Shape of the moon clouds Muslim holiday
A tentative crescent moon rose on Monday night, marking the end of the Ramadan month of fasting for Muslims around the world. Or did it?
Muslims in the Middle East are divided over the true phase of the moon. As a result, several countries recognised different dates for the festival of Eid al-Fitr, one of the two most important Muslim holidays, which marks the end of Ramadan.
In Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Arab states as well as Jordan, the holiday began on Tuesday. Egypt, Syria, Iran and Algeria marked the start of the holiday.
Distinct methodologies for determining the start of the lunar month account for the differences but some now perceive an increasing political aspect to some of the calculations.
Saudi Arabia’s conservative Wahhabi scholars, in accordance with their traditions and literal interpretation of Islam, determine the start of the lunar month based on observations of the first crescent with the naked eye. In other countries, Muslim scholars aim to reconcile astronomical calculations with direct observations to determine the holidays.
But some commentators now believe the process may be as much about political allegiance as any religious observance. Saudi Arabia, as the birthplace of Islam and the location of its two holiest mosques, has always commanded a position of respect, but even so many Muslim countries have traditionally followed the sightings as determined by their own religious scholars.
Now, however, in several countries, the decision of which methodology to adopt has gained a sectarian or political edge. In Iraq, Sunni communities celebrated Eid on Tuesday, while Shia marked it yesterday – following the Iranian lead.
Countries with close Saudi links followed the ruling of the Mufti in accordance with their traditions. Gulf states, except Oman, often follow Saudi Arabia’s decision. This year, Jordanian religious officials indicated they did not see the crescent at all yet would follow the Saudi ruling in deference to “Islamic unity”.
Many ordinary Muslims express frustration with the different start day, saying it defies the spirit of the holidays when Muslims are supposed to celebrate worldwide. “I wish to see the day when all Muslim nations celebrate the Eid on the same day,” wrote Mohamed Abdelrahman, a contributor to a Saudi website.
Eid-ul-Fitr being celebrated today
________________________
Eid moon ‘drama’ ends at 10.45pm
The moon of Shawal 1, 1429 has been sighted in the country, so Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated today 1 st October (Wednesday) with traditional zeal and fervour, Ruet-i-Hilal committee (Central Moon Sighting Committee) announced here on late Tuesday.
A suspenseful controversy hit Shawwal-moon sighting and kept the entire nation on tenterhooks for hours before the central Ruet-i-Hilal committee announced on Tuesday that Eid would be celebrated across the country on Wednesday 1st October.Political considerations seemed to have forced the committee’s hand when the NWFP government declared with uncalled-for haste that the elusive crescent had been sighted in the province and the festival would be celebrated on Wednesday.As unconfirmed reports about Eid swirled around the central Ruet-i-Hilal committee, which remained in session hours after the sunset, chairman Mufti Munibur Rehman appeared for a third time on television at around 10.45pm and announced that incontrovertible evidence about the Shawwal moon had been received – not from the Frontier but from Badin in lower Sindh – and accordingly Eid would be celebrated on Wednesday.
He explained that the delay in the announcement of the “Eid moon” had been caused by the painstaking analysis of evidence received from the length and breadth of the country.However, sources told Dawn that the committee had spent “quite some time weighing the option of ignoring NWFP moon-sighting reports”. But the option was ultimately rejected as divisive and politically injudicious.Religious scholars insist that an Islamic month begins with the actual sighting of the moon.
Those who sight the Shawwal moon first, celebrate Eid ahead of those who do not.If the central Ruet-i-Hilal committee had not made the announcement it eventually did, three Eids would have been celebrated in Pakistan: one on Tuesday by those who follow Saudi Arabia in the celebration of the festival, second on Wednesday by those in the NWFP who sighted the moon on Tuesday and third on Thursday by those who act upon guidelines of the central Ruet-i-Hilal committee.The final announcement of the Ruet-i-Hilal committee waspreceded by a flurry of activity in the NWFP which saw senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour, of the Awami National Party, first making an unscheduled visit to the provincial office of the committee and then making a public statement that reports had been received from district coordination officers about the sighting of the Shawwal moon.
