Bismillah. Please refer to http://www.crescentmoonwatch.org, “next new moon” tab.
* A sensible Ramadan start date for the whole world is Saturday 21st July 2012. *
Details
19th July: Conjunction (astronomical new moon or birth of the moon) around 0424 UT. New crescent moon (hilal) visible only from the Southern Pacific Ocean.
20th July: hilal visible throughout Australasia, Asia, Africa, Southern Europe (although not the UK) and the Americas.
21st July: hilal visible throughout the world, including the UK.
Therefore, based on crescent-sighting and instant telecommunication (refer to Ibn Taymiyyah’s fatwas about the relevance of knowledge and communication in moonsighting, available at https://unity1.wordpress.com), 21st July is a sensible Ramadan start date for the whole world, God-willing.
May God accept the fasting, prayers, charity and worship of all His servants.
Usama Hasan
Senior Researcher (Islamic Studies), Quilliam & Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society
9th July 2012
UNITY 
July 9, 2012 at 3:02 pm |
Thank you for this. People (if not people, then “Mum”) will still be unsure what you mean by the 21st being a sensible Ramadan start. Do you mean first Tarawih on the 21st and the first fast on the 22nd, or do you mean the first Tarawih on the 20th and the first fast on the 21st? [And, if I can’t hide behind my Mum, who else is there? 🙂 ]
July 20, 2012 at 11:55 am |
Sorry for the late reply. By “Ramadan beginning …” I mean the fasting, so Tarawih prayers are the night before.