Determination of Islamic Month Start by Moonsighting Australia (Case Study: 1 Dzulhijah 1441)

Abstract

The determination of the Islamic calendar is paramount in Islam because it strongly relates to worship, like Ramadan fasting, eid-al-fitr, and zakat fitr. Many studies have examined young moon visibility criteria in many Muslim countries, such as Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Singapore. However, no study on the initiation of the Islamic month has been conducted in Australia, a Muslim-minority country with middle-eastern immigrants seeking jobs. One of Australia's most trusted organizations to announce the start of Hijri month is Moonsighting Australia. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the determination of the Islamic calendar by Moonsighting Australia organization based on factors such as method, matla, rukyat time, hilāl visibility, and resistors (1 Dzulhijjah 1441 H). A descriptive study with a qualitative approach used literature reviews, content analysis, and case studies. Primary data were taken from a decision letter from Moonsighting Australia about the start of Dzulhijjah 1441 H, interviews with the coordinator, and relevant references. The findings showed that Moonsighting Australia applies a rukyat method by the naked eye - without any optical aids and hilāl visibility criteria consideration - every 29th of Hijri month. Also, it tunes the concept of matla wilayat al hukmi, where the sighting process and result are implemented throughout Australia’s territory. Keywords: Australia, Dzulhijjah, Hijri, Islamic Month, Moonsighting.