MOULVIS(ULEMA) AND SCHOLARS! WILL YOU PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:
“Lunar month has begun. By passing over the conjunction, the current month starts. Yet the very next day the nascent crescent is not visible to the naked eye and therefore this cannot be accepted as the beginning of the month. When the crescent of the second or the third day which becomes visible to the naked eye can only be considered as the beginning of the month. This is the argumentative statement of the moulvis (ulema). I implore them to please provide direct answers to the following questions.
- 1429 years age, during the life-time of the prophet (pbuh), the beginning of the month was deemed to have begun only when the crescent was visible to the naked eye, The advanced technological know-how of the present day, was it familiar and in vogue in those days? Was the prophet able to know the exact date and time of the conjunction of the sun, the moon and the earth? Was he aware of such other astronomical facts? Was he waiting to see the crescent by the naked eye to decide and fix the beginning of the month in spite of knowing all these facts? On was he under the compulsion to decide only after the crescent was visible to the naked eye, being completely ignorant of such technical knowledge?
2. Being ignorant of technical knowledge and details, the prophet (pbuh) had to fix the time, for the daily obligatory prayers seeing the position of the sun through the shadow of things or articles it cast. So also the time for starting the fasting (shahar) and the time for ending the fasting (Ifthar) were decided by observing the sun. The death of a husband who was away from the family was confirmed only after being informed by a person who was with him, after returning home. People from far off places came in corals to Makkah for performing Haj.
Such practices pf the prophet (pbuh) are not being followed new in the present era. Instead the time for the daily obligatory prayers, times of shahar and Ifthar are being fixed by looking at the clocks and coaches; the death of a person is conveyed and confirmed through electronic communication system; people travel in aero-planes to perform Haj. All such acts are accepted by you. But you are adamant in claiming that the beginning of the month should be decided only when the crescent is visible to the naked eye. By adopting such duality in your statement and decision, are you not contradicting your own statements and decision? Will you please furnish me with the reason and proof from the Quran and Hadith for such a stance of yours.
3. Your stance is that the crescent which is visible to the naked eye whether it is actually the second or third will be considered the first to mark the beginning of the month. This actually amounts to asserting that the revolution of the moon is practically under your control. In other wards, the moon revolves only it is being sighted by you and that till then it will stand still. To be more specific it should be stated that the moon is under your remote-control that is you are remote-controlling by your sight. But innumerous verses in the Quran like 2:189; 6:96; 10:5; 13:2; 14:33; 33:13, 39:5 and 55:5 say that the sun and the moon are under the absolute control of Allah.
So which is the actual fact? Your statement or stance that the moon is under the spell of your sight? Or is it under the direct control of Allah.
4. Do you agree that the sky was clear without pollution 1429 years age? Or do you say that the sky in those days too was as polluted as it is today, so as to pierce to the ozone and that the sky was screened by clouds.
Do you agree that in those days without any of the modern facilities as we have today, the people were very healthy and physically strong enough to walk long distances an fact, and that they were posse ring immense retaining power and keen and sharp eye-right? Or do you say that even in those days, as it is today people were unable to walk long distance because of conveyance facilities, polluted food, and that they were not able to remember things and had host their keen sight because of cinema, TVS and commuters. Please give me a direct answer.
5. Under such circumstances, will you be able to refute the fact that those who claim that the beginning of the month should be decided only after the crescent is visible to the naked eye, will perforce be led to fix actually the second or-the third day as the first of the month?
Or are your capable of making the sky as clear, without any pollution, as it was in those days? And are you skilled enough to make the sight of man as sharp and as it was in those days?
6. There are seven days is a week namely, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Each day is of 24 hours. Muslims all over the world from the east end to the west and perform the obligatory congregational prayer on Friday on the same day at different times within 24 hours. It neither exceeds 24 hours to encroach an Saturday, nor exceeds 48 hours to encroach on Sunday. According to solar calendar the beginning of the month, the first date, starts on the same day within 24 hours. It never occurs on two different days such as Friday and Saturday taking 48 hours, non does it occurs within 72 hours, occurring on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
But you are endeavoring to establish that according to the lunar Calendar the beginning of the month of Ramadhan in Hijra year, starts not on a single day that is on Sunday but on two days, Sunday and Monday within 48 hours or on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday, three days over 72 hours. So also you say that the beginning of the month of shawwal will not be on Tuesday and confine to only 24 hours but will extend to Wednesday and Thursday also thereby extending to 72 hours.
