The Islaamic Calendar:
When IS    'EID?

All of us are aware of a recurring problem whenever the seasons of Ramadon, 'Eidul-Fitr and then 'Eidul-Ad-ha approach.  What is the "date" going to be?

By "date" of course we mean the date on the civil calendar --we know that on the Islaamic Calendar, Ramadon is a month that starts on the first day of Ramadon! 'Eidul-Fitr is the first day of the month of Shawwal, and 'Eidul-Ad-ha is the 10th day of DHul Hijjah.

Islaamic Law, Shari'ah, has clearly defined for us when the Islaamic months begin and end.  It is when the thin crescent of the new moon is FIRST SIGHTED in the western sky just after sundown.  This is an event that is experienced (in a clear climate!) every 29 or 30 days. The reason for the variation from month to month:  the time it takes for the celestial motion of the moon around the earth relative to the earth's movement around the sun, is an average of 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes. 

INFORMATION ON THE ISLAAMIC CALENDAR:

"What is Islamic Calendar?"  a 1-page introduction by S. Khalid Shaukat

"Moon Sighting and the Islamic Calendar" by Syed Khalid Shaukat -- some considerations from Al-Quraan al-kareem, and details to consider when attempting to apply Shari'ah requirements.

A paper detailing some of the Islaamic considerations of the sighting of this new crescent was presented in Ramadon, at the Islamic Centre  in Stanmore (England)
in January, 1999.

For answers to some frequently asked questions about new moons and sighting them, including "What is Astronomical New Moon" and "When has the earliest crescent of a new moon been seen after the moon was born?" 

WHY IS THERE A PROBLEM HERE?

If the Shari'ah and the Sunnah of all Four Sunni Schools and the Ja'fari (Shi'ah IthnaAshari) School all agree on how to determine the start of the month, and Allaah has stated it in Al-Quraan al-majeed, then why is there a problem every year in the 15th century of Islaam? To understand the nature of the current problem, please read the articles below:

"Two 'Eid or not Two 'Eid"  --a one-page introduction to the problem's roots
       By Maulana Zafar Mahmood Farashwi and Irfan Chishti, Manchester & Rochdale UK

"The Islamic Calendar and Dates for Ramadan and Eid Celebrations, 1419 (1998/99)"
by Mrs. Alphecca Muttardy, September 1998   --This is an excellent and detailed presentation of the entire question.  A "must read" for all Muslims in North America!

"Fixing Eid al-Adha Date" by Dr. Omar Afzal :
Some Muslims insist that Eid al-Adha date all over the world should be fixed on the day-after-Hajj-in-Makka. In Middle Eastern countries this is an uncontested practice, and their Ulema justify it without giving any reason (Dalil) for it. Most Muslims outside the Arab world still follow their sighting. In Europe, especially England, Australia and America where the Muslims from various traditions have settled in the last few decades Saudi dates cause a lot of heartache every year. Muslims have fist-fights over which is the correct day for Eid al-Adha. Let us look for some answers.

Is ISNA violating Islaamic Shari'ah in it's judgements on when to hold Eidul-Ad-ha?
Here is the opinion of Maulana Mufti M. Taqi Usmani of Darul-Uloom in Karachi, Pakistan, who reviewed ISNA's official document, "Element of Place is Dominant in Eid al-Adha"

Saudi Alim Asks Muslims in N. America NOT to pray Eid on Day after Arafah!
Saudi Alim:     Shaikh Mohammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaimeen      (Famous Saudi Alim and Faqih, Shaikh Mohammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaimeen tells Muslims about the correct date of Eid al-Adha in N. America: the 10th Zul-Hijja of North America, and not the day-after Arafah in Makkah, as the ISNA and others claim.)

THE RULES OF THE UMMUL QURA -- AN ISLAMIC CALENDAR ?
Dr.Mohib.N.DURRANI,   (E-Mail: [email protected] )
North American Coordinator (Since 1987), for Astronomical Information
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
ISNA, in making its political decision to follow Saudi Arabia instead of Shari'ah, ignores the evidence and advice of it's own expert staff. Here Dr. Durrani gives a detailed explaination of why the Saudi "Ummul-Qura" calendar violates Shari'ah requirements for the start of the Islaamic months.  (Warning: somewhat technical!)

   Documentary Evidence:        "Most people think that Saudi Arabia always adopts the actual sighting of the crescent as the basis to start Islamic months. But during the previous years, it was very clear to the public as well as to astronomers that most of the Saudi months were wrong if the actual sighting is the basis for starting the Islamic month. Fortunately, (we at the Jordanian Astronomical Society) received a telegram from The Highest Religious Council "Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala" in Saudi Arabia confirming that Saudi Arabia adopts the astronomical calculations and totally ignores the actual sighting."   

