The Saudi ulema has spoken: The moon must be seen by human eyes in order to start the recognition of a month. In choosing tradition over technology, the ulema again demonstrates that it is anti-modernist. But is that a surprise?
‘Fasting begins only after moon sighted’
MAKKAH: The Saudi Council of Senior Scholars has rejected the demand that the beginning and end of lunar months should be determined on the basis of astronomical calculations.
“Shariah does not accept astronomical calculations based on mathematical computing as the basis for the beginning and ending of Ramadan,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, grand mufti of Saudi Arabia and chairman of the council.
“If anyone doubts our moon-sighting, fasting and feasting, it betrays his weak faith and defective perception,” the grand mufti, who is head of the Administration of Research in Religious Sciences and Fatwa said. He cited a Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which says, “You start fasting when you see (the moon) and stop it when you sight (the next moon) and when it is hidden by clouds, complete (30 days of) fasting.”
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Saudi Gazette also reports on the story: Sighting of moon a must, Ulema board
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August:23:2008 - 15:45
So, the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars has rejected the use of astronomical calculations to determine the beginning of lunar months. According to Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, grand mufti of Saudi Arabia and chairman of the council, “Shariah does not accept astronomical calculations based on mathematical computing as the basis for the beginning and ending of Ramadan.”
But, one can look at this news in a different light. It is already a remarkable development that the council put this issue on its agenda at all, and met to discuss it. If the issue was settled 14 centuries ago, in a clear-cut way, why does the Council meet to discuss it again today?
Or, aren’t things as settled as that? According to the article, “three members of the Council supported the idea of depending on astronomical calculations.” One may wonder how three members of the Council of Senior Scholars, experts in the Shariah, can support the use of these calculations, if it is absolutely unquestionable that shariah does not accept astronomical calculations.
In fact, it would seem that there are increasingly divergent views on this subject, among eminent scholars. Thus, Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi has expressed his support for the use of calculations since 2004. So did the Fiqh Council of North America in 2006 and the European Council for Fatwa and Research in 2007. (For their detailed reasoning, see for example the article : Issues in the Islamic calendar, published by Tabsir.net on August 16, 2008 (Issue # 9): http://tabsir.net/?p=633#more-633 or the article “Islamic calendar”, in Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_calendar). All these people are respected Muslim leaders, and wouldn’t lightly proclaim their support for the use of calculations, if the case was clear-cut.
The Arabnews article concludes with the observation that “A 15-member panel from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain had decided two years ago to launch an Islamic satellite, which would be used for sighting moon.” It is unclear how this satellite is supposed to operate, and what additional information it can gather, that astronomical observatories do not collect at this time.
Wouldn’t it be cheaper, and just as efficient, to use a telescope to observe the new moon? Moreover, is it permissible to use a satellite, i.e. modern technology, to observe the new moon, if it is illicit to use a telescope and other scientific tools and methods to determine the beginning of lunar months?
August:23:2008 - 21:50
al-waleed,
I really do not have a strong position on either method for this. I just wish all clerics agree on one standard method. Once the new moon is seen in any country, every Muslim of the west of that should observe it. This issue is actually more visible in the US than in the Middle East. In certain cases people of different nationalities start Ramadhan or celebrate Eid based on their country of origin observance.
Although, I understand the scientific argument for setting the date in advance using astronomical methods. I still like the idea of keeping the tradition of observing the moon with the naked eye. There is delightful value in the anticipation and the surprise of it. But like I said earlier, I will accept either method as long as we have a standard.
August:24:2008 - 02:55
As I understand this topic is pretty much an annual debate right before Ramadan. What I find confusing is how Pakistan for example celebrates Ramadan usually a day behind Saudi Arabia…or at least in all places but Peshawar where they choose to follow the Saudi sightings…
August:24:2008 - 05:31
I too like traditions, and enjoy participating in the celebrations associated with them. But, I also like modernity, and having people behave in ways that conform with the 21st century settings. For example, one shouldn’t impose the respect of a tradition that violates the human rights of some community members, such as women or children. The issues of “khalwa”, of “the marriage of children” or of “crimes of honor” are cases in point. One shouldn’t condone such things.
The situation becomes even more complex when people confuse tradition and religion. They attribute their traditions to the prescriptions of religion, giving them a character of “sacredness” to which they aren’t entitled.
So, it’s important to distinguish clearly between traditions and religion. The issue of the calendar is a case in point in this respect. Does it belong to the tradition category ? Or to that of religious prescriptions? That’s the question.
I am not qualified to answer this question. But I think such people as Yusuf al-Qaradawi know what they are talking about. So do the ulemas from all over the world who are members of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. So, when they say that there’s no incompatibility between astronomical calculations and religious prescriptions concerning the determination of the beginning of Ramadan, I do trust their judgment.
There already was a well-known Egyptian jurist who said in the 1930s the same thing. So, do we need to discuss forever an issue which was settled either 14 centuries ago, or one century ago, depending on which people’s judgment one wants to trust?
