Der geozentrische Neumond des Monats Šawwāl ereignete sich kurz nach Mitternacht am Sonntag, dem 27. Juli 2014 um 0:42 Uhr MESZ. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt ging der Mond an der Sonne vorbei und konnte nicht gesehen werden.
Meldungen an diesem Tag aus Saudi-Arabien sind aus astronomisch-wissenschaftlicher Perspektive zurückzuweisen und als falsch anzusehen. Lesen Sie dazu unsere Stellungnahme zum Beginn des Monats Šawwāl.
Am Sonntagabend erfolgte eine Sichtungsmeldung aus Südafrika. Eine islamische Organisation aus Johannesburg meldete eine Sichtung des Hilâl. Berichten der unabhängigen Mondsichtungskomitees zufolge war der Himmel unbewölkt, aber keines der Mondsichtungskomitees konnte den Hilâl sehen. Ebenso ergab eine Auswertung der angeblichen Sichtungszeit, dass die Beobachter nicht die Mondsichel gesehen haben können. Diese Sichtungsmeldung ist demnach mit größter Vorsicht zu betrachten und als unbestätigt und möglicherweise falsch einzuordnen.
In der Nacht erfolgten weitere Sichtungsmeldungen aus Argentinien und Chile. Vorbehaltlich der Bestätigung dieser Meldungen haben diese Sichtungsmeldungen unter Anwendung des Prinzips der "Lokalen Sichtung" keine Relevanz für Europa. Unter Anwendung des Prinzips der „Globalen Sichtung“ ist ebenfalls eine absolute Sicherstellung der Authentizität dieser Meldungen notwendig.
Am Montag, den 28. Juli gab es Sichtungsmeldungen aus Fränzösisch-Polynesien im Pazifik, Neuseeland, Australien, Indonesien, Hongkong, Bangladesh, Indien, Iran, Saudi-Arabien, Tunesien, Marokko und USA.
Quellen: ICOP, Moonsighting.com
Zu der angeblichen Sichtungsmeldung aus Südafrika am Abend des 27. Juli noch folgende Auswertung der Berichte von Br. Zachary Twist in einer Email von 27. Juli 23:45 MESZ, nachdem ihn diese Reports vorlagen. Man sieht also, wie gefährlich es sein kann, einfach ungeprüft einer zweifelhaften Meldung nachzurennen. Jeder, der aufgrund dieser Meldung sein Fasten beendet hat, sollte über seine Konsequenzen nachdenken ;-)
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Not a lot of info collected on these forms, but this is nonetheless very helpful. (Weren't there supposedly a lot more reports than this?)
The timings on these forms casts a great deal more doubt on these sightings for me. Remember that a young new moon usually cannot be seen until at least 20 mins after sunset. At 17 hours old, this was an extremely young moon. I would have serious doubts even if the sightings occurred 45 minutes after sunset. Looking at the forms individually: #1 - Northcliff Musjid Timing: Sighting listed at 5:47 - 6:02. The sunset there was at 5:39. So the report has the sighting 8 minutes after the sunset! That seems simply not possible. Orientation/Position: They chose two orientations for some reason. Both were incorrect. It should be the 3rd one from the right on the form. With what would conceivably be such an incredibly faint moon, the perceived orientation can vary, but these are nonetheless incorrect. #2 - Shifa Mayfair Timing: Sighting listed at 5:45. The sunset there was 5:38, That would be 7 minutes after sunset! Again, seems simply not possible. Orientation/Position: Not the right choice, but forgivably close. Interesting that they chose an orientation that was the opposite of the Northcliff Musjid sighting report. Only 1 sighter on this report #3 - Masjid Shifa Timing: Sighting listed "Almost ???? Azaan." I cannot read that middle word, but this is likely indicating that it was very close to the adhan. So probably well under 10 minutes after sunset. Orientation/Position: Not the right choice, but forgivably close. Same as the #2 report. Seems like the same location, Masjid Shifa in Mayfair. #4 - Shifa Timing: Sighting listed at 5:42. The sunset there was 5:38. That would be 4 minutes after sunset! Commonly known as not possible. He also mentions that the moon set whilst he was seeing it. The moonset there was at 6:14. Is he saying that he saw it that entire time? Sound likes he was watching something else. Orientation/Position: Not the right choice, but forgivably close. Same as the #2 report. Seems like the same location, Masjid Shifa in Mayfair. This was also a single sighter on this report. In the notes, it seems he was with or in communication with the sighter in #2.
If you look closely, #1 is one sighting with a very strange orientation, and #2, 3, & 4 are all from the same masjid, Masjid Shifa.
This is effectively just 2 locations close to each other. Hardly Jame Mustafiza. Both of them have timings for sightings that are completely implausible. I don't see how we can confidently validate these reports.
Do I think that these people are not trustworthy or pious or scrupulous? No. In this day and age, it is very common for people to see something that appears crescent-like but is acutally not the moon. It can be contrails (like this or this) , distant clouds that suddenly get illuminated by the sun, or atmospheric refractions. I field numerous such reports from sincere people every year, and I have seen such things myself. This is common, and often results in multiple odd reports from the same city but with variation in orientation like this.
The best clarification for odd sightings is what happens to the west. So what are the reports from Capetown? They should see it easily after a Johannesburg sighting. If they had clear skies and no sighting, Then I think that pretty much clarifies this situation.
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