Unitedly we shall have to “perform forziat” and stop “haram fasting”.
Though the above subject has been placed on the basis of scientific stand point and unflinching reasonings, nothing has been said without strong support of the Holy Qur’an & Sahih Hadith.
In support of my opinion I have as many as 50 proofs from the books on Fatwa along with Qur’an & Hadith. In order to reduce size of this book, I refrained from quoting anymore.
I, therefore, place an appeal to all brothers & sisters, may the whole Muslim Ummah of the world give up baseless utterings & debates and come forward unitedly to “perform forziat” and “remain away from doing Haram rituals”.
Allah (swt) is one, Kalema is one, Islam is one, Muslim Ummah is one, Earth is one, Moon is one-so the month of Ramadan will also be one.
It can further be said that, our Qibla is one. Khanaye Qaba
is one. The congregation of Haji is held in one day, Qurbani or Eid-ul Azha is held there in one day, Friday’s Juma prayer is held in one day worldwide and Qiyamat will also be held in one day.
Since a day has its starting and ending, similarly, the month will have a starting & ending. The year will also have a starting and ending. It means that the “World Hijri Calendar” will have to be only one. By counting day, month & year separately, division should not be created in the Muslim Ummah as because Qiyamat cannot be divided and multiple new-moons cannot be invented. Similarly, multiple calendars cannot be created. The rule of Allah (swt) and His Rasul (pbuh) is one and that will remain as only one.
Question may arise, as to what may be the solution? The solution is one. The way we count day & date with the help of IDL, we will have to count months and years with the help of IDL.
Being Sentimental, if Khana-i-Kaba is made the centre for counting days, months & years, then IDL has to be forgotten & science is to be denied. Also we shall have to accept Friday in one side of Harem Sharif and Saturday on the other side of it. There will be more indiscipline in place of discipline. In Allah’s (swt) world, the creator of science, there is no indiscipline. This is what He said.
Since creation, the counting and naming of week days have been going on continuously. We all perform our religious functions by obeying that.
Under such context and continuity, if the beginning and sighting of new moon is counted on the basis of IDL, then there will have no possibility of any indiscipline anywhere in the world. Rather the Islami Sharia in this regard will be firmly established with disciplines. This cannot but be the desire of any devoted Muslim.
As such, in my opinion, there exists only one way & that is to accept my proposed “World Hijri Calendar” as an unique gift of Allah (swt) for the man kind & follow it Worldwide.
In Qur’an, Allah (swt) has asked the mankind to give Zakat for possessing wealth. But He did not fix up the amount of wealth that can be possessed.
In the same way, Allah (swt) has directed the leader or Ameer of a group or an area to render justice. But the party or area has not been fixed.
In the same context, it can be said that, although the man-made village, union, police station, district, state is essential for mankind; Allah (swt) has not fixed up any boundary line, other than the earth itself.
But there are effective rules and instructions of Shari‘ah for management of everything.
While using Hijri, Ishayi or Bengali year, in all cases, we count a week by 7 days with their names in a common manner & without any exception. Accordingly we make calendars also.
In Christian calendar, these 24-hour days of the week start after mid night.
In Islam, counting of these 24 hour days start after sunset.
After sunset on Thursday, if it is announced that new-moon has been sighted at Shatkhira district and as such there will be Eid tomorrow. Accordingly Eid will be observed on Friday throughout Bangladesh.
Sunset of this Thursday will keep on moving to the west, starting from Shatkhira to Howrah/Kolkata (India) and onward to the west.
As such, on Friday Eid is supposed to be celebrated in India, Oman, KSA & other countries in the west, like us.
In that case it could be seen that all the Muslims have celebrated Eid within 24 hrs throughout the whole world.
Whether in the east or in the west, wherever the new-moon will be sighted, the entire world can celebrate Eid within 24 hours.
Then why the Muslim Ummah is failing to understand & follow the easy language of Holy Qur’an & Hadith? Where lays the real problem? It appears that the real problem lies in determining as to who will follow whom.
Allah (swt) has given the mankind new moon to calculate month and Rasul (pbuh (has instructed his Ummah to begin the Saom with the new moon and end it with another new moon.
To make this arrangement of Allah (swt) effective, the Scientists have created an International Date Line from where the day or date can be started.
The basis of this reference line has been accepted by us irrespective of caste or creed and accordingly we count our week days. In the same context, we offer our Juma prayer on Friday worldwide within 24 hours and as per our own local time.
