Sign up to receive breaking news and other updates!Will Muslims be United on Moon Sighting for Eid this year?
Almost every year Muslims around the globe have this very disturbing problem of not being able to agree upon the beginning and end of Ramadhan as well the Eid-ul-Adhha. The division is some time so clear that even in one family some member will be fasting and some celebrating Eid. I like many other Muslims always wonder why we cannot use the mathematically simulated moon sighting when ever there is doubt of moon sighting due to weather conditions. The websites like moonsighting.com provides very accurate moon visibility maps every month. I beleive that if we can use the calender for prayer timings using the claculations without even every realizing or objectioning, then why cannot we use the calculated first day of an Islamic Calender month when weather conditions do not permit the actual moon sighting?
Should the announcement by Saudi Authorities regarding the visibility of new moon be followed by Muslims around the world living even on separate contenants? I think that if Muslims follow the sighting of new moon in their own region instead of following sighting in Saudi Arabia, then Muslims should be able to celebrate the religion festival with unity within their own region.
It is unbeleivable that we cannot unite on this minor thing and we want to lead the whole world. It is a joke.
It is a serious matter and Muslims should do something about it.
I agree. We live in the USA, work in the USA, go to schools in the USA, wake up and sleep according to the US time. Then why should we follow Saudi moonsighting announcements? Doesn’t make sense.
This is not Islam. Islam makes us autonomous as far as dates are concerned. That’s why Allah appointed moonsighting. Otherwise, one statement from the Prophet or the Khalifah or the king would be sufficient to start a new month throughout the Islamic world. Just remove the telephone and internet and we would never know Saudi dates. Islam is not dependent on Saudi Arabia.
The ISNA calculated calendar has three big flaws. Firstly, it is based on sunset in Makkah (Initially it was London, changed to Makkah in June 2007). Why is ISNA trying to make a calendar based on Makkah time and use it on the US citizens? Secondly, it uses “birth of new moon” or “conjunction” to calculate the new moon. This method is has no basis in Shariah. Why can’t ISNA develop a calendar based on “the probability of moonsighting at the sunset,” which is widely used in the shape of maps on moonsighting.com? We can accept one or two errors every three of four years. Thirdly, it abandons its own calculated calendar for Eidul Adha and follows Saudi dates instead.
Unfortunately there were three different eids as far as I know within North America. These festivals are meant to unite the Muslims not divide them. However, we Muslims are trying our best to not to unite.
[...] 1st and some will start from September 2nd in North America. It is very unfortunate that Muslims cannot unite on moonsighting to start this blessed month of Ramadhan or even other very important and blessed days like Eid on [...]
As-Salaam-Wu Alaykum to all
I anticipate that everbody is having a spiritually enlightening Ramadaan. With regard to this debate about the moonsighting, Alhamdulillah We in South Africa seem to be fine with this. We have a Moon sighting committe in Cape Town called MaanKykers, they have been providing this service to south african muslims for many years. If they sight the moon, then Alhamdulillah, people all around SA abide to this. It is surpring to see that people around the world aquabble over petty issues. No wonder the Ummah around the world is disunited. If you sight the moon in your are, notify the relevant muslim committe and mark the beginning of a new islamic month. simple….
Why are people so upset with different times of IDD.
If the imamams and other leaders could see the beauty of the moon sighting they can relate that Idd is fun to be celebrated at different times and places. Just like sun does not rise at the same time. This is the mode of our unity as it explains symbolicaly the diversity of the UMMAH
If you knew the science then there is no disunity rather unity that the moon is the same and the point of vision is at another space time
Assalam alaikum
I would like to differ with brother Faheem and highlight the irony of the whole issue.
In South Africa we are not united on the issue.The maankykers are not always believed and often spot the moon much later in the evening as the sun sets, especially in Summer, much later in Cape Town than in the rest of the country.Taraweeh has often been prayed by the time the report has reached the rest of the country. South Africans are renowned for taking more guidance from the British established institution of Diobhand in India than Saudi Arabia or Egypt…hence we are famous for always eating the first fast in Ramadhaan and fasting on Eid day. In SA we gladly calculate salaah times but are loathe to do the same when it comes to the moon. There needs to be clear guidelines and correct interpretation on a worldwide basis of the moon issue and when our months start and end so that we do not continue to be disunited and quibble over whether we see or calculate the moon’s movements while the West is already sitting on the moon!
all muslims should be united no matter where we live in the world and eid mubarak everyone
[...] This year has also seen the unity of Muslims on the matter of observing moon which is in contrast to many previous years when Muslims were divided on moon sighting issue. [...]
Wow, you’re so much more technologically inclined than I am. But I do so appreciate this website and the info it has provided me… and hope to take some time this week to read more. Love your blog!
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