44. Is the difference of opinion expressed in fixing the lunar calendar Islamic dates justified?

 Verse (2:185) of the Quran says, “whoever reaches the month of Ramadhan let him start fasting” and not “start fasting at the beginning of the month of Ramadhan.

Generally, no one talks in this way while declaring the start of a month. But the Quran uses this phrase which is not the practice with proper reason.

This verse stands as important evidence in matters of fixing the lunar calendar dates of the Islamic months.

We do know that the Quran is the word of God, the words of humans are prone to mistakes, but not the words of God are not and can never be.

And there is a strong belief in each Muslim that not a single unnecessary word could be found in the Quran. Let’s have this firm belief entrenched in our hearts and start our analyses.

The Quran says it is incumbent upon those who (sight the new moon) attain the month of Ramadan to fast.

We can understand from this phrase that without the words ‘attain the month’ one is able to decipher that fasting in the month of Ramadan is a mandatory duty.

If that is the case, what was the necessity for these words in the Quran? In normal practice these words are not used by anyone.

Fa

Mann

Shahi’da

Min

Kum

Al

Shahara

Hence whomever attains (sights the new moon) It may seem that these four words are unnecessary.

Are these words used here without any purpose? Not a single word in the Quran is without purpose.

In addition to declaring fasting a mandatory duty in the month of Ramadan these words are being used to convey something more. Allah is most Immaculate from the unwanted words.

Let’s analyze what Al-Mighty conveys through the words ‘Whomever attains the month’

To understand this phrase, we need to look at similar ones used in the Quran. Even the one preceding it is used in the same manner, let’s take a look at it.

Oh, you believers! We have made fasting mandatory on certain days, so that you may strengthen your piousness in fearing God. ‘Whoever is convalescing, or in travel (during the days of fasting) may choose other days’ (and complete the left-out days of fasting.) ‘Those who can afford instead feed the poor as a remedy.’ It is beneficial for people who are proactive in doing good. “If you could only realize that fasting is better (than remedies)” The Holy Quran 2:184. 

 Allah says in this verse of the Quran that whoever is in ailment or performing a journey (during the month of fasting-Ramadan) may pick any other date (to complete the left days of fasting during the fasting month). 

The phrase ‘those who are in ailment’ means there are other healthy people. If it so happened that all are in ailment, then the words ‘those who are in ailment’ wouldn’t be mentioned.

In the same way we should attribute an understanding to the phrase ‘those who attain the month of Ramadan’. Since both the phrases are of the same literary grace.

We need to understand this as, there may be ones who have attained (seen the new moon beginning the month of Ramadan) and others who have not.

Not only these verses, but All verses also that convey messages like ‘one who reaches, attains etc. should be interpreted in this manner.

When there are two categories of people, those that are guided and those misguided, can we point out the ones who are guided by us. (2:38)

Likewise, there are two types: those who have undertaken Haj, and those who have not. (2:197). 

 Likewise (Al-Quran 2:196) those that are in a position to receive the sacrificial animal and those who cannot.

We can find the same grace in many verses of the Quran and in the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad.

We can tell humans that the ones who refrain from telling lies will be rewarded, but the same cannot be said of angels. If said, it would lead to the conclusion that there are angels speaking lies. 

 On these fundamentals should the above cited verse be analyzed.

a) Maybe one is in a position to have attained (witnessed the new moon of Ramadan) while others have not.

b) or Maybe one attains (the opportunity to witness) the new moon later than the other. Only in a scenario like this can the phrase ‘Whoever attains can be used’.

In case now let us imagine where everyone attains (happen to witness the new moon of the month of Ramadan at the same time) the usage of the phrase in the Quran (“whoever attains the month of Ramadan”) would become infructuous. This could never be.

The dead cannot attain Ramadan, only those alive could, when this is the case, God could have merely said ‘this is for those alive’ is the question of some. This is unacceptable, because the Quran talks and warns those who are alive and not to the dead.

Here the word ‘You’ denoting a second person is used to address the living who could have attained Ramadan, and those who have not. 

 Not only the commandment about fasting, but all verses of the Quran are also addressed to the living. “The most Intelligent of all” Allah could he ever say, ‘that only the live observe fasting.’

The message implied here is whoever among the living has attained the month of Ramadan observe fasting, and who have not so fast on attaining the same.

The question of how some attain the month of Ramadan while others have not is possible during the dark days of history when people believed the earth was flat. It is not a question that can be raised today.

Because the people all over the world do not attain Ramadan at the same time.

Prophet Muhammad had commanded that one should witness the new moon to fix the first day of the month.

Hadith Book Bukhari:1906.

When we witness the new crescent in the sky, we call it the first day of the month. There are many aspects that govern the fixing of the first day of a month.

a) A crescent is not visible to the human eye unless it is 15-20 hours old.

b) Once the sun has set, the crescent disappears. In case the crescent disappears before sunset it is because of sunlight

c) The sky should be devoid of clouds, the faintest of clouds could blur the sight of the new crescent. The crescent should be disappearing within 20-30 minutes from the setting of the sun, because after the setting of the sun the light remaining on the horizon will obscure the sight of the crescent.

d) The eyesight of the viewer should be defect free or may mistake a tiny white cloud to be a crescent.