SO WHY DO SOME AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS
                   CREATE CONFUSION FOR MUSLIMS?

The Fiqh Council (religious scolars) of the Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA),  stated in April 1988:
" ... Criteria for determining the beginning and end of Ramadan. ... The Fiqh Council, after
deliberation and review of the past criteria, fiqh opinions, and contemporary positions of Muslim scholars in North America and in the Muslim world, has decided to follow the authentic, well-founded, and widely accepted position of IKHTILAAF AL-MATAALI (literally, different horizons or different places of sighting), which states that each locality should make its own sighting of the crescent. The Fiqh Council, therefore, has concluded that North America should be considered as one MATLA (place of sighting) and that Muslims of North America should depend solely on crescent sightings in North America. ...

The Fiqh Council also concluded that the date for the Eid al-Adha will coincide with the date
announced in MECCA for the day of Eid al-Adha."

WHAT KIND OF REASONING IS THIS?

Scholars holding seats on this ISNA Fiqh Council should be expected to fear Allaah and approach their duties with humility and the desire to please only Allaah.  Indeed, the first paragraph above seems to display such an attitude! But then?

Then, after listing all the sound Islaamic reasons why  IKHTILAAF AL-MATAALI is the Furqaan in dertermining the months of the Islaamic year, they immediately state they abandon
this sunnah completely and follow "the date announced in Mecca" when it comes to 'Eidul-Ad-ha! 

How do they expect to be taken seriously? Isn't this saying, in effect, "OK, for one 'Eid we'll follow the Shari'ah and for one 'Eid we'll follow the Saudis. That ought to make everybody happy."

Perhaps one question remains unclear. Isn't Eidul-Ad-ha, in fact, necessarily tied to the events going on in Makka at the Hajj? That question was answered in the above links, to articles by Maulana Mufti M. Taqi Usmani of Darul-Uloom in Karachi, Pakistan and Saudi Alim, Shaikh Mohammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaimeen. 

For another article addressing the relationship between Hajj sacrifice and 'Eidul-Ad-ha:

Eid al-Adha is not Eid al-Hajj by Dr. Omar Afzal

OUR CONCLUSION

Since we need to fix a date on which to offer 'Eid prayers, a judgement needs to be made as to whent the correct date falls.  My reasoning on this matter is as follows:

1] The 'Eidul-Adha prayers are required by Shar'iah to be performed the morning of the 10th Day of DHul-Hijjah.

2] The beginning of the month is determined by the actual sighting of the new lunar crescent.
        a] It is a known fact that the lunar-solar conjunction (Astronomical "New Moon," or old popular English term "Dark of the Moon") took place at precisely 18:49 hours GMT.
        b] It is a known law of optics and astrophysics that the new crescent of the moon cannot be detected until it reaches beyond  7 degrees past the conjunction. The time that it takes for this to happen varies depending on several astrophical and climatic factors. Therefor although we know with absolute certainty when it is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to see the new crescent, we cannot know with certainty precisely when it will first become possible to see.
        c] Therefore, we can accept as evidence a claim of moon-sighting if it is within the timeframe of being physically possible. We cannot accept a claim if it is impossible.

3] Claims of sightings on the evening of March 17th, making March 18th the First Day of DHul-Hijjah, are false because they are physically impossible.

4] Claims of sightings on the evening of March 18th are acceptible because they are both widespread worldwide and they are physically possible.

5] Additionally, March 18th was the 29th day DHul-Qada. If the 19th of March is the first day of DHul-Hijjah, then there were 29 days instead of 30 days in DHul-Qada. This is acceptible. If one accepts March 18th as the First day of the new month, then DHul-Qada only had 28 days. This is not acceptible in the Islaamic Calendar.

FIRST CONCLUSION: The first day of DHul-Hijjah in hijri 1419 could only be on Friday, 19 March, 1999.

SECOND CONCLUSION: Nine days  after the First of the month is the Tenth of the Month.

JUDGEMENT:
Therefore, 'Eidul-Adha, the 10th Day of DHul-Hijjah, is on Sunday, 28 March 1999.

As always, I am open to Shuura (consultation) on this decision, as in all others.  If you wish to present evidence in any of the following catagories, I am available most any time:
Evidence of a different Shar'ah requirement than I have stated.
Evidence of errors in mathematical or astronomical data.
Evidence of inconsistant or unIslaamic reasoning in reaching the judgement.

As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.

--Taariq 'abdun-Noor (John) Boice, president
Islamic Society of Jamestown

Home address: 8852 Glasgow Road, Fredonia, NY 14063

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