The crescent moon is a symbol of unity for Muslims. Unfortunately it has also become a reason for disunity and fighting among Muslims. We saw at the beginning of Ramadan that many Muslims were not fasting as a result of differences in sighting the crescent moon. The same thing happened on Eid day when many people were still fasting. Unfortunately this heart-breaking situation has not yet shaken the minds of those who work for Islamic unity into finding an agreeable solution. Actually this is not a complicated matter and does not cause any political or economic burden. On the other hand, a solution to this would make Muslims all over the world happy. The observance of fasting in Ramadan and the celebration of Eid on the same day would certainly unite Muslims.
The crescent moon is a symbol of Islam just as the cross is for Christians and the Star of David for Jews. The crescent should have been used to unite Muslims in determining the beginning and end of fasting in Ramadan, one of the important pillars of Islam. We should leave no stone unturned in uniting Muslims. It is quite sad that Muslims in a single country or neighboring countries observe the beginning and end of Ramadan on different dates. In one country, they begin fasting after sighting the moon while in another country, which is just 200 kilometers away, it is not observed, citing the reason that the crescent was not visible. I cannot understand the logic of this.
Astronomers in countries that celebrated Eid Al-Fitr last Friday were saying that it was impossible to sight the crescent on Thursday evening as it disappeared before sunset. There is no doubt that either the astronomers or those who witnessed the crescent were wrong. This has created confusion in the Muslim masses and has necessitated the setting out of clear rules and regulations for sighting the moon.
In recent years we have seen Shariah scholars and economists meeting to sort out their differences on issues such as banking, insurance, zakah, etc. This resulted in the formation of Shariah committees in banks and companies. Western institutions in many countries have started following this example in order to win the business of their Muslim clients.
It is high time Muslim scholars and astronomers reached a similar agreement on the matter of Ramadan and Shawwal crescent sighting. The door of ijtihad - making independent opinions on the basis of Qur’an and Sunnah - is still open and nobody should be forced to accept a particular view without thinking about other possibilities.
The verses in the Qur’anic chapters Al-Rahman, Al-Isra and Younus support the process of calculation in matters related to the sun and moon and this indicates the need for taking that point into consideration, rather than relying on sighting the moon with the naked eye.
This is no longer an issue that concerns only the people in a city or country but rather one that concerns the whole Ummah. There are hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who stay in Makkah and Madinah during the last days of Ramadan. When they return to their home countries a day before the Eid or on the day of Eid, they still find many people fasting. This situation has created a lot of confusion. Apart from discussing the issue with a Fiqhi perspective, we should also ponder its family, social and psychological dimensions.
How can a Muslim celebrate the Eid with his family and friends in such situations? I am sure that a solution for this problem can be found through careful and serious study and thought. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave the utmost importance to education. He asked the prisoners taken during the Battle of Badr to teach 10 Muslims how to read and write in order to regain their freedom.
At present Muslims depend on calculations in order to know the timings for compulsory prayers and the beginning and end of fasting during the month of Ramadan. If this is the case what is the problem in following calculations to decide the beginning and end of Ramadan? What is wrong with making use of astronomy to protect the interest of a large number of people? We should not forget the fact that Muslims were once pioneers in astronomy and that many stars and galaxies have Arabic names.
I hope that the Muslim World League or the Organization of the Islamic Conference or the Islamic Fiqh Academy will take up this matter as an important issue in order to unite Muslims. A day will come when Muslims all over the world observe Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr as well Eid Al-Adha on the same day. An Islamic scholar proposed recently that Makkah should be considered as a reference by Muslims all over the world for determining the beginning and end of Ramadan. This is an excellent idea and I wish that those who support Muslim unity would accept it so that the crescent moon would remain a symbol of unity.