When we all are performing various religious events by accepting the week days on the basis of International Date Line, in the same context if we determine and count the lunar months, all existing confusion in Islam can be removed for ever.
Since this arrangement, to count lunar month, will be universal & acceptable totally, we must ensure birth of new moon and its sighting with reference to IDL.
With the help of astronomical statistics we shall have to obtain calculations of moon setting after sunset of next 24 hours of IDL along the equator. From this calculation, we shall be able to understand when & where the new moon will be starting in each month.
With the above statistics and adding 9 hours after IDL, it has to be found out on which date of Christian month, the new moon will begin. In the next 15 hours, the new-moon will definitely be seen. As such new Hijri month will be counted from next day & date after IDL.
If this universal arrangement of counting lunar month is accepted (like counting of a day by 24 hours), then the Muslim Ummah of the World can observe Ramadan and Eid & other religious events on the same day and date.
By doing so, the orders of Allah (swt) & instructions of Rasul (pbuh) will be implemented correctly as per Shari‘ah.
Accordingly, the “World Hijri Calendar” for 1431-1433 Hijri years as prepared by me on the basis of counting’s of 2010-2012 solar years has been shown in column 9 of the tables given in chapter three.
If my proposed “World Hijri Calendar” is accepted, then there will be unity in world Muslim Ummah and Islami Shari‘ah will become properly established worldwide in moon–based prayers.
I feel that, this proposal is the best method of solving our problems, which is the bounden duty for the Muslim Ummah to accept it.
We have to secure unity by giving up all divisions.
Presently, throughout the world, we are observing various religious events in more or less 3 days.
P/41
By this way more than 33% accuracy and coordination cannot be achieved. As such, there is no logic to accept it.
If my World Hijri Calendar as proposed in episode-11 & 21, which was made on the basis of statistics received from astronomical data is followed, then the instructions of Shari‘ah could be fulfilled correctly. I don’t have any doubt about it.
My suggestion about Hijri calendar mostly coincides with Ummul Qura of KSA and Fiqh council of North America.
The Fiqah council of North America has prepared a “World Islamic Calendar” based on moon-sighting in any part of the world. Their calendars have been shown in column-10, of each chart. [Ref: page 199 to 201]
They (NAFC) decided to determine single Islamic calendar on the basis of astronomical calculations by following International Date Line (IDL) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as adapted universally by all.
As per their decision, on 29th or 30th day of Arabic month, if new-moon starts after sun set before IDL, 1st day of the new lunar month will start from IDL. Otherwise 1st day will start after one day more.
Beginning of new moon & sighting of new moon is not the
same thing. Just after beginning, the new moon cannot be sighted. Scientifically there is requirement of a minimum of 12 hours time in between the two.
Use of a Conventional Point of Reference (CPR) is very necessary for starting the calculation of lunar months. Religion or religious sentiments are not connected with this CPR. Time determined by watches has no influence over any religion. Rather use of watches help to perform religious events in time. So watches can not be called heathen object. Rather it is a scientific means for establishing Shari‘ah firmly. There cannot have any alternative to calculating time for performing religious events with the help of tools invented by science. In fact, it is essential now.
Under such circumstances, the universal arrangement that exists for determining time with the help of IDL & GMT, we can take help from it to calculate lunar month, which will be helpful in following the orders of Shari‘ah properly.
As per Qur’an, we are to ensure the new-moon’s starting. If the new moon is starts at 09 hours east of IDL, the 1st day of the new month will start from next date.
This is because the new moon will be sighted on the date at 09 hrs east of IDL. On this basis, I have prepared my proposed Hijri Calendar by calculation. This is shown in column-9.
Based on the suggestions at sl-4,5&6, the “World Islamic Calendar” prepared by North American Fiqah Council is also shown in column-10 in each table which can be followed in order to start Ramadan or observe Eid on the same day throughout the world.
But my proposed “World Hijri Calendar” given in column-9, is more authentic and justified due to analysis done from various angles.
Since we reached the threshold of solving the problem, all of us should come forward with cooperative mind to establish unity among the Muslim Ummah without hesitation and doubt.
This is the best way to solve our problem, which can be taken up right now. If the Ulama accept it, then most of the old differences prevalent in World Muslim Ummah will go away & universal brotherhood will be established.
Unity in Muslim Ummah is to be established by coordinating Qur’an & Sunnah with the help of knowledge & science.
