10:50 PM CDT: Ramadan will begin on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. There were no moon sighting reports from anywhere in North America. Shaban will complete its course of 30 days and Ramadan will begin at sunset on Tuesday, July 9, 2013. The 1st day of Ramadan will be Wednesday, July 10th. The Chicago Hilal Committee wishes everyone a blessed Ramadan.
Itikaf will begin at sunset on Monday, July 29th at Maghrib.
The Chicago Hilal Committee will meet on Wednesday, August 7, 2013 (Ramadan 29, 1434) to determine Eid-ul-Fitr (Shawwal 1, 1434). Eid-ul-Fitr will be on Thursday, August 8th or Friday, August 9th.
9:35 PM CDT: We are waiting for sunset in the West Coast. Sunset in parts of California are after 10:30 PM CDT (8:30 PM PDT). We are expecting a final decision on Ramadan by 11:00 PM CDT, unless there happen to be confirmed sighting reports prior to then. Please stay tuned.
9:10 PM CDT: There have been no reported sightings from anywhere in the Carribean, East Coast, or the Midwest.
9:00 PM CDT: The meeting has resumed once again and we are contacting our representatives throughout North America. There have been no sightings reported.
8:20 PM CDT: The Chicago Hilal Committee meeting is in progress. We have contacted our representatives in the Caribbean, Florida, and Maryland. There have been no sighting reports. We will continue to contact our representatives through out North America. The next update will be around 9:00 PM CDT.
Sunday, July 7, 2013:
The Chicago Hilal Committee will meet on Monday, July 8, 2013 (Shaban 29, 1434) to determine the start of Ramadan. If the moon is seen on Monday, July 8th, Ramadan will begin on Tuesday, July 9th. If the moon is not seen on Monday, July 8th, Ramadan will begin on Wednesday, July 10th.
According to visibility forecasts, it is unlikely that the moon will be seen on Monday, July 8th anywhere in North America. Hence, Ramadan will most likely begin on Wednesday, July 10th. The Chicago Hilal Committee will meet per routine after Maghrib (8:30 PM CDT). The first update will be around 9:00 PM CDT. Updates will continue through out the night until a final decision is made.
Please note that sunset in parts of California will be close to 10:30 PM CDT, so it is possible that a final decision will not be made till 11:00 PM CDT. Please bear with us as we contact our representatives throughout North America.
