The Official End of Ramadhan (Shawwal Crescent)
(The crescent was not seen anywhere in Algeria .. Completion of 30 days for Ramadhan.)

It was announced on Tuesday evening by the National Crescent Committee for Algeria that the first day of Eid will be on Thursday, May 13, 2021 based on the non observation of the Hilal crescent that evening. The Hilal was not seen anywhere in the Muslim World that evening too. There were aberrant claims of sightings from Mali, Niger and Ivory Coast, which made those countries celebrate the Eid on Wednesday. The case of Pakistan was quite interesting (And resembles in many ways what is happening too often in Algeria). It was claimed that on Wednesday 12 (Which was the 29th of Ramadhan for them) that the Hilal was seen by naked eyes, which is quite an impossible feat since observers in the Arab World up to Morocco (Some 20° of latitude away and more under excellent sighting conditions) on that same evening of Wednesday could not see it, neither by naked eyes nor by telescope! On the basis of this, Pakistan celebrated Eid with most of the Muslim World on Thursday, May 13 unlike Bengla Desh and India. More here.

The Official Start of Ramadhan
(The crescent was not seen anywhere in Algeria ...)

The first of Ramadhan was set by the National Crescent Committee for Algeria for Tuesday, April 13, 2021 based on the rule of the "Unified Horizon" ("Tawhid al-Matali") with the countries of the region... More below.

What is Wrong with this year's Decision of the Crescent Committee in its "Session" on the Eve of Ramadhan?
Inappropriately Switching "Fiqh" !
"كيف سماء مغيمة أجبرت اللجنة على "المناورة

This year, the National Crescent Committee which met on the eve of the 29th of Shaaban (Monday April 12, at Dar El-Imam at Mohammadia), has again set an unwelcome precedent. It decided on the start of Ramadhan 1442, not on the basis of the local sighting like it used to do (and defending strongly its jurisprudential necessity), but on a supposed "Tawhid al-Matali" (Unified Horizon). Except that there is no Horizon to "unify" this year since that day no crescent was observed in our extended region, even from South Africa despite hundreds of dedicated watchers there, nor from Morocco further West, nor anywhere in the Machrek!

Not seing the Crescent but going for the opposite outcome
Indeed the starting of the fast of the sacred month was announced to be for Tuesday April 13 for countries which had the 29th of Shaabane on Sunday (that is one day earlier than us), based on the completion of the month, due to the lack of any observation on that day! It better be so since the conjunction didn't take place at that time (Evening of Sunday 11 April). Furthermore, the CRAAG had sent their report on the visibility of the crescent moon which clearly implied that the crescent couldn't be seen on that evening from Algeria.
So the National Crescent Committee switched its Fiqh rule to avoid annoncing that the crescent was not seen and thus rely on a completion of the month in other countries, which it never do, to announce the start of the sacred month ! But the ruling of those other countries which have a different date for their 29th of Shaabane should not concern us, in addition to the fact that they haven't seen the crescent anyway! The only countries which should concern us for the supposed "Tawhid al-Matali" are countries like ours who observe the crescent on the same evening than us, namely Morocco, South Africa, ... and those didn't see the crescent ! Even the countries in the Gulf which did additional non binding sighting (Since the start of the Ramadhan for them was already announced on the basis of its non observation on Sunday evening) on Monday didn't see the crescent on that evening !

How an Overcast cloudy sky over Algeria pushed the Crescent Committee to " Maneuver"
A plausible explanation is that having most of Algeria cloudy on Monday evening didn't allow the Committee to rely on some dubious observation from some Wilayas in the South like they use to do and as it indeed happened no later than last year. Of course that's not the first time it occurs! It may even be said that these "accommodations" are to be seen as the rule. Yet, it is almost the first time it occured that most of Algeria was under a cloudy sky on the 29th of Shaabane, so other "arrangements" as it seems couldn't be resorted to.
Why did they twist their jurisprudential ruling to rejoin an Arab "Ijmaa" and what is the "benefit" in that is beyond anyone's comprehension.