In this Episode, I will try to present an easy way of counting of lunar months & calendar, so that common readers can easily understand it.
In the very outset, let me recall that all Muslims are now performing rituals including sunrise, sunset, timings of salat etc. with the help of clocks as per Christian calendar.
The Christian calendar is known as “Gregorian calendar,” which is based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
In order to determine timings, this Universal System has been accurately made as per scientific calculation based on movement of the sun and the earth.
There is no place for religious doctrine or philosophy here. Even question of religious influence does not arise as the matter is only related to time.
Everybody can utilize these time calculations as per his need. Since the instructions of Shari‘ah can be effectively implemented by using time-piece, we have accepted it.
Scientists have already calculated the time of sunrise and sun-set for various places accurately. Similarly, they have done time calculations for moon–rise & moon-setting. As such, at the end of any lunar month whenever at any place on earth, the 1st new-moon sets after sun-set, we are to understand that a new lunar month has started. On this basis, the scientists have already prepared future yearly lunar calendars including their minute details by calculating moon light fractions accurately.
We may get these data from US Naval Observatory through internet easily. [Ref: http://aa.usno.navy.mid.cgibin/aa-rstablew.pl]
Statistics have already been obtained by me from internet for beginning of new moon and its increasing & decreasing stages as per calendar of English months, against positions of many places on the earth from the year 2006 to 2012 according to astronomical science.
We can easily & clearly find the beginning & ending of every lunar month from these statistics. The number of days in any month is found to be either 29 or 30.
By using these statistics, and on the basis of beginning of new moon, charts/layouts of 1st days of lunar months from1431 to1433 Hijri years have been made according to solar calendar dates by making eight equal segments along the equator of the earth (See Chapter-3).
From this chart, it can be seen that there is a lack of similarity between other Hijri calendars prepared and followed in different places of the world.
2/3 days variation in starting a lunar month, as generally we find, is not at all acceptable to anyone.
Local new-moon sighting and starting of lunar months on this basis are the main root cause of creation of all differences of opinion in the Muslim Ummah.
At present, there are strict instructions in areas/countries to count the lunar month on the basis of local sighting of new moon and to observe Ramadan/Eid. In the true sense, Allah (swt) and His Rasul (pbuh) did not say so. Those who say so, in practice they act in the reverse. Their reverse practice mainly directs us towards obeying orders of Allah (swt). Their adopted policy is, whether big or small, or if the country is spread over thousands of miles, wherever, the moon is sighted the rest of the country will have to observe Ramadan /Eid accordingly. If this would have been the concept, then there should not be any difficulty in observing Ramadan/Eid in rest of the world, after obtaining information of new-moon sighting from any corner of the earth. In fact, Allah (swt) wishes the same.
From the chart of serial no-11, it is evident that, in order to make sure the new-moon-sighting, the Saudi Arabia based Ummul Qura (approved institution of KSA), starts some lunar months one day later than other places of the world. This cannot be a job to be supported.
Interesting thing is that, Bangladesh starts the lunar months even 1 or 2 days later than KSA. I do not find any justification or sharia basis in it.
After analyzing the chart mentioned in para-11 of this
episode and considering new-moon rise after IDL, I have proposed a universal “World Hijri Calendar” in the 9th column of the charts presented in page 199 to 201 of this book. In this proposal due considerations were made for astronomical time gap requirement of a minimum of 12 hours between beginning of the new-moon and sighting of the new-moon.
This calendar is supposed to be acceptable to all. In that case, oneness & overall co-ordination may be achieved among world Muslim Ummah. At the same time, Islami Shari‘ah in this respect will be established worldwide perfectly.
This co-ordinated & suggested calendar is mainly based on Qur’an, Hadith & astronomy, which can be realized after a little deep thinking. In it lies the true element of effectively establishing Islamic Shari‘ah in respect of Saom/Eid etc. as per Qur’an & Sunnah and also on the basis of universal thoughts & inspirations.
In my proposed Hijri Calendar for 2011 solar year, I suggested to start Ramadan on 01-08-11 and observe Eid on 30-08-11. In fact, almost all the countries including KSA have followed my Calendar. As such, my calculations have been found to be accurate.
I’m making a fervent appeal to all to accept my co-ordinated suggestion for establishing a “World Hijri Calendar”. Then the Muslim Ummah will be able to get rid from all divisions & can go a long way to the path of unity.