As, Friday congregational prayer is performed within 24 hours, Id.ul-Fitr prayer, you claim, cannot be performed within 24 hours. It can be performed on Tuesday and Wednesday within 48 hours or Tuesday, Wednesday within 48 hours or Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday extending over 78 hand. Will you please explain this wonderful phenomenon so that we could also understand it?
7. The prophet(pbuh) instructed that fasting should be observed only after seeing the crescent and break the fasting after seeing the crescent and not to fast when there is a doubt as to whether the new moon has appeared or not. Was it with a view of ascertaining the beginning of the month by actually seeing the moon born in the morning and setting in the evening. On was it because of the fact that seeing the moon with the naked eye was obligatory to see the moon with the naked eye, then every muslim should have been ordained by the prophet (pbuh) to start fasting only after seeing the moon himself. Is there is any proof with you to say that the Prophet (pbuh) had ordained as such?
Some people may have a false conception that he may be rewarded only if he facts for 30 days and not for only 29 days. With such wrong notion they may start fasting assuring that the new crescent would have appeared. It is under such circumstances, the prophet(pbuh) would have ordained them not to fast until they see the crescent by the noted eye and is those days astronomical instruments and devices were not available. Please think over and decide which is the proper way of thinking and concluding.
In the Quran the verses 2:189; 6:96; 10:2; 13:2; 14:35; 35:13; 39:5; 55:5 state that the motion of the moon is under the absolute control of Allah, and that the remote control also is with Hair alone. Is it reasonable, to say, rejecting all these facts that the routine of the moon is under the control of man and man only remote controls it, and that it will move only it is sighted. Please note that this is nothing but rejecting, the Quranee warnings as stated in 25:30. Do you also, say, under such wrong notion that fasting should be started only after the moon is sighted through the naked eye? When it is ascertained astronomically that the month of Ramadhan has began, you say that fasting should be started only after the moon is sighted by the naked eye. What exactly is the purpose of such proclamation? Will you explain such wonderful purpose so that we could understand it?
8. What exactly Allah has said in verse 2:185 in the Quran? Is it “……………… whoever witness the month of Ramadhan……”? or is it whoever sees the new crescent of Ramadhan with the naked eye?”. Does not the basic fact that it is possible to witness the month of Ramadhan without seeing the moon with the naked eye, appeal to you? Are you possessed by the notion that the moon is moving under your control? Are you so arrogant?
9. Even before the 13th Century, before the advent of Ibn Thaymiyya, the practice of deviding matters on an approximate estimation was in vogue. This is same as deciding exactly through computers which is an invention of the 20th century. So also you claim that the Greenwich Mean Time(GMT) taking Greenwich as the base is the same as Universal Time(UT) taking the International Data line as its base. Is this because of your arrogance, knowing fully well its implications? On is it because of your idiocy due to ignorance? Please let us know.
Yes Indeed! Your adamancy in saying that the months of shawwal and Dil Haj are to be decided only after sighting the moon by naked eyes have given rise to a series of questions which I have listed have. If you are guided really by sheen facts and truths these questions should be answered with proper explanations. If they are convincing we are ready to accept them.
I hope that you will not refutes the fact that Id-ul-fits should fall on the first of shawwal and not on the second or third of shawwal. If your answered are not forwarded within a reasonably short period we will be forced to durable your real stance to the Muslim mass.
10. In the quran there are numerous verses which ordain wan to obey the ordainments of Allah (SWT). Similarly there are umpteen sayings of the prophet (pbuh) which ordain man to obey thje injunctions of Allah (swt). But is there atleast a single verse in the Quran which commands to obey the ordainments of moulves (ulema) or is there atleast a single saying of the Prophet (pbuh) to that effect. Do the Quran and the sayings of the prophet(pbuh) instruct us to seek the ‘Futura’ of the ulema in such affairs?
May Allah (SWT) bless us with the ‘Thow feek’ to follow the right path He has showed us and not the four Madhabs and seven organizations!
Abu Abdullah, Editor Annajaath, Cell: 9443955333, 9345100888