All these standards are to be followed for the correct fixing of the first day of each month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

The crescent over a certain town or city that had reached its 14th hour of evolving cannot be witnessed by its people because it’s a minimum of one hour behind before it could be witnessed. 

 For example, in Singapore if the crescent was just 14 hours old at sunset there, people would be unable to witness it.

Hence people at Chennai will witness the sun set 2.30 hours later than Singapore. By this time the age of the crescent would have added two and half hours (14+2.30=16.30) to its age appropriate to witness the first lunar day of the month.

In Singapore the time will be 8.30 pm when we witness the first day crescent in Chennai at 6.00 pm the same day.

Since we have witnessed the first day crescent of the month of Ramadan, we have attained the month of Ramadan Since the people in Singapore have passed the time limits required without witnessing the first crescent (marking start of the month) they can view the crescent only the next day. Hence, they attain the month of Ramadan only a day later than us. Thus, we see people of two different places attaining Ramadan at two different timings. 

Anyone arguing that the crescent sighted at one place is applicable universally are against the message conveyed by this verse of the Quran, because this message of universal crescent conveys that everyone witnesses the Ramadan crescent at the same time and refutes and makes the words of Al-Mighty meaningless.

e) This verse of the Quran completely rejects the concept that the first day crescent sighted at one spot is applicable universally.

f) And also rejects the argument that the news of sighting the first day crescent of the month of Ramadan is applicable to the entire world.

g) This verse also demolishes the belief that the computation of the first day crescent of the month in some part of the earth is applicable to the entire world.

Not everyone attains the month at the same time as the message of the Holy Quran.

There is only one moon for the entire world hence the sighting of that moon is applicable to the entire world is the contention of some. Hence the crescent sighted in Saudi Arabia, or a crescent computed and declared on scientific grounds should be declared as the crescent of the first day of the month is the contention of some, or the concept of one moon for the entire world will be rendered false they claim.

This may seem great and intelligent information for people with no astronomical knowledge.

But pondering over it we will come to understand there can be no absurd claims worse than this. This is bereft of any scientific knowledge nor intelligent knowledge.

There is only one moon for the entire world, absolutely no doubt everyone is aware. Likewise, there is only one sun for the whole world.

In the same way the sun points out the time for us during the day, the moon does the same in the night.

In verse 6:96 the Quran says “He is the One who creates the dawn and the dusk to give a night of calmness, and makes the sun and moon as indicators of time. This is the arrangement of the Exalted”.

The sun differentiates us day from night, it tells us the morning, evening, and noon etc. How? We come to know the hour of the day based upon the angle of the location of our city or town in relation to the sun. The sun in itself does not declare the hour of the day.

When the sun right above our head is at 0°, we call it midday.

When it is 90 degrees east it is dawn or early in the morning. When it is 90 degrees west it is the beginning of the night fall.

Therefore, the sun and its position both together make up the time.

When the sun is right over our head it means it is disappearing in the eyes of the people who are 90 degrees east of us (i.e.) they are reaching the beginning of night.

The same sun right above our head will appear as just beginning to rise to the people living 90 degrees west of us.

For the entire world there is only one sun, but at a time when we are experiencing midday, the same sun is signaling the beginning of the day and to some others dusk.

When we are experiencing midday, for half of the other part of the world it does not reveal itself and darkness is spread over.

Just because I am experiencing midday does not mean the whole world is doing so. Any coming to this sort of conclusion is just a fool. For instance, our friend is in Saudi Arabia. In Chennai we need to break our fasting at sunset. We wouldn’t call our friend in Saudi Arabia and tell him to break the Ramadan fasting because it is the appropriate time in Chennai to do so, but the friend in Saudi Arabia will be performing his Asr worship there, Our time of breaking the fast in Chennai is his time for Asr worship, it would take another 2.30 hours for him to break the fasting for him.

Similar is the time indicated by the moon. For example, the moon seen in Saudi Arabia does not leave its orbit and disappear. Similar to the sun displaying itself it continues around the earth to display itself to every part of the world. When it comes directly facing us it acts as our timekeeper.

Though the sun indicates the time it does so based on the angle we are located on the earth. 

 In the same way the moon indicates time to us based on the angle we are from it.

People who do not understand these scientific facts mislead others to the argument of meaningless one moon one universal time theory with a mask of science.

This verse does not say how to fix the first day crescent of each month but rather how not to fix it. The proclamation of one Eid all over the world on a single day is not acceptable and is made clear here.

Some perceive this as to mean ‘that whoever is a witness to the month of Ramadhan may fast.’ 

There is no doubt that the word ‘Shahida’ has two meanings: ‘attained’ as well as ‘to bear witness’. But in this verse, it cannot be said to mean ‘bear witness’ nor can it be taken to mean the same.

Words having different meanings are there in all languages. That does not mean that we can utilize the meaning that we wish. We need to take into account the context in which it is used with a suitable meaning.

If it is taken to mean as bearing witness, only a very few could fast in a town or village, Because the entire population of a village or town could not bear witness to having seen the crescent. Not all in a city or town would witness sighting of the crescent, in such a scenario, following the meaning of ‘bearing witness’ would lead to a dangerous conclusion where 99% need not fast. 

Hence, by pondering over this verse we can come to a conclusion that attaining the month of Ramadan by everyone at the same time is an erroneous argument.