Ramadhan 1419 AH is almost with us. The month of Ramadhan begins after the sighting of the crescent moon (the first day of Ramadhan occurs after sighting the crescent on the previous evening). For Muslims living in countries such as USA and UK, the start of Ramadan and date of Eid ul-Fitr can cause confusion and division. It is not uncommon for Muslims living in such communities to start Ramadhan or celebrate Eid on 2 (or sometimes 3) different days.
The main reason for confusion stems from reports of crescent "sightings" from certain Middle-East countries on days when sighting would be impossible or highly improbable by any reasonable criterion. For example, this year the time of conjunction for the Ramadhan moon is: 18th December 1998, 22:42 (Universal Time). At this instant, the earth, moon and sun are all in the same plane. The conjunction is also known as the "astronomical new moon" or less formally as the "birth of the new moon". At this instant, the moon is invisible from the earth and it will be many hours before the crescent is thick enough to be visible from anywhere in the world.
Despite information such as this, many Muslims in the UK (and elsewhere) are ready to start Ramadhan on 19th Dec 98. They are ready to accept report of "sightings" from counntries such as Saudi Arabia on the the evening of 18th Dec.
Earlier this year, information became available which confirmed that Saudi Arabia actually adopts a form of astronomical calculation and totally ignores the actual sighting.
The following telegram was sent to the Jordanian Astronomical Society in January 1998 by The Highest Religious Council "Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala" in Saudi Arabia:
A literal translation of this telegram:
"( To Jordan/ Al-Yadodeh/ M.Kh./ Al-Sook/ Mr. Hayel Mamdooh Abu-Zeid, dated
January 21, 1998/Ramadan 23,
1418H.
We wish to thank you for sending us your greetings of Ramadan, and for reminding us of the
date of the New
Moon of Shawwal for the year 1418 H. We would like to remind you that determining the
first day of the Islamic
month is like determining the prayer times, and the aim of His Almighty from these times
is to inform us not to
take it as worship. It is adopted in Umm-ul-Qura Calendar that if the Moon's age at Sunset
is 12 hours or more
after the New Moon then the PREVIOUS day is the first day of the Islamic month, since the
Islamic day starts
at Sunset, and the night is before the daylight, as well as the time of fasting is in the
civil daylight. May Allah
accept your worship. May Allah bless this Ramadan. Thanking you for your good cooperation.
From: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/ Al-Riyadh/ The Higher Religious Council "Majlis
al-Ifta' al-A'ala"/ Mohammad
Bin Ehmead.)"
Mr. Hayel of JAS received other letters also, about the same subject, which were clearer
than this telegram. The following
example may make their system clearer: If for example 29th Dec is 29 Sha'ban, and the New
Moon Phase occurs after Sunset
in Riyadh, say at 11 pm on 29th Dec., then the next day (30th Dec.) at the Sunset (For
example at 5 pm) the Moon's age will
be 18 hours which is more than 12 hours, so that day (30th Dec.) is the first day of
Ramadan, even though the New Moon
was not even born at the Sunset on 29 Sha'ban (29th Dec.), and generally in such cases the
Moon will set before Sunset!!
Below is a copy of the telegram.
[Reproduced from the JAS website, with permission]
This year, let us use some common sense when deciding the date for the start of Ramadhan and Eid ul-Fitr.
The
Crescent Moon of Ramadhan
Information on Islamic
Calendar based on predicted moon sighting.
Information on start of Ramadhan and Eid ul-Fitr.
Information on Eid
ul-Adha and Hajj.
Download the computer program MoonCalc
Copyright © by Dr. Monzur Ahmed
Last modified: 12th December 1998
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