The Dubious Press release of the National Crescent Committee concerning the start of Ramadhan
Here in the video the press release full of contradictions and non-sequitur of the National Crescent Committee.
- Here below the National Committee spokesman citing on national TV the hadith on Moon sighting ... to base their decision of non sighting, carefully avoiding reading the second part of the hadith dealing with the case of cloudy weather ...فإن غُمَّ عليكم فعُدُّوا ثلاثين يومًا since it would have implied completing Chaabane to 30 days and thus starting the fast on Wednesday 14 of April!
- Notice that at no moment does he state the obvious, namely that the crescent moon wasn't sighted anywhere in Algeria, while the role of the Committee is precisely to collect and evaluate the sighting reports. Being mute on this point is a clear indication of their embarassment, because again this should have led them to complete the month to 30 days and start the fast on Wednesday!
- Mentionnnnin Tawhid al-Matali in a desinvolte way while not mentionning where was the sighting took place in the Muslim World so that we "unify with them" is obviouly unbecoming if not ethically problematic...
- The fact that the Committee members were all present on the plateau during the whole evening in front of the viewers (Thus not deliberating) implies that the "real" crescent committee is made of anything but its assermented members!
- The fact the CRAAG bulletin sent to them clearly states the impossibility of sighting the crescent by naked eyes that night, shows the disregard to science in addition to be itself in violation of the by-laws of the Committee itself which states the necessity of the Committee of taking into account that very scientific bulletin from the CRAAG in its deliberations.
- Establishing a ghost crescent committee which decides instead of the official one is clearly a breach of trust and illegal.
Here's the relevant part of the video of the announce (Or click on the picture below).

La Nouvelle Lune

Suhail Najmi

J’ai scruté le ciel cette nuit sans me lasser
La lune m’est apparue plus belle qu’à l’accoutumé
Voilà tant d’années que tu es ainsi célébré
Mois de Ramadan, te voilà enfin annoncé !

Mon âme s’éveille, elle qui était comme fleur fanée
Quel bonheur unique, que cette période sacrée
Le souvenir de Dieu, sait nous réconforter
Je puis vous l’assurer, il faut en profiter

Ton but n’est pas de nous garder affamés
Mais nous transformer, de l’intérieur nous changer
Nous élever, progresser dans la spiritualité
Se réconcilier, et en premier pardonner

Tu nous enjoins à visiter malades et oubliés
Honorer son prochain, faire Œuvre de charité
Faîtes donc fortune, donnez sans compter !
Telle fut la parole de notre Bien-aimé

Invoquez, priez, ce mois va vite s’écouler
Se cache en lui un trésor qu’il ne faut pour rien manquer
Une nuit qui vaut mille mois, il faut l’a cherché
Une aubaine unique pour tous ensemble le glorifier

Ce mois compte des jours qui vont s’égrener
Un à un au rythme des nuits, ne rien négliger
Même pas un sourire, ni acte pour la société
Éblouir son entourage, par son exemplarité

"The Eid Crescent"
a Poem by Allama Muhammad Iqbal
From "Sirius Voice", January 1998

A Du'a for this Blessed Month

Hafsa Bourkab

I wish you 1 month of Good Fortune
and 4 weeks filled with barakat and wealth,
30 days of forgiveness,
720 hours of guidance and health..
43200 minutes of purification and mounting joy,
and 2592000 seconds of Nour and many much more to enjoy!

May Allah shower us with His mercy
In a month that is not only holy but blessed
And grant us the utmost peace and prosperity
And abounding happiness in times we're so stressed...

I can't help but pray that:

Happiness be at your door
And may the light remain in your heart forevermore...
May it knock early

And may it stay very late
And may be leave all the gifts
Those you might call from fate,

Those, gifts of Allah
Peace, love, joy and good health,
May they be left behind

A Moon-faced Beloved

Jalaluddin Rumi

Ramadan, for observant Muslims, is a time of fasting, prayer and charitable giving. Here is a beautiful poem about Ramadan, by Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet and mystic:

O moon-faced Beloved,
the month of Ramadan has arrived
Cover the table
and open the path of praise.
O fickle busybody,
it’s time to change your ways.
Can you see the one who’s selling the halvah
how long will it be the halvah you desire?
Just a glimpse of the halvah-maker
has made you so sweet even honey says,
“I’ll put myself beneath your feet, like soil;
I’ll worship at your shrine.”
Your chick frets within the egg
with all your eating and choking.
Break out of your shell that your wings may grow.
Let yourself fly.
The lips of the Master are parched
from calling the Beloved.
The sound of your call resounds
through the horn of your empty belly.
Let nothing be inside of you.
Be empty: give your lips to the lips of the reed.
When like a reed you fill with His breath,
then you’ll taste sweetness.
Sweetness is hidden in the Breath
that fills the reed.
– Rumi

From the site