Muharram 2020 Moon Sighting Live Update: The new moon of the month of Muharram al Haram is spotted in Bangladesh on Thursday August 20, 2020. India and Pakistan had earlier confirmed the moon sighting on Thursday.
Accordingly, Friday August 21, 2020 will be the first day of the Islamic New Year 1442H in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Youm e Ashura will be observed on Sunday August 30, 2020.
08:45 pm (IST): Chairman of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman on Thursday announced that the Muharram al Haram moon has been sighted and the Youm e Ashura would be observed on August 30.
"The holy month of Muharram al Haram will start from Friday August 21, 2020", he said after chairing a meeting in Karachi.
India has also confirmed start of the Islamic New Year 1442H from Friday August 21, 2020. The announcement from Bangladesh is still awaited.
08:00 pm (IST): The new moon pronouncing the start of the Holy Month of Muharram al Haram has been sighted in India today i.e. Thursday August 20, 2020, it is officially announced.
"The new moon is sighted today in Lucknow, Kanpur, Patna, Sarae Mir, Azamgarh, Balrampur, Kendirpada Odisha and other places in India", Imarat-e-Sharaiyah Hind, New Delhi said in an official announcement.
"Accordingly, Friday August 21, 2020 will be the first day of Muharram al Haram and the Islamic New Year 1442H. Youm e Ashura will be observed on Sunday August 30, 2020", it said.
Muharram moon announcement by authorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh is expected any moment.
The Islamic New Year 1442H has already started in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and other Arab states from today. Oman has however said the first day of Muharram in the country will be Friday August 21, 2020.
06:30 pm (IST): Moon sighting committees and religious authorities in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will meet today after Maghrib prayers to analyse and confirm the reports of moon spotting if any.
The Muharram moon announcement is expected today soon after the sunset.
04:45 pm (IST): Religious authorities in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other Southasian countries will decide the first day of Muharram al Haram and the start of Islamic New Year 1442H today evening.
While Imarat-e-Sharaiyah Hind, New Delhi will take a final call in India, the decision in Pakistan will be taken by the meeting led by Chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneebur Rehman held in Karachi. Similarly, a meeting has been called after Maghrib prayers today in Dhaka by the Religious Affairs Ministry Bangladesh to decide the first day of Muharram al Haram.
09: 30 am (IST): Moon sighting committees, or Ruyat e Hilal Committees, in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are gearing up today i.e. Thursday August 20, 2020, corresponding to 29th of Dhul Hijjah, to sight the new moon of the Holy Month of Muharram al Haram.
The moon sighting committees in India, Pakistan and Bangaldesh have issued appeals to local residents to look for the new moon after the sunset today.
The moon sighting committees in the three countries have also called special meeting after Maghrib 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 1442H.
The meetings will be held at different locations including New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Hyderabad in India, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan, and Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Local media in Saudi Arabia had late in the evening Wednesday reported that the Muharram moon was sighted at the Tamir Observatory, and hence Thurdsay is the 1st day of the holy month and the Islamic New Year 1442H.
Newspapers across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and other Arab states except Oman, have switched to New Islamic Year 1442H marking today i.e. Thursday August 20, 2020 as the first day of the Holy Month of Muharram al Haram.
The Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, Oman on the other hand had announced the start of Muharram from Friday, August 21, 2020 and Youme Ashura on Sunday August 30, 2020.
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. 1442 Hijrah in India, Pakistan and Bagladesh will start from Friday August 21, 2020.
In case the new moon is not sighting today, August 21 will be counted as the 30th day of Dhul Hijjah and the month of Muharram, and the Islamic New Year 1442H, in SOuthasia will start from Saturday August 22, 2020.
This is because the Islamic Calendar is based on lunar system and a new month begins with sighting of the moon on 29th of the ongoing month. If moon is sighted on 29th day, new month begins from the next day, else the next day is counted as 30th day and the new month begins a day later.
The Islamic Calendar was established 1441 years ago by the second Caliph Omar ibn Khattab (R. A.). 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 (R. A.) finally decided to introduce the Islamic Calendar and asked the people for their opinions and suggestions on the matter.
Consequently, various historical events, including the year when Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was born, the year of the Prophethood, the time of Migration and the time when the Prophet had died, were proposed by the people.
"However unanimity surfaced for the year that coincided with the migration of the Prophet (peace be upon him) from Makkah as the commencing year of the Islamic Calendar. For, it was the migration of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him) from Makkah to Madinah that had resulted Islam nurturing into the new heights and spreading to the whole Arab lands, and also to the surrounding States", Rehnuma says quoting from the history.
"Moreover, Moharram al-Haram was also associated with many historical events and the month has always been considered as one among the four most respected and sacred months since centuries. These features only added strength to the selection of Moharram al-Haram as the first month of the Islamic calendar", she added.
Youm e Ahsura coincides with 10th of Muharram. This is the day when Prophet Moses (Peace be upon him) was liberated from Pharaoh. The day is also remembered for the Sahadah of Hadhrat Hussain (R. A.) - the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
The Islamic Calendar thus introduced and adopted some 1,441 years ago, soon became popular, and also became part and partial of the calendars in every Muslim household.
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