November 28, 2008, it is sightable in Australia, Part of Southern Africa, and South & Central Americas. In North America, on November 28, chances of visibility are very slim with naked eye (e.g., in San Diego, CA at sunset, the moon is only 3 degrees above horizon, and is setting 38 minutes after sunset). So if it is seen on November 28, Eid-ul-Adha in North America will be December 8 (Monday).
For North America, ISNA has decided to go with Saudi’s announcement on Hajj such that the next day will be Eid-al-Adha, which is expected to be on December 8 (Monday), unless Saudi announced Hajj on December 6, and then Eid-al-Adha will be on December 7 (Sunday).

In UK, according to a Fatawa from Deoband, India, Eid-al-Adha is expected to be on December 8 (Monday).
According to sighting, in Australia, and IndoPak subcontinent, Eid-al-Adha is expected to be on December 9 (Tuesday), Insha-Allah.