The crescent for Rabi Al Awwal was not spotted in the UAE on Saturday, August 23, the UAE's astronomy centre announced on Sunday, August 24.
Moon of Rabi Al Awwal as photographed on August 24 at 3pm. Photo: Astronomy Centre
This indicates that the third month of the Islamic calendar will begin on Monday, August 25, as Safar completes 30 days during the Hijri year 1447 AH.
The non-sighting of the Moon confirms the Prophet (PBUH)'s birthday will fall on Friday, September 5, which corresponds to 12 Rabi Al Awwal. This could translate to a three-day holiday for UAE residents, who observe usual weekends on Saturday and Sunday.
No official announcement has been made from UAE authorities regarding the public holiday yet.
The centre stated the sighting was not possible from the Arab region on Saturday, neither with the naked eye nor using a telescope, nor even using ultra-high-power astronomical imaging technology.
In a rare occurrence, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will not be entering the month of Rabi Al Awwal on the same day, as the first day for Saudi was declared as Sunday, August 24.
Regarding the sighting of the crescent on Sunday, August 24, the authority said it is possible with the naked eye easily in most Arab countries, while it is possible with difficulty in Arab countries located in North Asia.
The first day of Rabi' al-Awwal is on Sunday, August 24, in the following countries:
Iraq
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Bahrain
Kuwait
Palestine
Egypt
Tunisia
The first day of Rabi' al-Awwal is on Monday, August 25, in the following countries:
Indonesia
Malaysia
Brunei
Singapore
India
Bangladesh
Pakistan
Iran
Oman
United Arab Emirates
Jordan
Libya
Algeria
Morocco
Mauritania
On Friday, August 22, a team from Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory managed to capture a photo of the crescent marking the end of the Hijri month of Safar 1447AH despite dusty and partly cloudy weather conditions. However, despite the bleak sighting, it was hard to predict when will Rabi Al Awwal begin.
What is Rabi Al Awwal
The sighting of the crescent of Rabi Al Awwal is of great significance to Muslims who celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on Rabi Al Awwal 12. The occasion is also a public holiday in many countries, including the UAE.
On the 29th of every Hijri month, the UAE moon sighting committee convenes to observe the crescent and declare the commencement of the next Islamic month.
The Hijri (Islamic) calendar is based on lunar sightings, meaning the phases of the moon determine its months. Each month begins with the sighting of the new moon.
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Laraib Anwer
Laraib Anwer is a Digital Journalist who loves the thrill of breaking headlines almost as much as sh...