Craven Arms Hilāl Sighters

Who We Are

A Muslim Community of Hilāl Watchers
in the Craven Arms Area

We are a Muslim community group — families, friends and fellow believers — who gather near Craven Arms each month to search for the new crescent moon — the Hilāl — with our own eyes, following the beautiful Sunnah of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. Our primary purpose is to unite the local Muslim community, ensuring we all observe the start of each new Islamic month — and celebrate Eid — together, as one.

On the 29th of each Islamic lunar month, as the sun dips behind the hills and the sky turns to indigo, we make our way to a good open vantage point and look westward. If we see that slender silver crescent, the new month has 29 days. If not, we complete 30 days together — Alhamdulillah. It is as simple as that.

Fast when you see the crescent, and cease fasting when you see the crescent. If it is cloudy or obscured, then complete thirty days.

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī & Muslim — the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ

We are an independent Muslim community group, carrying forward the Sunnah of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ — a tradition practised unbroken for over 1,400 years.

Each Month

What Happens on Sighting Night

Every month we gather approximately 15 minutes before Maghrib time — on the 29th of the Islamic lunar month (Please see Hilāl Sighting Calendar link below!) — at a clear, west-facing spot in the hills. We pray our Ṣalāt al-Maghrib together, and then turn our eyes to the western horizon to begin the search. The atmosphere is quiet, communal, spiritually uplifting — and wonderful for children and families. Here is what to expect:

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The Search

We look for the crescent just above the western horizon after sunset. Visual aids such as binoculars and telescopes may assist in locating it first — but the naked eye sighting is what counts as the official confirmation.

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Naked Eye is King

Following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and over 1,400 years of Islamic practice, a sighting is only officially confirmed when at least one person has clearly seen the Hilāl with the naked eye — visual aids alone are not sufficient.

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Testimony & Record

Confirmed sightings are carefully recorded and reported to the New Crescent Society national network, contributing to a unified British Islamic lunar calendar based on local sightings across the UK.

Families & Children

This is a joyful, deeply child-friendly occasion — one of the most memorable Islamic experiences you can share with your children. Bring prayer mats, warm layers, flasks of tea, a picnic, your binoculars — and good spirits! 🌙

Uniting the Local Ummah

Our goal is to unite the Muslims of Craven Arms and the surrounding area — so that we all celebrate Eid on the same day, based on our own local sighting. No more split families, no more divided communities. One Hilāl. One Eid. Together. Alhamdulillah!

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Cloud & All

Even when cloud defeats us (very Shropshire!), we gather, the month completes 30 days, and we fulfil the Sunnah regardless of the weather. The joy is in the trying — together.

Meeting dates are announced monthly via our Signal group chat, timed to the 29th of each Islamic lunar month. Times vary seasonally with sunset.

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Our Meeting Spot

Small lay-by along the little hillside road towards the Long Mynd — a west-facing vantage point with a clear and magnificent open view of the horizon at sunset. Approximately 13 minutes drive from Craven Arms.

Directions from Craven Arms:

🚗 Coming from Craven Arms: Head west on the A489. Take the small right turning just before you reach Plowden village. Just keep driving along the small hillside road until you reach the lay-by location.

🔄 If you reach Plowden: You've gone slightly too far — turn around & take the sharp left turning just after leaving Plowden on the A489.

📍 Open in Google Maps →

How To Sight The Hilāl

Everything you need to start sighting the moon and understand the science behind it.

Click Here

Hilāl Sighting Calendar

Why It Matters

Start Local —
Be an Example for Others

For too long, Muslims across Shropshire — as across Britain — have observed Ramadan and Eid on different days. Some follow Saudi Arabia, some Morocco, some a calculated date — leading to neighbours, friends and even family members celebrating separately. This fragmentation is something we can change, starting right here in our own community.

Our goal is focused and heartfelt: unite the Muslims of Craven Arms and the surrounding area around the local sighting of the Hilāl. When we see the crescent together, we begin the month together. When we don't, we complete 30 days — all together. No divisions. No debates. One community, one calendar. Alhamdulillah.

And perhaps, insha'Allah, by doing this well and consistently, we become a small but shining example — showing other Muslim communities across Shropshire and beyond that it is possible. That the Sunnah works. We are not trying to change the world; we are simply trying to do the right thing in our own corner of it.

Just the joy that seeing the crescent brings — it is incredible. You are going to see the Moon with your friends, your community, your family, your children, and you are just going to scream and shout out in joy because it is so wonderful.

Imad Ahmed, Founder — New Crescent Society

One participant described the experience: "It pulls you towards believing in God. There is a connection — not just to God, but to everything that God created. When you see it, you just feel: a new month has started, something new is beginning."

Join Us

Come Stand on the Hill
with Your Brothers & Sisters

This is an open invitation to every Muslim in Craven Arms, Ludlow, Church Stretton, Bishop's Castle and the surrounding Shropshire Hills — come and be part of this beautiful, living Sunnah. Let us unite our local Ummah, celebrate our months together, and pass this precious practice on to our children.

Sighting night is one of the most memorable experiences you can give your family. Children especially love it — there is something wonderful about standing under the stars on a Shropshire hilltop, straining to catch that first sliver of silver light. Bring prayer mats, warm clothing, a picnic, your binoculars — and come with good spirits! 🌙

Warm layers & waterproofs · Prayer mats · Binoculars & telescopes if you have them · Flasks of tea & something to eat · And most importantly — the two eyes that Allah ﷻ gave you!

Join our Signal Group Chat
Scan to join, or tap the link below.
This is where we announce each month's sighting date, time and meeting point.

Join the Signal Group →

⚠️ We do not use WhatsApp for group communications. Meta (WhatsApp's parent company) has well-documented connections to the surveillance and targeting of Palestinians and other Muslims — including through tools such as the Lavender AI system, which has been used to generate kill lists. We use Signal instead: it is free, secure, ethical, and privacy-respecting.

📲 Download Signal — Free & Secure →

We strongly encourage all Muslims to invite their family, friends and Mosque communities to delete WhatsApp and switch to Signal. Every download is a small act of solidarity. Please share this message widely — JazākaAllāhu Khayran.

"Together we sight the moon. Together we begin the month. Together we are one Ummah — insha'Allah." 🌙

Get in touch instead ↓

Craven Arms
Hilāl Sighters

A Muslim Community of Hilāl Watchers
in the Craven Arms Area