If Eid is on Friday
Eid Prayer Venue: Islamic Center, 417 Stasney Street
If Eid is on Saturday
Eid Prayer Venue: Memorial Student Center (MSC), Room 224-225
Prayer Timings:
Takbirat will start at 8:15 AM inshallah
Prayer will start at 8:30 AM inshallah
9:19 PM - Sept. 12, 2007: RAMDAN MUBARAK!
The moon for Ramadan has been sighted and inshallah tomorrow, September 13, 2007 will be the first of Ramadan. Taraweeh prayers will start at 9:30 PM inshallah.
9:02 PM - Sept. 12, 2007
There is no decision regarding the start of Ramadan so far. Isha prayer will start on regular iqama time (9:05 PM). Taraweeh prayers will not start until a confirmed determination of the start of Ramadan has been made. A decision will be posted here as soon as it is available.
8:25 PM - Sept. 12, 2007
The moon was not sighted in Bryan-College Station area. We are currently waiting on the decision of the Chicago Hilal Committee (CHC) regarding sighting reports elsewhere in the United States. A decision will be posted here as soon as it is available.
5:45 PM - Sept. 12, 2007
ICBCS will be conducting a local moon-sighting tonight. If the moon is sighted, the sighting will be verified through Chicago Hilal Committee (CHC) and a decision regarding the start of the Ramadan will be posted on this website. Since moon-sighting reports will be taken by the CHC from all over the United States, please note that it may take up till two hours after the sun sets on the West Coast of the US before a final announcement is made.
According to the lunar calendar, the 29th of Shabaan falls on Wednesday, September 12, 2007.
A decision regarding the start of Ramadan will be made on Thursday night (September 12) and will be posted on our website (www.icbcs.org).
Ramadan will therefore start either on Thursday or Friday.
For more information on ICBCS moon-sighting policy, please refer to the previous announcement.
Assalaamu ‘Alaikum Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As Ramadan approaches us, the issue of moon-sighting is likely to emerge in our minds once again. To avoid some of the confusion that usually surrounds the issue, ICBCS Board of Directors has adopted a moon-sighting policy and this announcement is aimed at making it known to the community.
ICBCS will continue to adhere to the following methodology in determining the beginning and end of Ramadan:
1. The new month will only commence with the verified report of a sighting conducted anywhere in the mainland United States.
2. Claims of sighting will not be accepted if they are in contradiction with the astronomical facts.
This is a well established fiqhi opinion that has been followed by ICBCS since its formation in the 1980’s. This methodology was also the old standard followed by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and therefore ICBCS used to follow ISNA’s decision with regards to establishing the start and end of Ramadan.
Last year however, ISNA chose to adopt a pure calculation based calendar which foregoes the physical sighting of the moon. ICBCS, like many other Islamic organizations in the US, felt that this new opinion was in need of much more debate within the scholarly community and was not a viable option for us. Thus ICBCS stopped following ISNA with regards to moon-sighting decisions in year 2006.
Starting this year, ICBCS will rely on the determination of Chicago Hilal Committee (CHC) in making a decision regarding the start and end of Ramadan. CHC follows the same fiqhi methodology as ICBCS in determining the sighting of the moon. It is also connected to several other moon-sighting committees and organization across United States, thus enabling it to take sighting reports nationally. CHC has been conducting moon-sighting for more than 30 years and has consistently followed the same methodology for determining the start of the lunar months.
As before, ICBCS will make arrangements to conduct a local moon-sighting on the 29th of Shaban. If the moon is sighted, it will report the sighting to CHC. CHC will verify sighting reports from across the nation and make a final determination on their validity. ICBCS will follow CHC’s determination in announcing the start and end of Ramadan.
We hope that this announcement will clarify and circumvent some of the confusion and uncertainty related to the moon-sighting issue, and will help us enter the blessed month of Ramadan with our hearts united.
Wassalaamu ‘Alaikum,
ICBCS Board of Directors
ICBCS is now looking to grow further by hiring a full-time Imam for the Muslim community. For details on the eligibility requirements, duties and responsibilities, and information on how to apply, please download the detailed advertisement (PDF).
