From the time of Sahabah to the present, Muslims observed
the movement of the sun by their naked eyes every day for their five daily
prayers. When clocks were invented, Muslims changed this method and started
using calculated movements of the sun.
They did so even though there was no Ayah or Hadith that provide for
using calculations for Salah. They
established the timings of daily Salah and developed perpetual Salah timetables
that can be used throughout the year. Now, instead of physically watching movements
of the sun, we can follow a timetable that is based on the calculations of the
movements of the sun. No one disputes
the use of calculated times for Salah and no one considers it a bid’ah
(innovation), or forbidden in Islam.
The Prophet –peace be upon him- was fully aware of the
condition of his people at that time and he gave them the instructions
according to their capacity. He gave them a method that was easy and simple so
that they could start and end their months with confidence and according to the
natural moon cycles decreed by Allah ta’ala.
Muslims in general continued sighting the Waxing Crescent
(Hilal) to begin and end their month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid. It was easy
in those days, and unity for distant localities was not an issue, because the
communication to other localities was not easy. Now the whole world is a global
village (one entity) because of instant and fast communication. Moreover, we
are living in a time when we have to plan Eid and Ramadan way ahead of time,
and we cannot remain uncertain until the last moment. Further, the science and computers
advancement have put us in a position that we can accurately calculate the
position and cycles of the moon. That is
where calculation can help us determine the beginning of a new month ahead of
time and for the unity of Ummah, we must have calculations applicable to the
whole world as one unit.
It is reported that among the great Tabi’in, Mutarrif ibn
Abd-Allah held the opinion that calculations of Hilal can be used for Ramadan.
Imam Taqiuddin al-Subki a great Shafi’i jurist even said that calculation were
more reliable than eye sighting.
When Muslims learned writing and calculations and became more
knowledgeable about the Moon and its various phases, more voices were raised to
rely on the calculations of the Hilal instead of its physical sighting.
Most jurists did not accept calculations because they were
not sure whether the calculations were correct or could be trusted. With the
development of astronomical sciences in the last one hundred years more and
more voices are being raised by jurists in support of calculations.
One of the famous Muhaddith Shaikh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir
wrote a long article emphasizing that calculation is the most appropriate
method of determining the lunar months and it is permissible.
The objective of the Shari’ah is that Muslims begin and end
the month of Ramadan with assurance and be united in the observance of these
blessed times. The objective of the Shari’ah is not that Muslims merely conduct
Moon sightings or remain uncertain about their time of ‘Ibadah until the last
minute. The astronomical sciences are highly advanced today and more reliable
methods are available to know the beginning of the lunar months. On the basis
of the principles of the Shari’ah just as the timetable for Salah and Siyam are
prepared, it is possible to prepare the calendars for the lunar months and for
the beginning and end of Ramadan. This knowledge is now available and can be
used.
A suggested method that fulfills the basic requirement of
the Shari’ah is based on two principles:
a. The new Moon is born. This means that the conjunction
must have taken place.
b. The new Moon has become Hilal. Enough time has passed to
make it sightable.
The dates and locations, when and where the New Crescent
Moon becomes visible after the New Moon phase depends on many factors. These factors are the geometry of the Sun,
Moon, and horizon; the width of the crescent; the Moon's surface illumination,
the absorption of the Moon's light and the scattering of the Sun's light in the
Earth's atmosphere (temperature, pressure and humidity); and the human optics.
Some of these factors can never be put in calculations for practical reasons.
By scientific calculations we know very accurately and
definitely when the conjunction has taken place and the new Moon is on the way
to become Hilal. It becomes Hilal when it has moved to certain degrees away
from the line joining the centers earth and sun, such that the light of the sun
can reflect from the moon and can come to the earth.
By scientific knowledge and decades of research correlating
observations of Hilal with calculated parameters of the moon we know where on
earth the Hilal has formed to be visible. Whether people see it or not depends
on many factors (such as clouds, atmospheric pollution, city light pollution,
humidity particles in the air, or just being present in the location where it
can be seen, etc.). Given these facts, actual sighting would be less reliable
than accurate calculations to know definitely that the Hilal is there.
Sighting of the Hilal has generated a lot of controversies
and divisions in the Ummah today. In Muslim countries the official bodies make
the decision. Some people and some mosques still differ. Countries where Muslim
minorities live, there is more division. In Western Europe and North America
Moon sighting has become a much more divisive issue.
The method of determining the beginning of an Islamic month
suggested here is based on the principles of the Shari’ah. It complies with the
Sunnah of our beloved Prophet –peace be upon him- and it uses our growing and
advanced scientific astronomical knowledge. By accepting this method we can
unite ourselves and can take the benefit of knowing our important dates in
advance. This is an important benefit and it will save us many difficulties
that we and our young Muslims (students) go through every year during Ramadan
and Eid.
Lets us first examine what scientific knowledge we can use
to construct a global Islamic calendar.
• Muslims have attained advanced scientific knowledge and
are able to calculate the position of the moon and birth of moon quite
accurately.
• Visibility calculations cannot be 100% accurate, as it
involves changing atmospheric conditions and human optics.
• Visibility is affected by pressure, temperature, and
humidity in the atmosphere and it varies with the eye-sight, experience and age
of the observer, city lights, and pollution in the atmosphere.
Therefore, it would be best to use the moon-birth
calculation with the probable sightability somewhere on earth, be it a
continent, an island, or an ocean.
Three things are needed to construct a global Islamic
calendar:
• Moon must have completed its cycle around the earth, which
means that new moon must be born.
• Hilal must be formed and must be sightable somewhere on
earth (Ittihadul-Mataal’e concept).
• Synchronization with the day convention is desirable so
that all Muslims in the world observe religious duties on the same day.
With these considerations a suggested global Islamic
calendar is as follows:
• Use astronomical calculation to determine the beginning of
the Islamic lunar months with the consideration of the sightability of the
Hilal anywhere on the globe.
• To determine a global Islamic lunar calendar, the most
logical conventional point of reference is the International Date Line (IDL).
[Why IDL? Is explained later]
• If the moon is born between 0:00 - 12:00 UT the Islamic
month begins at sunset of the day everywhere in the world.
• If the moon is born between 12:00 - 23:59 UT the Islamic
month begins at sunset of the next day everywhere in the world.
Why IDL is Chosen as a Reference?
• International Dateline is practically used as a reference
point for beginning of every day, which has been accepted by All Muslims e.g.,
to pray Friday prayers all over the world on a day that starts with IDL and
ends with IDL.
• This would synchronize the day convention used by the
whole world to the Islamic day, such that every Gregorian dates has one
corresponding Islamic date.
• Selecting 0:00 to 12:00 UT means that the moon is born
before the day begins at the IDL, and is sightable somewhere in the world on
that day.
• If the moon is born between 12:00 to 23:59 UT, it means
that the moon is born after the day begins at the IDL, and the monthly cycle of
the moon is not completed yet. So, the month begins on the evening of the next
day.
• Use of UT makes it easy to compare the New Moon Birth Time
that is always given as UT in Almanacs and other observatories web sites. So
that any ordinary informed Muslim will be able to make the Islamic calendar
without any calculations.
