Muharram 2021 Moon Sighting Live Update: Markazi Ruyat e Hilal Committee under Imarat e Shariah New Delhi Tuesday confirmed the start of the Islamic New Year 1443 AH in India on Wednesday August 11, 2021.
“We waited till 03:00 am Tuesday for any confirmed report of Moon sighting but failed. Hence, it is decided that Wednesday August 11, 2021 will be 1st Muharram 1443 AH and start of the New Islamic Year”, the office in-charge told ummid.com.
Accordingly, Youme Ashura will be observed in India on Friday August 20, 2021.
Bangladesh had confirmed yesterday the start of the Islamic New Year 1443 AH on Wednesday August 11, 2021.
Pakistan on the other hand celebrated the Islamic New Year 1443 AH on Tuesday Aug 10 along with Muslims living in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and other Arab states
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021 10:00 AM (IST): The New Moon pronouncing the start of the New Islamic Year 1443 AH is sighted today i.e. Monday August 9, 2021, Central Ruyate Hilal Committee Pakistan announced a little while ago.
"Muharram 1443 AH begins on Tuesday August 10, 2021 and Youm e Ashura will be observed on Thursday August 19, 2021", Central Ruyate Hilal Committee Pakistan announced after its meeting in Quetta headed by its Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.
Bangladesh has already announced the beginning of Islamic New Year 1443 AH on Wednesday August 11, 2021. In India, a formal announcement by Markazi Ruyate Hilal Committee New Delhi is awaited. But, a number of Regional Hilal Committees in India declared Wednesday August 11, 2021 as the 1st day of Muharram al Haram 1443 AH.
10:00 pm (IST): A number of Regional Hilal Committees in India have said the new moon of Muharram is not sighted today and hence the Islamic New Year will begin in the country on Wednesday August 11, 2021. However, Markazi Ruyate Hilal Committee New Delhi is yet to confirm these reports.
Meanwhile, Central Ruyate Hilal Committee Pakistan meeting headed by its Chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, is underway in Quetta to confirm if the new moon of Muharram 1443 AH is sighted today. An announcement is expected any moment.
07:30 pm (IST) The New Moon of the Month of Muharram is not sighted today i.e. Monday in Bangladesh. Accordingly, the Islamic New Year will begin in Bangladesh on Wednesday August 11, 2021 and Youme Ashura will be observed on Friday August 20, 2021, it is officially confirmed.
"Tuesday (August 10) will be the 30th day of the holy month of Dhul Hijjah 1442 AH. The counting of the holy month of Muharram 1443 AH will start from August 11. In this context, Ashura, observed on 10th Muharram, will be on 20th August, 2021", National Moon Sighting Committee of Bangladesh said after its meeting held at Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs Bangladesh Nurul Islam.
An announcement by India and Pakistan is expected shortly.
06:30 pm (IST): Muslims in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and also those in Morocco and Britain, will confirm today the first day of Muharram and the beginning of the New Islamic Year 1443 AH.
A formal announcement by Hilal Committees is expected soon after Maghreb prayers today evening.
The Islamic Calendar, a lunar system, is based on sighting of the new moon on the 29th day of every month. If the new moon is sighted on the 29th, the new month start on the following day. Else, it starts a day later.
The Islamic Calendar was established 1442 years ago by the second Caliph Omar ibn Khattab. Before that Muslims in their respective provinces, following the Arab tradition of the time, were counting the days and months – with sighting of the new moon and counting the days thereafter without following any particular calendar or dating system.
After the Islamic State spread to new areas beyond the Arab land, the limitation in the system began to surface and the need for a better and accurate calendar was felt.
"The Caliph, the Supreme Head of the Islamic State, was used to issue all the Guidelines and Pronouncements to the Governors of various Islamic Provinces from Madinah. Things were actually working fine", Rehnuma, a student of Islamic studies, explains.
"But confusion arose when contradictory orders started reaching far away provinces at the same time. Since these orders were not carrying any date, it became very difficult for the Governors to find out which one of the orders was the latest and supposed to be followed with", she adds.
To overcome the confusion, Caliph Omar finally decided to introduce the Islamic Calendar and asked the people for their opinions and suggestions on the matter.
05:00 pm (IST): Muharram moon sighting is also important because it will also confirm the date of Ashura - the 10th of Muharram when manu Muslims observe fast.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) fasted on the day of Ashura, 10th Muharram, in Makkah, and also after migration to Madinah. When fasting during the month of Ramadan became obligatory, the fast of Ashura was made optional.
Youm e Ashura, as the 10th day of Muharram al Haram, is referred as in the Islamic History, was of paramount importance even before the Prophet (Peace be upon him). When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) migrated to Madinah he found local Jews observing fast on the day. He asked the reason.
“Prophet Moses (Peace be upon him) was liberated from the clutches of Pharaoh on this day. This is why we fast on this day”, they replied.
To this, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “We have more claim over Moses than you.” So he fasted on the day and also asked other Muslims to fast. This hadith is reported by a number of companions.
12:00 pm (IST): Along with deciding the 1st day of the Holy Month of Muharram al Haram and the beginning of the Islamic New Year 1443 AH, today will also confirm the date and time of Youm e Ashura – observed on 10th of Muharram, in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Morocoo, UK and other countries.
Though Ashura nowadays is known for the tragic shahadah of Hadhrat Hussain ibn Ali (R.A.), it was considered significant even during the days predating Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). [Read Here: Karbala: How a Political Skirmish became Religious.]
09:45 am (IST): Moon sighting committees, Ruyat e Hilal Committees, have issued appeals to Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to sight the new moon of the Holy Month of Muharram al Haram today i.e. Monday August 09, 2021, corresponding to 29th of Dhul Hijjah 1442 AH.
Similar appeals to sight the new moon of Muharram 1443 AH have also been issued by religious authorities in Morocco and by Wefaqul Ulema Britain in UK.
The moon sighting committees in the these countries have also called special meeting after Maghreb Salah today to analyse and confirm moon sighting and announce the beginning of the month of Muharram al Haram and the first day of the Islamic New Year 1443H.
The meetings will be held at different locations including New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Hyderabad in India, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad in Pakistan, and Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Earlier Saudi Arabia in the latest update regarding Muharram moon said Tuesday August 10, 2021 is the first day of the Islamic New Year 1443 AH, and not Monday August 10, 2021, as previously decided.
Accordingly, Muslims across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and other Arab states except Morocco, have marked the start of the New Islamic Year 1443H on Monday August 09, 2021 and the first day of the Holy Month of Muharram al Haram.
Muharram al Haram is the first month of the Islamic Calendar. Hence, if the new moon is sighted today the New Islamic Year i.e. 1443 Hijrah in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will start from Tuesday August 10, 2021 i.e. along with the Muslims in the Middle East and other parts of the world.
In case the new moon is not sighted today, August 10 will be counted as the 30th day of Dhul Hijjah 1442 and the month of Muharram, and the Islamic New Year 1443 AH, in South Asia will start from Wednesday August 11, 2021.
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