The Green Islamic Foundation

بسمي الله الرحمان الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين و صلاة على سيدنا محمد و على اله و صحبه و سلم

We have reached the end of the Hijri year of 1445 AH and the end of the sacred month of Dhul Hijjah. For those who began the month with the Saudi Arabian sighting, this day of July 5, 2024, corresponds with the 29^th of Dhul Hijjah 1445 AH. According to the twitter account @HaramainInfo, the hilal was not sighted. They will begin the new year on the evening of July 6, 2024, with the first day of Muharram 1446 AH being July 07, 2024. In the United States of America and Canada, there has always been a difference of opinion in approach to determining the months of the Hijri calendar with some organizations following Saudi Arabia’s sightings, others following local or regional sighting, others following astronomical calculations and others combining the methodologies. This year many masajid and organizations chose to follow Saudi Arabia’s sighting of the hilal of Dhul Hijjah. The striking question is how will these organizations determine the new month of Muharram and with the new year?

Scholarly organizations such as the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) have explicitly stated that they determine the months of the Hijri calendar via “precise” calculations under a particular astronomical criterion, however for Dhul Hijjah and Eid Al Adha, they defer to the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia. The pressure to follow the international sighting for the start of Dhul Hijjah and reasoning due to the Hajj was strong . Now that the Hajj is over and the month is ending, it is important that organizations have a method to determine the next month and year. Organizations and masajid that are truly following the method of international sighting should be surveying news for an international sighting and preparing their communities and networks to sight the hilal tonight. Organizations like the FCNA that combine methodologies will ultimately use their rubric. According to the FCNA, the first day of Muharram will be on July 07, 2024, based upon astronomical calculations. Organizations, communities and masajid that follow regional and/or local sightings will be determining the new month based upon their respective methodologies.

The Green Islamic Foundation has established its determination of the Hijri calendar on naked eye regional sightings from the approach taught in the madhab of Imam Malik. We began the month on June 08, 2024, therefore making today the 28^th of Dhul Hijjah 1445 AH. We will begin searching for the hilal on the evening of July 06, 2024. We look forward to beginning this new Hijri year with renewed intention and revived spirits. May Allah bless all of the Ummah and bless the ending of this sacred month and year and beginning of the next sacred month and year.

Lavon Luther Brown

The Executive Director of The Green Islamic Foundation