The Crescent Moon of the Month of Rabi al-Awwal, 1448 A.H.

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Announcement Concerning:

The Crescent Moon of the Month of Rabi al-Awwal, 1448 A.H.

 اضغط هنا لملاحظة بيان هلال شهر ربيع الأول ١٤٤٨ هـ

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, according to the multiplicity of horizons principle, the first day of the month of Rabi al-Awwal, 1448 A.H., will be on:

• Friday, August 14, 2026, for all regions on and south of the line that begins at the Atlantic coast near Baltimore, MD, and runs west through Oklahoma City, OK, and Boise, ID, ending at Corvallis, OR, and the Pacific coast.
  
• Saturday, August 15, 2026, for the rest of North America. Therefore, Friday, August 14, 2026, will be the last day of the month of Safar.

To determine whether your city falls within this region, click this link, zoom in on the map, and search for the city’s name (if it does not appear, try refreshing the page). If your city is located in an area where you are not confident that the same ruling applies, you must complete the month of Safar, unless the onset of the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal is established by irrefutable evidence.

We ask God, the Most High, to grant success in performing good deeds, and to hasten the Return of Our Master, Imam Mahdi (p). We ask God, the Most High, to grant success in performing good deeds, and to hasten the Return of Our Master, Imam Mahdi (p). 

Moon-Sighting Committee
Sayyid M. Rizvi, Toronto
Shaykh M. Jafar Bangloori, Miami, Florida
Sayyid Hamed Hashemi, Tampa, Florida
Shaykh Amin Rastani, Dallas, Texas
Shaykh Jafar Muhibollah, Austin, Texas
Sayyid Jawad Sajjadi, San Jose, California
Shaykh Ahmad Modarres, Los Angeles, California

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Important Islamic Events this Month:

(Click here for a note about varying dates for Islamic events)

• 8 Rabi al-Awwal: Martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Askari (p), 260 A.H.
  12 Rabi al-Awwal: The arrival of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) to Yathrib (al-Madina), marking the start of the Islamic calendar.
• 17 Rabi al-Awwal: Birth Anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp), 53 B.H.
  17 Rabi al-Awwal: Birth Anniversary of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (p), 83 A.H.
• 18 Rabi al-Awwal: Establishment of Masjid al-Nabi in the city of al-Madina in the first Hijri year

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Note:

• This announcement from the Crescent Committee is per the request of numerous community members across North America to help in identifying the beginning of the Hijri months.
• To learn about our basis for determining the beginning of lunar months and the theory about the unity of horizons, click here.
• To read Frequently Asked Questions about the Announcements of the Crescent Committee, click here.

The Moon-Sighting Committee was established during the seventh annual conference of The Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America, and has been providing monthly sighting announcements to the North American Shia Muslim communities since 2007. The Council adopts/renews its members on an annual basis.

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