| Abbreviation | NCS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2016 (1437 AH) |
| Type | Voluntary, non-profit organisation |
| Purpose | Promotion and coordination of local (UK only ) naked eye crescent moon observations for the Islamic calendar |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Region served | United Kingdom (with partner observers in Europe & Africa) |
Key people | Imad Ahmed (National Coordinator); Christopher Downie (Scientific Lead); Mohammed Quraishi (Training & Outreach) |
| Website | newcrescentsociety.org |
New Crescent Society (NCS) is a British grassroots astronomy network founded in 2016 by Imad Ahmed. [1] [2] The New Crescent Society is an organsation which celebrates the relationship between astronomy, faith and Islam, with a motto of 'connecting the community to the cosmos'. [3] [4] It has engaged in the British Islamic calendar debates to promote unity, by being the first group in the history of the British Muslims to build a nationwide network of naked-eye moonsighters who can observe and determine the start of each lunar month according to local lunar observations to manage the Islamic calendar within the British Isles. It promotes a "local-first" model where Muslims in Britain can establish the Islamic calendar by direct observation within the British Isles and completing 30 days when the moon is not seen, rather than following the calendar other countries. [5] [6]
The New Crescent Society was founded by Imad Ahmed in 2016 as an amatuer astronomy club interested in the relationship between astronomy and Islam. [7] It began its relationship with the Royal Observatory Greenwich 2017, launching the successful 'Astronomy and Islam' progamme - a series of educational Planetarium shows, educational events and astrononmy livestreams . [8] The organisations main activities were lunar observations, training events in the history of astronomy and Islam, learning about Islami prayer times, and discussing the history of the Islamic calendar debates in the UK. [9] During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, observers kept up socially distanced photographic logs for a full year of continuous data. Testimonies via Zoom was also introduced around this time, something which is still streamed live to this day. [10] By 2025, the Society marked its eighth year with over 100 monthly sighting attempts recorded, the integration of Met Office forecasts into its planning, and the documentation of one of the youngest ever crescents seen in the UK. [11] [12] [13]
The New Crescent Society has helped dozens of UK mosques align their calendars with local sightings, and its work has been featured by BBC News, BBC One Show, New Scientist, and Al Jazeera for its "citizen-science Islam" approach. [14] The group has also co-hosted the "Moon & Faith" exhibition at the Royal Greenwich Observatory alongside yearly Ramadan sightings. [15] [16] It also works closely with Cambridge University. [17] The society had also provided expert advice on the size, angle and timing of the crescent moon to the Mayor of London assembly in assisting with its "London Eye Eid light up.". [18] The UK Royal charter affiliated The Scout Association also worked with the society to make sighting the crescent moon one of its child friendly outdoor activities. [19]
The table below gives the Islamic months for 1447 AH in the United Kingdom according to the New Crescent Society’s (NCS) local naked-eye moonsighting criteria. Dates are projected from crescent visibility data published by the HM Nautical Almanac Office who work directly with NCS & ICOUK to provide predictions that can be used by Goverment Departments,Islamic Instutions and schools/employers.
| Islamic month | Start date (UK) | Length (days) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muharram | 27 June 2025 | 30 | Confirmed |
| Safar | 27 July 2025 | 30 | Confirmed |
| Rabi al-Awwal | 26 August 2025 | 30 | Confirmed |
| Rabi al-Thani | 25 September 2025 | 30 | Predicted |
| Jumada al-Ula | 25 October 2025 | 29 | Predicted |
| Jumada al-Akhira | 23 November 2025 | 30 | Predicted |
| Rajab | 23 December 2025 | 29 | Predicted |
| Sha'ban | 21 January 2026 | 29 | Predicted |
| Ramadan | 19 February 2026 | 30 | Predicted |
| Shawwal | 21 March 2026 | 29 | Predicted |
| Dhu'l-Qa'dah | 19 April 2026 | 29 | Predicted |
| Dhu'l-Hijjah | 18 May 2026 | 29 | Predicted |
| Observance | Islamic date (1447 AH) | UK date (2025–2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamic New Year | 1 Muharram | 27 June 2025 (Confirmed) | Marks the beginning of the lunar year. |
| Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ | 10 Muharram | 6 July 2025 (Confirmed) | Day of fasting and remembrance of Prophet Musa (AS) and the martyrdom of Imam Hussayn (RA). |
| Mawlid al-Nabi | 12 Rabi al-Awwal | 7 September 2025 (Predicted) | Celebrated by some as the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Not celebrated by Othrodox Sunni communities |
| Start of Ramadan | 1 Ramadan | 19 February 2026 (Predicted) | Beginning of the month of fasting. |
| Laylat al-Qadr | (Night Of) 27 Ramadan | 16–17 March 2026 (Predicted) | The Night of Power; considered the most blessed night of the year. |
| Eid al-Fitr | 1 Shawwāl | 21 March 2026 (Predicted) | Feast marking the end of Ramadan. |
| Day of Arafah | 9 Dhu'l-Hijjah | 26 May 2026 (Predicted) | Day before Eid al-Adha; recommended for fasting. |
| Eid al-Adha | 10 Dhu'l-Hijjah | 27 May 2026 (Predicted) | Feast of Sacrifice. |
Some scholars believe that following moon sightings from countries like Morocco or Saudi Arabia helps maintain global unity among Muslims. [7] [20] On the other hand, some astronomers say the New Crescent Society is too cautious for not accepting sightings detected only by CCD equipment. [21] [9] The Society's view is that traditional Islamic rulings prioritise either direct sighting of the crescent or completing thirty days, and while optical tools can help locate the moon, they insist that a naked-eye sighting is still required which aligns with the mainstream Sunni Islamic View. [22]
The New Crescent Society (NCS) has had ongoing differences with the Islamic Crescent Observation UK (ICOUK), another prominent UK moonsighting group. NCS has consistently advocated for UK-only naked-eye moonsighting, while ICOUK previously accepted regional or international reports such as from Saudi Arabia or Morocco before shifting to the same NCS naked-eye UK only criteria. However, following NCS's rapidly growing public engagement, ICOUK revised its position and began incorporating optical aids such as telescopes into its criteria in an attempt to challenge NCS's dominating influence.
These methodological differences have led to public disagreement between the two organisations. ICOUK has at times issued critical remarks about NCS's announcements or calendar dates, Most of these claims have been met with skepticism or dismissal by UK moonsighting communities, Islamic centres and other Sunni institutions who cite NCS's consistent monthly activity and alignment with classical fiqh principle. Multiple former affiliates of ICOUK have since chosen to join or support NCS, and the two groups are now seen as representing competing approaches to crescent moon determination in the UK. With NCS being favoured as the most islamically accurate. [23]
The New Crescent Society is an organsation which celebrates the relationship between astronomy, faith and Islam. It hopes to bring unity amongst the Muslim community in the UK about the calendar debates by forging a path based on a positon which is closest to the sunnah, and is acceptable by all: local naked eye moon sighting, as was traditionally done. [7] It trains volunteers, keeps a record of sightings, and shares clear calendars so communities can start Ramadan and Eid together. The group also creates simple guides to help people learn about the Islamic lunar calendar. [24]