Starting Ramadan Together?
Friday August 8, 2008
When Ramadan begins next month, will it possibly begin on the same day for everyone? Scholars and communities around the world continue to debate over how to determine the start date of Ramadan: local visual sighting vs. astronomical calculations of the crescent moon.
Share your comments: How does your community determine the beginning of Ramadan? Is it even important for Muslims to begin Ramadan on the same date worldwide?
Comments
THE PROBLEM IS THAT NATIONALISM HAS OVERSHADOWED THE UMMAH, OTHERWISE WE ALL DO NOT HAVE TO SIGHT THE MOON SEPARATELY ONCE ONCE IT IS SIGHTED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD; EVEN IF IT IS BY A NON MUSLIM. MORE SO, WE SHOULD BE ENLIGHTENED ABOUT ‘THE DAY OF DOUBT’ WHEN MUSLIMS ARE EXPECTED TO FAST HALF DAY WHITHIN WHICH TO FIND OUT IF THE MOON HAD BEEEN SIGHTED ELSEWHERE.
I live in Ghana. Modes of determining the start of Ramada is rooted in the age old tradition of begining the process three days before the next moon is sighted during which moslems will be seen in the eveing before and after magrib-isha prayers gloe their eyes into the sky trying to see the new mood first and to proclaim it to every one else. Whenever it is successfully sighted the Imam or the Chief/head of the community is notified who then annoces it to the rest of the community and the region
Of course local enviroment affects the start as there exisrt a time lag between each countrydepending upon the distance
There is a growing tendency for the debate on the reliance of the start date to be fixed by the sighting of the moon, which the hadith and the Quran insist upon. Some educated members of the community tend to use the calender arguing that the days when relianc was based on sighting was due to the fact that in the days of the Holy Prohet (sala lawo ali wasalam} there was no clalender to rely upon. The debate is increasingly becoming hostile wiht some muslims not even starteing the fast three says after some have started, We therefore have pople startingat different days and ending at different days.
The interesting thing about all of this is that when it comes to the celebration of the Idil Addah there is no such confusion as every body gopes to the idd at the same time.
in ghana we the national hilal committee,we look up to them 4 info
I propose for the Islamic Nation to build a center like NASA, and scanning the sky in direct for the first day of Ramadan. All Muslims can see the first sign of Ramadan, in the entire world in direct. From Mexico, Morocco, Mecca to Malysia.
The hadith talks about seeing the moon to start Ramadan. And due to the time difference people don’t see the moon at the same time. I don’t think that in times of Prophet Muhammad (salallah alleihi wa sallam)and after him, people was so upset about if moon could be seen at same time in all countries. There were no TV or phones, so people were starting when they saw the moon. I think that the real problem now is that nobody goes out to see the moon. It’s easier to start when KSA says
astronomical calculations is the best way.
Whether it is astronomical calculations or the actual visual sighting of the new moon, I pray that someday Muslims all over the world would someday celebrate Ramadhan and Syawal together… InsyaAllah
IN NIGERIA, UNFORTUNATELY THE SO CALLED SCHOLARS ARROGATE TO THEMSELVES THE POWER TO DETERMINE THE COMMENCEMNT OF FASTING. THIS IS WITHOUT REGARD TO WHEN THE MOON IS SIGHTED.
With all the technologies in the world today why can’t one website be established that will let everyone know exactly when Ramadan should begin? This is not an issue that should be fought over!
Assalamualikum!
The first sighting of the moon should determine beginning of ramadhan, irrespective of where we are on the globe.
All religious scholars need to take a strong and dedicated effort to enlighten and unite the ummah in this regard.
May ALLAH give us good guidance.
Salam every1. I belive that we shud start Ramadan with the sighting of the moon. Unfortunatly som even in England or even in the same town we have two fasting days, one after another. It is a shame 2 c people celecrate Eid on 1 day and the others r still fasting. YYYYYY does this happen, olease tell me.
I think this is one of the religious issue which if properly addressed could unite the muslim ummah world wide.This could be achieved by establishment of international islamic organisation with members accross countries having muslims population.The Sighting of moon among other contentious issues should be made the mandate of the organisation inter alia.
Sallem : response to Rizwana from England.
For the Ramadan’s conflict of the two groups are like the history of red rose and white rose.
If every one wants to see the moon himself on the roof of his house,or to calculate the date in his office, there the problem is more complicated. Elsewhere, there is no council of Muslims in England, which represents all tendencies?
Or council of mosques in England? Or council of Fatwa proper to England and UK?
hi there all
ramadhan should always start with the sightings of the moon as our prophet (SAW) did and as stated in the Quran.It should also be sighted in your local country or region, not from the other side of the world. It is The Saudis that have called all the confusion and their sponsoring/financing of mosques that are obliged to follow them no matter what happens.
Why dont we go to basics? Before Tv ,radio , telecommunications, someone sighting the moon in the middle east could not have conveyed the message to lets say someone in indonesia on horseback within 7-8 days minimum , you had to see the the moon in your own country/ region.
Saudis seem to have their own agenda who knows what it is but the Saudi government have stated that ‘you should follow the sightings in your own country and not follow us’. That is their official statement but behind closed doors they put alot of financial pressure on local mosques all over the world.
this is a joke.. all muslims in the same country should celebrate ramadan together. this will show unity amongst us. however, at the moment the non muslims are laughing right at us. it has been stated that muslims in a non-muslim country should follow the same ramadan as that of a muslim country. therefore muslims in england should follow the morrocan moon. consequently muslims in england should fast tomorrow!
Sri lanka 2nd September fasting.
our national hilal committee anounce to the muslim public try to the sight the first moon today evening(1st September) to start the ramazan tommorow acording to them yesterday(31st August) was 28th of sahbaan.I witness today first moon was there more than 15 minutes just after the sun sat also there is a rumor some one has sight the moon in eastern part of the sri lanka yesterday (31st August)but committee was not reay to accept that ?can anyone explain exactly what is the problem here. this is not new to sri lanka our hilal committee has too learned ulamaas.
MarshAllah. In Australia all states and territories are fasting with the same start and finishing dates, for the FIRST TIME in many years.