August:24:2008 - 05:58
Sad situation. Reminds me of the Saudi cleric who wrote a paper condemning technology, then had it printed on a modern press.
Here in the USA, my wife lived on the same street for 25 years. There were Pakistanits on the same street. They begun and ended Ramadan on different days for the entire 25 years. You can call 3-4 different mosques in our area and they are always divided.
August:24:2008 - 06:32
I got puzzled about this issue a few years ago, and I’m still trying to figure out how the calendar issue should be resolved.
One way would be, for Saudi (and other Muslim) scholars, to consider that the method of observation, and that of calculation, are two equivalent, acceptable, methods to determine the beginning of ramadan, according to the shariah.
This would be a major progress, by admitting that both approaches are satisfactory, instead of saying that those who use calculations are violating the shariah.
This situation wouldn’t be unusual, because in Muslim law there are many “rites” (Abu Hanifa, Malek, Shafi’i, Ibn Hanbal, shi’ite, etc.) which state sometimes incompatible things about the same issue. But each conclusion of a rite is applied in one region of the world, without describing other solutions as contrary to shariah.
But, I do not feel happy with such a conclusion, for the following reason:
If both approaches are satisfactory, in terms of the shariah, and if one of them is unquestionably more efficient in other respects than the other, (by making it possible to plan events in advance, for example, which is the reason of being of a calendar, by definition), then one should use the method that is “more efficient in other respects”. There are also many Islamic law principles which would apply to this case and would justify this choice.
That’s also an application of Occam’s Razor.
So, in the end, I think I will stick with the conclusion that the method of using calculations is preferable to that of observation, since Muslim scholars declare that the calculations’ method is compatible with the prescriptions of shariah. And I would consider that all Muslims in the world should use it. That’s what Egyptian cadi Shakir said in the 1930s.
August:24:2008 - 07:43
Alwaleed,
Ok, I will take your method. Just get us one standard. Go get’m
August:24:2008 - 09:44
Realizing that it sounds trite, I still have to ask the question, ‘What would Mohammed do?’
I think if reliable computational methods had been available in the 7th C, he would have accepted them happily. He was working with the best technology available at the time—the human eye. Had something better been available, he would have gone for it.
The lack of uniformity in establishing the dates upon which months started was of little concern at the time. And when Muslim communities had little communication, when transportation between places could take days, weeks, months, or even years, the ‘slippage’ of a day or so meant very little. Now, when you can be anywhere in the world within 24 hours in reality, and connected within seconds in virtuality, a day or so matters quite a bit.
Further, differences lead to discord, fitna, and we know how he felt about that.
If there is, in fact, a global umma, then it should behave as one.
My opinion.
August:24:2008 - 10:19
If there is, in fact, a global umma, then it should behave as one.
Nice sentiment, but it ignores reality. One of the reasons why the counting method has become popular in various parts of the world is simply due to the fact that weather and climate don’t always allow for easy moon sightings. I used to live in Arizona, where the weather is probably very similar to that in the KSA: crystal clear skies at night for about 300 days of the year. Extremely easy to sight the moon in those types of conditions. Now I live in tropical SE Asia, where it’s very frequently cloudy and/or rainy throughout much of the year. For example, the past few days, it’s been extremely rainy; there’d have been no chance to sight the moon today (if such a sighting were needed) because of the extreme overcast and rain we had all day. Singapore uses (and probably the other Muslim countries in this region, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, also use) the counting method. Nothing’s going to change that here; the sighting method is impractical due to the climate. A fatwa like the one you quoted above will be quietly ignored in SE Asia. In which case, the ummah, though one, will use whatever method is most practical for them, regardless of what the others think.
August:24:2008 - 17:07
I would think a global certainty of the start and finish of Ramadan would be welcomed. Sighting the moon would be fun, but it seems that there is a lot of insecurity now.
August:25:2008 - 02:27
Sharing a story here… at one point a Saudi I know who was with the Saudi embassy in Australia asked Foreign Affairs how should Ramadan be observed there given the time differences et al. The response was to follow the direction of the nearest Muslim country to Australia which happened to be Indonesia. This same diplomat contacted the Indonesian ambassador to Australia wanting to know when/how they followed Ramadan. The Indonesian ambassador responded “citing of the moon” but as the conversation continued the Ambassador advised “exactly” when Ramadan would start that particular year since they (Indonesia) used the scientific method and not that of actually spotting the moon. When this was reported back to Riyadh, a quick response was forthcoming to the effect of “do not follow Indonesian tradition. We (KSA) will advise you when it is time to fast.” Knowing exactly when to fast was of a great concern for due to the time difference between the countries, one could be just sitting down to a meal in Australia when Ramadan is announced in KSA.
September:02:2008 - 07:02
This is good to see the Ulema has once again put the tradition(Hadith) high above the technology. Thus showing us that the Sunnah is where the success and right path is.
The Ulema has taken the right decision we in India follow the same tradition.
Jazak allah
September:03:2008 - 19:59
[...] good discussion at Crossroads Arabia on the topic of moonsighting, tradition, and the recent Saudi fatwa. Also a nice summary – and [...]