Single Hijri calendar, which is prepared by the Astronomical scientists according to lunar movement calculations, will have to be followed worldwide.
There is no difference of opinion in counting a day with earth, a lunar month with moon & a year with 12 months.
The Arabic year of lunar calendar will be 11 days less than the Christian year of solar calendar, and there is no two opinions about it as well.
Opinion differs only with the new moon & lunar month. It means, the new moon will be sighted in different times in different places of the earth and as such, lunar month will be starting on different dates. As a result, there will be 2/3 Arabic calendars existing in the world.
This idea is totally wrong, unjustified, unscientific, a result of ignorance and even beyond Sharia. The example of new born baby & newly married girl, as given in sl.7 of Episode-11, may clarify the matter easily.
New-moon will rise once in the entire world. Question of its re-appearance, a number of times, does not arise and so, there will be only one lunar month in the world.
As such, there cannot have any alternative than to using single Islamic calendar universally. Moreover, the world is now called a “Global Village”.
It takes only few seconds time to communicate globally through Radio, TV & Internet.’
As such, there is no need to send an Islamic satellite in the space as previously proposed by OIC.
We only need to gather information where the first new moon has been sighted and immediately start Ramadan & observe Eid worldwide according to the local time differences.
In easier way it can be said that, as per information received via internet about beginning & rotation of new moon, we can prepare a lunar calendar by calculation and the whole world can follow it.
The argument in favour of this is that, in this scientific age we all follow clock timings to eat food at the time of sehri, iftar, keep fasting & offer Salat. Though it is not as per Sharia, still ulama have legalized it.
Muazzin calls for salat by looking at his clock timings. Calculation of the time has been set by the scientists as per location of the place. Having complete faith on it, we need not see subhe sadiq, sunrise or sun set. Moreover, we do not feel necessary to see the connected Hadiths. Ulama could raise objection, if there would have been anything harmful to sharia.
We can surely determine universal lunar months according to the countings of day & date with the help of new moon and as per calculation of the scientists. It is now very easy to obtain past & future statistics on gradual increase/decrease of moon against any position on earth. Such statistics have already been prepared by the scientists.
Now there is a need to establish an universal brotherhood, co-operation, common feelings & Islamic unity among Muslim Ummah as per Sharia, by adopting the facilities offered by these inventions and by removing all indiscipline and ignorances.
There cannot be more than one new moon in the same month on earth.
Light of the sun directly falls on earth.
Because of diurnal movement, the sunrise & sunset can be seen within 24 hours from almost all places on earth
According to time difference, we count day/night world- wide and offer Salat & fasting. Allah (swt) instructed this.
In case of moon, such timings are not at all applicable. Because new moon will be seen once in a month. Those who talk about appearance of several new-moons in a month are living in on illogical state of serious blunder.
With one sun-rise we count a day in the world by 24 hours. Similarly, we shall have to count only one lunar month in the world with the help of a new-moon.
We observe the increase & decrease of moon from the earth due to variations in rise & setting of moon & sun.
Full moon occurs, when there is a simultaneous rising of moon in eastern sky & sunset in the western sky. Again there occurs a new-moon, when sun & moon set together in the western sky.
After the dark stage, when the sunset is followed by the moon set in the western sky, we can see the new-moon whose duration is small. By this way counting of a month starts with the help of new-moon.
Hence, lunar month will start in the world with the help of a new-moon. There will be moon–rise in subsequent days. But those will be rise of old moons. Allah (swt) has said about the movement of moon clearly in Sura Yasin, ayat 2:189. After that there exists no scope for not understanding it?
There cannot exist more than one lunar calendar for the same month & for the same year in the world. This is not also the natural rule of Allah (swt). We posses less knowledge and we want to know less. In fact, there must be only one Hijri Calendar which has got connection with the Hijrat.
Whenever anybody talks about new moon-rise, the theory of time difference due to sun-rise is dragged in, which is nothing but a cock and bull story.
Those who do not understand about the movement and disposition of the sun, the earth, the moon, day, night & their variations, diurnal & annual movement, new moon & full moon, lunar & solar eclipses etc, they can speak anything. Knowledgeable persons must come forward in order to get rid of these so-called innocent and ignorant people.
By following the calendars prepared on the basis of lunar months as calculated by Astronomical scientists, if the orders of Allah (swt) and instruction of Rasul (pbuh) are obeyed, it should be a Fard (Compulsory to obey) duty for the Muslim Ummah to accept.
