HOST: GreenKufi (Omar)

When is Eid?
That is simple. Eid is the first day of Shawal, which is the month that follows Ramadan.

When does Shawal Start?
That's easy. Shawal starts when the Crescent of the new moon is sighted.

What's all this talk about calculation?
Just as we use calculations to determine the various times of the day that correspond to the time of prayer (i.e., dhuhr=noon time, which is at 12:54 - as in the schedule you see on the left), we can calculate when and where it is possible to see the crescent of the new month, so we can determine the likelihood of the beginning of the new month.

So when and where is it possible to sight the crescent of Eid/Shawal?
Another easy one. If you navigate your favourite web browser (i.e., firefox) to the following site: moonsighting.com you will find a really nice diagram of where you can see the crecsent and when it will be visible. Go a head try it out. Ok, if you are shy I've included the image for teh visibility of the crecsent of Shawal bellow:

Here's a head count of the different organization in North America and Ottawa for when Eid-ul-Fitr 1429 will be:

ISNA/FCNA: October 1, 2008

MAC: October 1st, 2008

OMA: September 30, 2008

Assunnah Muslim Association AMA (Dar As-sunnah): September 30, 2008

Centre islamique de l’Outaouais (CIO): September 30, 2008

Jami Omar and Masjid Bilal: Wednesday October 1st OR Thursday October 2nd.

Why the Mess in the dates? Here's the answer. It is simple really.

No sighting to our knowledge has been made anywhere in North America.

*For more on this, including the Fatawa of Saudi Scholars who say North American Muslims should not follow Saudi Arabia per se, please read this essay.

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT Miss our special Eid Program Today (we'll talk a bit about this crescent sighting business) and will have some awesome, brand new, fresh material never heard before. But you've got to tune in at 5 PM today at 93.1fm or click on "Listen Live" on the left.

Eid Mubarak?