In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Announcement Concerning:

The Crescent Moon of the Month of Safar, 1439 A.H.

إضغط هنا لملاحظة بيان هلال شهر صفر

To the respected believers in North America,

Peace be upon you.

The Moon-Sighting Committee of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America announces that Saturday, October 21st, 2017, will be the first day of the month of Safar, 1439 A.H. for the entire region of the United States and parts of Southern Canada.

This determination is based on the fact that there were reported sightings of the crescent moon by the naked eye during the sunset of Friday, October 20th, 2017, from many locations.

We ask Almighty God for success in performing good deeds and hasten the Return of Our Master, Imam Mahdi (p).

 Important Islamic Events this Month
  7 Safar  (Oct. 27)
 Martyrdom of Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba (p), 50 AH
  7 Safar  (Oct. 27)  Birth of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (p), 128 AH
  17 Safar  (Nov. 6)  Martyrdom of Imam Ali bin Musa al-Rida (p), 203 AH
  20 Safar  (Nov. 9)  The Anniversary of the 40th day of the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (p), 61 AH
  28 Safar
 (Nov. 17)
 Death Anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp), 11 AH

Related Content:

‘Advice to Pilgrims on the Occasion of Arbaeen’

As the Arbaeen of Imam Hussain (p) approaches, we would like to remind the believers of the advice of the religious authority when asked about the spiritual journey to the holy city of Karbala. Click here to read more.

‘Imam Zayn al-Abidin (p): Honoring Others’

How can we truly be great human beings without knowing what divine rights we owe to ourselves, our fellow human beings, and more importantly those rights that we owe to our Creator?  Click here to read more.

‘Patience with Truth in the Face of Cruelty & Falsehood’

In our daily lives, we encounter situations that test the limits of our patience. To address this issue, we need look no further than the household of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp). To learn more, click here.


Spread the message of ‘Who is Hussain?‘ to those who may not know him:

Who is Hussain son of Ali? Why do we need to know about him? Why is it important to know about the Battle of Karbala? Why is it important to know about it today? These are just a few of the questions that this short booklet intends to answer. Order a copy to give to your friends, co-workers, or neighbors, by clicking here.


The Crescent Committee

  • Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, Toronto, Canada.
  • Shaykh Fadhil al-Sahlani, New York, NY.
  • Sayyid Mahboob Mehdi Abedi, Chicago, IL.
  • Shaykh Muhammed Ja’far Banglori, Miami, FL.
  • Shaykh Sabah al-Ebadi, Vancouver, Canada.

The Moon-Sighting Committee was established in 2007 by The Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America, which annually selects new members to serve on its behalf. It has offered its services to the believers in North America every month since. The current committee was appointed at the Fifteenth Conference of The Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America held in Chicago in August 2015.


To learn about our basis for determining the beginning of lunar months and the theory about the unity of horizons, click here.