So, some people follow the new-moon sighting of KSA.
If the 1st new-moon is sighted in KSA, then rest of the countries of the world can observe Ramadan/Eid on the basis of that sighting.
If some other countries of the world sight the 1st new-moon, even then KSA is found to follow it. If means that KSA follows 1st moon single anywhere in the world.
Incidentally it is worth mentioning that Saudi Arab performed Hajj on 29th December, 2006 by taking it as 9th of Zilhajj and also performed Eidul Adha on the next day.
Whereas, Bangladesh performed Eidul Adha on the 1st January, 2007 (2 days later than KSA) as per its own calendar. I do not find any logic behind this.
Such a big difference/gap cannot be accepted by Qur’an/Sunnah in this twenty first century.
I have not seen any person with little or no education to support this deviation.
So, there is no other alternative than to observing Ramadan Eid on the same day worldwide, after first sighting of the new-moon. The “International Moon-sighting Committee” can also take care about it.
Even if the Muslim Ummah wholly considers the Khanai Kaaba as centre of the world & considers the moon-rise at Mecca after sunset as the starting of new moon, and begins counting lunar month from next day, then counting of lunar month will be very close to accuracy. Because there is very little difference between my proposal & that of Ummul Qura. But we have to see, if there is a difference in this counting with the one given in the Holy Qur’an. If this counting is followed, then major chaos regarding counting of week-days & dates and even occurrence of Qiyamat on the same day may go. Those who follow KSA, they do a better job than those who observe Ramadan / Eid in 2/3 days.
In this connection it can be stated that for the last 70 years Sadra Darbar Sharif of Chandpur district in Bangladesh and subsequently in many other places of the world are fasting along with Saudi Arabia.
The Scientists can tell about position of new-moon in advance by calculation.
People can tell accurately by calculation when the sunrise
and sunset will occur at any place of the world by hour, minute and second.
For sending rockets to moon, the scientists can accurately calculate the speed of rocket & position of moon. They proved it through landing on the surface of the moon.
The scientists are well aware or can tell by calculation from which part of the world, the new-moon will be sighted on 29/30th day of lunar month. As per their calculation, universal lunar calendars have already been prepared up to 4999 Hijri year.
In that case, it is possible to follow single Arabic or lunar calendar just like the solar one. At least the instructions of Qur’an Say so.
For this reason, Allah (swt) has clearly said in Sura Ar Rahman ayat 55:5 that “the sun & the moon move as per fixed calculation”.
The way Muslim Ummah of the world offer Juma prayer on Friday as per English calendar, the same way the Muslim Ummah can observe Juma, Ramadan, 2 Eids by following single Arabic calendar.
That means, all Muslims of the world can start Ramadan fasting on the same date and perform Eid on the same date. And no problem will arise on that account. Our ignorance is responsible for it. I can cite few examples.
We can see that, many mosques in Bangladesh, kept hanging English timetable signboards with the slogan of “Permanent timings of Salat”. What is the logic of this?
If the world is not permanent, then how the calendar can be called permanent?
We consider the Qur’an, Mecca & Medina as sacred. Whereas in Bangladesh, many religious functions are being termed as great sacred. Is there any justification for calling it so i.e. more sacred than our sacred things or places. It means that they are “more Christian than the Christ himself”.
In order to regain the lost glory & tradition of Islam, we must have to advance ourselves in knowledge & science. In other words, as per direction of Allah (swt), we have to make research on Qur’an, which is the greatest science of all times and follow it.
Ramadan & Eid cannot be performed separately on the basis of moon-sighting in different parts of the world.
Is not it become a matter of laughter, when we talk about sighting of new-moon on the basis of countries like tiny Maldive, small Bangladesh, large India & massive Russia? Maldive used to follow Bangladesh earlier, but do not do now. They realized that there is no sharia basis of counting lunar month in Bangladesh. In fact, boundary of a country is man-made & not the one given by Allah (swt). As such, the moon cannot be confined to any geographical boundary.
In the erst-while East & West Pakistan, starting of Ramadan & performance of Eid were held on the same day. Whereas, India was in between, where Ramadan & Eid had been observed earlier or later, which did not have any justification or basis. Long committed mistakes and wrong teachings were responsible for this.
Hence, the month has to be started from the day of sighting new-moon from anywhere in the world & according to that Ramadan /Eid will have to be observed.
