ABOUT US

Welcome to the official website of the Hilal Committee of Metropolitan Toronto & Vicinity.

The Hilal Committee of Metropolitan Toronto & Vicinity was established in the early 1970's by the most senior and renowned scholar of Toronto namely Sh. Khalil Sufi. Till today Sh. Khalil Sufi stands as the chair of the Hilal Committee of Metropolitan Toronto & Vicinity along with other many local scholars.

The Hilal Committee was established because of the extensive confusion amongst the Muslim community in regards to the beginning of Islamic months and Islamic holidays – namely Ramadan and the two Eids – which directly stems from misunderstandings about the moon sighting procedure as explained in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

As the years past, different Imams, scholars and representatives from the various mosques (masajid) through out Canada have joined and continue to join the Hilal Committee to determine the Islamic calendar through the actual local sighting of the moon as instructed in accordance to the Quran and Sunnah.

The Hilal Committee has appointed personnel throughout Canada, United States of America and the Caribbean to assist in gathering information and present confirmation of the actual sighting of the Moon with the naked eye in North America & countries in South America that are on the time zone of Toronto: EST.

The Hilal Committee also uses astronomical data to assist in making its decisions, however all decisions are based on the actual sighting of the moon in North America & the Caribbean with the naked eye. Evidence for the probability of a moon sighting occurring according to calculations is reviewed, although it is not the sole reason for determining a new month. Islamic law has made clear the necessity of an actual visual, unaided sighting of the moon. However, there are no restrictions to use calculations in determining the probability of a moon sighting.

Hilal Committee Team:

Chair (ameer): Sh. Khalil Sufi

Deputy Chairs: Sh. Kasim Ingar, Mufti Aslam Kachwi & Sh. Yusuf Badat

Religious Affairs (fiqh committee): Mufti Yusuf Panchbhaya, Sh. Ayub Mamun, Sh. Nafis Bhayat, Sh. Asif Qasmi, Sh. Omar Subedar, Sh. Faizanul Haq, Sh. Hasan Shaikh

Coordinators: Br. Yunus Pandor, Br. Abdulhuq Ingar, Br. Vali Mohammed

Astronomy Experts: Br. Vali Mohammed & Br. Omar Afzal

Membership: 80 Islamic Centers and Masajid across Canada

Affiliation: Hilal Committees in various provinces and states in North America & the Caribbean