skhan@uwovax.uwo.ca (S. KHAN) (04/18/91)
In response to my earlier note on WHEN IS EID DAY, I have received the following from a netter. I failed to recognize his/her name from the e-mail. I hope the answer could be beneficial for others, as well, so I have decided to post it in the net. Date: Wed, 17 Apr 91 11:16:29 EST From: ONA100C@oduvm.cc.odu.edu Subject: Re: WHEN IS EID DAY? To: skhan@uwovax.uwo.ca DEAR Mr SKHAN ,WE AS MOSLIMS DO NOT FAST IN RAMADAN BECAUSE WE LIKE IT MORE THAN ANY OTHER MONTH,INSTEAD WE FAST BECAUSE ALLAH ORDERED US TO FAST IN RAMADAN. ALSO DO NOT FORGET THAT ALLAH HAS SPECIFIED AND TOLD US HOW TO DETECT THE MONTH OF RAMADAN OR SHAWWAL; WHEN THE PROPHET SAID CLEARLY THAT WE SHOULD AND I REPEAT SHOULD DETECT THE MONTH OF RAMADAN OR SHAWWAL BY THE MEANS OF SIGHTING ONLY AND HE DID NOT SAY CALCULATE IT OR PREDICT IT.YOU MIGHT SAY THERE WAS NO COMPUTERS AT HIS TIME OR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ,AND I SAY ISLAM IS APPLICABLE IN ALL PLACES AND AT ALL TIMES. AND DO NOT FORGET THE BASIC IDEA BEHIND ALL OF THAT WHICH IS THAT WE FAST FOR ALLAH WHENEVER HE WANTS OR TELLS US TO FAST WHETHER SCIENTIFICALLY IT WAS ACTUALLY RAMADAN OR NOT. SO,ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TO DETECT THE CRESCENT BY TRYING TO SIGHT IT, AND IF ANY RELIABLE MOSLIM IN ANY PLACE AROUND THE WORLD CLAIMS THAT HE HAS SEEN THE CRESCENT, WE SHOULD BELIEVE HIM AND FOLLOW HIM WHETHER IT WAS ACTUALLY (SCIENTIFICALLY) RAMADAN OR NOT. FINALLY I HOPE YOU REPLY AND TELL ME YOUR POINT OF VIEW . ASSALAM ALAIKUM Dear Muslims; Thanks for sending me the note. I am pleased to tell you that I try my best to see the crescent from boyhood. But don't tell me to look into the sky on the 27th day of any month to see the moon. If we can not see it (even if actually the crescent is in the sky) and we want to follow the sunnah, then we must complete 30 days of the month before starting a new month. Don't be in hurry to accept an unrealistic claim of some one. Please note the following points: 1. Do we brake our fast after actually observing yourself the sun set? Or by taking the witness of any other Muslim? 2. Do we ever stop eating suhur after trying to distinguish the difference between the white and black thread? 3. Do we face towards KABA by your intuitional assessment of its direction at the time of prayers? 4. If you recommend to accept the claim of moon sighting of any Muslim anywhere in the world as the beginning of Islamic month through out the globe, then how do you take care of time difference in various places? Why did't the sahaba's accepted the claims of moon sighting at Syria in Medina? 5. Do we pray morning prayer at the same time through out the world? The answers to the above questions reveal the fact that there is time differences at different places and that we depend on the reliable knowledge (calculations) to do our worshiping. Please note that there are numerous verses in the Qur'an that affirms that the creation of the earth and other bodies in the universe are calculated (husban) and each has fixed destiny (taqdir). Day and night, sun and moon has a fixed cycle. Please refer to Mourice Buchaile's book : The Bible, the Qur'an and the Science, for detail. Muslims are asked to seek knowledge (not only calculation) even for that needs to go to China. Over the centuries people have observed the motion and cycles of the moon and sun. The prayer time table or the direction of kaba compass are the results of astronomical calculation. If we can follow them five times a day without raising any question, why should we be mad for to accept the same principle (based on the Qur'an) to determine the Islamic months? I know about the sahada. But, question is should we believe the claims of observing a non-existent moon? Or a moon that is too immatured to be visible? You may have known the unbelievable news of 28 days of fasting in Ramadan. This is due to such claim. If there is a crescent in the sky and if one person can see it, what is wrong with the other people? What about the millions to the west of that person? Why should one see the crescent for one second only? Why should it not be on the correct position and direction? Lots of questions can be asked about it. I don't know any of the Muslim astronomers tells us not to try to see the crescent. I must agree with them. At the sametime if we have reliable guidance about the occurance and earliest visibility of the the crescent based on science, what prevents us to utilize that to make our task easier? I hope I have addressed your concerns in a nutshell. For further information one may contact Dr. Omar Afzal, Cornell Univesity, Ithaca, NY. He heads the Committee for the Observations of the Crescent. Shahjahan Khan Mukul
nabeel@sce.carleton.ca (Nabeel Ghuzlaan) (04/19/91)
The original email which you referenced included that the witness should be reliable not any lier or whatever. The fact that every thing in the universe is controlled precisely does not imply that we know how it is controlled and does not prove that our calculations are correct. If those calculations contradict the observation then They are WRONG! In your reference to Sahaba in Sirya and Medina, those Sahaba have not got the means of communications that we have now, so they can not be blamed for something they do not and can not know. The analogy which supported your arguement, nobody bases anything on it and it is obvious that it is wrong, no one can break fast at noon because it is sunset somewhere. This is obvious, but the beginning of months should account for the few-hour difference but not get different months in different countries. ____________________________________________________________________________ | DISCLAIMER: These opinions do not necessarily represet those of Carleton | | University, Systems and Computer Engineering Department, its Chairman, | | System Manager, System Operator, Faculty Members, Staff nor students. | | Furthermore, most of the time they do not even represent my own point | | of view! However, some people think they are worth consideration. | ============================================================================ | On the Way of Multidimensional Orthonormal Thinking | ============================================================================ | The Steel-Ice Man | They are called ideals because they are unreachable. | | (*Keep cool*) | However it is our challenge to keep trying! | |__________________________________________________________________________|