In The
Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
As has been the case a number of years
here in North America much contention, and confusion has
accompanied what should be our most festive time of the
year. As has been the case in each instance a chain of
events is set in motion by early – based on all credible
scientific information- moon-sightings coming from the
Middle East. In that regard, no matter what we decide in
this country to do to end this confusion, a starting
point will have to be our unanimous agreement that the
countries in the heartland of Islam have abandoned using
naked-eye sighting as a criteria for determining our
sacred occasions. Hence the abandonment of the
Prophet’s, Peace and Blessing of Allah upon Him,
command, “Fast based on its [the crescent moon]
sighting, and end your fast based on its sighting.”
That said, the confusion at the end of
Ramadan is particularly trying this year because all of
the major Islamic organizations and moon-sighting
experts agreed that it would be impossible to sight a
crescent in the continental United States, or even in
Hawaii, on Wednesday evening, November 2, 2005. Hence,
we were told, ‘Id would be Friday, November 4, 2005.
Therefore, the almost unanimous declaration of ‘Id being
Thursday, November 3, 2005, has left many Muslims
stunned, and justifiably dismayed.
Here at Zaytuna Institute, we have
adopted what we feel is a reasonable approach to this
problem, an approach which aims at accomplishing the
following objectives:
1.
Take the determination of our sacred days
out of the hands of foreign organizations, or those
domestic organizations that are influenced by foreign
organizations. The reasoning behind this objective is
not to impugn the credibility of those organizations.
Rather, it is a move we feel will help greatly to end
the confusion that surrounds the determination of our
sacred dates. Our community is the most diverse in the
Muslim world. We have Muslims who hail from at least 60
different countries with Muslim majorities or sizeable
Muslim minorities. If all of these disparate communities
followed their own countries for the determination of
our sacred dates, we would have at least three different
dates for each of our occasions, as has happened in some
of our communities in the past. If for no other reason,
this situation should be avoided for the sake of those
who have converted to Islam in this country, and deserve
to be spared an imported version of the divisiveness and
lack of vision, which prevails in the Muslim homelands.
This issue provides a litmus test for those who preach,
in the aftermath of 9/11, of the imperative nature of
establishing a unique American Muslim identity. If we
are willing to sacrifice the greater good of our
community for our enthusiasm to be united with our folks
back home, then the idea of a unique identity is far
from becoming a reality.
2.
Use a base of scientific facts as a
standard for accepting moon-sightings. As we all know
the issue of moon-sighting has become highly
politicized. That politicizing has led to a tremendous
incentive to produce claims of sightings, some of which
are incredible. Because of the tremendous incentive to
“find” a sighting, and because of the overwhelming
implications of a sighting for the validity of acts of
worship for literally millions of people, we feel that a
scientific base for the acceptability of a sighting has
to be established. In summary, we have declined to
accept sightings that are inconsistent with generally
agreed on scientific models of crescent visibility. In
every instance, sightings that contradicted established
astronomical calculations have proven unreliable, upon
investigation. Saying this, we do not rely on
calculations for the timing of the occasions, just to
establish a baseline of acceptability of reported
sightings.
3.
We have endeavored to establish our own
network of moon-sighting teams throughout the country,
working in tandem with other networks. We also consult
veteran moon-watchers, some of who have been tracking
the moon monthly for over twenty years. This consistency
allows for a sense of when the crescent should be seen
as the veteran moon-watcher is sensitive to the
alternations of the 29 and 30-day cycles of the moon.
None of these veteran moon-watchers have given any
credibility to any of the reported
11-2-2005 sightings.
Conclusions
Based on the considerations mentioned in
#2 above, we believe that none of the sightings reported
in North America on the night of Wednesday, November 2,
2005, were credible. Not only were the reported
sightings in Maryland and Chicago outside of projected
visibility curves, even with optical aids, by 3000
miles, they apparently occurred in areas where there was
no confirmed sighting of the crescent at the beginning
of Ramadan. Therefore, in reality, those areas are in
fact alleging sightings on what in their locales is the
28th of Ramadan.
As for the Arizona sighting, it was alleged by a
non-Muslim who was accompanied by eight Muslims who did
not see the moon.
We consider these sightings anomalous as
they were not substantiated by reports of sightings by
qualified teams further west, neither here in
California, nor even in Hawaii.
There was a report of sightings in
Mauritania. While those reports may suffice the people
there, they contradict the considerations mentioned in
#1 and #2 above. As for the second consideration, the
age of the moon at the time of the reported sighting was
17 hours. This would be a near world record sighting, at
a time of the year when the longitude of the locale,
angle of separation at sunset, orbit of the moon, and
atmospheric conditions all would argue for a possible
sighting at about 35 hours. Allah knows best.
In conclusion, we are not arguing as to
what actually occurred concerning the reported
sightings, only that we need a criteria for ending the
madness that has seized our community here in North
America. Based on the criteria we are employing, we
consider the sightings discussed above doubtful.
Therefore, we feel out of precaution, it is best to
adhere to the legal principle that certainty cannot be
removed by doubt. We are certain about Ramadan, while
the entrance of Shawwal is doubtful. Hence, the original
state of fasting should be maintained. Therefore, at the
Zaytuna Institute we advise fasting Thursday, and
celebrating the ‘Id on Friday, November 4, 2005.
However, there is another consideration,
that is the spirit and intent of ‘Id. As one of the
great signs of Allah, whose underlying spirit is unity,
and celebration, we feel that if a Muslim is in an area
where the overwhelming majority of his/her community,
family, and friends are celebrating the ‘Id on Thursday,
November 3, 2005. He/she should join them if his/her
heart is at peace with that decision. However, he/she
should make up the day out of precaution as soon as
possible.
We pray that the day will soon come when
we are blessed with the leadership necessary to lead our
community beyond this demoralizing confusion. We pray
that the day will soon come when a true American Muslim
identity that gives us the confidence to do what is in
the best interests of Muslims living here in America is
created. May Allah guide us all to that which He loves
and is pleased with. He over all things has power, and
His help is constantly evoked.
Your Brother in Islam,
Imam Zaid Shakir
11-2-05