Agencies add: In India, Eid will be celebrated in India on Thursday, according to an announcement made by Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid.Meanwhile, Eid was celebrated on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Afghanistan Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian areas.
Sunni’s in Iraq also celebrated the Eid on Tuesday, while the Shias will celebrate the festival on Wednesday.Egypt and Tunisia will celebrate Eid on Wednesday.
Eid was also celebrated on Tuesday by Muslims in most countries of Eastern Europe. Muslims in several parts of Philippines also celebrated the Eid, but President Gloria Arroyo announced that the festival would begin on Wednesday. Indonesia and Singapore have also announced that
Wednesday would the first day of Eid.
A tentative crescent moon rose on Monday night, marking the end of the Ramadan month of fasting for Muslims around the world. Or did it?
Muslims in the Middle East are divided over the true phase of the moon. As a result, several countries recognised different dates for the festival of Eid al-Fitr, one of the two most important Muslim holidays, which marks the end of Ramadan.
In Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Arab states as well as Jordan, the holiday began on Tuesday. Egypt, Syria, Iran and Algeria marked the start of the holiday.
Distinct methodologies for determining the start of the lunar month account for the differences but some now perceive an increasing political aspect to some of the calculations.
Saudi Arabia’s conservative Wahhabi scholars, in accordance with their traditions and literal interpretation of Islam, determine the start of the lunar month based on observations of the first crescent with the naked eye. In other countries, Muslim scholars aim to reconcile astronomical calculations with direct observations to determine the holidays.
But some commentators now believe the process may be as much about political allegiance as any religious observance. Saudi Arabia, as the birthplace of Islam and the location of its two holiest mosques, has always commanded a position of respect, but even so many Muslim countries have traditionally followed the sightings as determined by their own religious scholars.
Now, however, in several countries, the decision of which methodology to adopt has gained a sectarian or political edge. In Iraq, Sunni communities celebrated Eid on Tuesday, while Shia marked it yesterday – following the Iranian lead.
Countries with close Saudi links followed the ruling of the Mufti in accordance with their traditions. Gulf states, except Oman, often follow Saudi Arabia’s decision. This year, Jordanian religious officials indicated they did not see the crescent at all yet would follow the Saudi ruling in deference to “Islamic unity”.
Many ordinary Muslims express frustration with the different start day, saying it defies the spirit of the holidays when Muslims are supposed to celebrate worldwide. “I wish to see the day when all Muslim nations celebrate the Eid on the same day,” wrote Mohamed Abdelrahman, a contributor to a Saudi website.
Eid-ul-Fitr being celebrated today
________________________
Eid moon ‘drama’ ends at 10.45pm
The moon of Shawal 1, 1429 has been sighted in the country, so Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated today 1 st October (Wednesday) with traditional zeal and fervour, Ruet-i-Hilal committee (Central Moon Sighting Committee) announced here on late Tuesday.
A suspenseful controversy hit Shawwal-moon sighting and kept the entire nation on tenterhooks for hours before the central Ruet-i-Hilal committee announced on Tuesday that Eid would be celebrated across the country on Wednesday 1st October.Political considerations seemed to have forced the committee’s hand when the NWFP government declared with uncalled-for haste that the elusive crescent had been sighted in the province and the festival would be celebrated on Wednesday.As unconfirmed reports about Eid swirled around the central Ruet-i-Hilal committee, which remained in session hours after the sunset, chairman Mufti Munibur Rehman appeared for a third time on television at around 10.45pm and announced that incontrovertible evidence about the Shawwal moon had been received – not from the Frontier but from Badin in lower Sindh – and accordingly Eid would be celebrated on Wednesday.
He explained that the delay in the announcement of the “Eid moon” had been caused by the painstaking analysis of evidence received from the length and breadth of the country.However, sources told Dawn that the committee had spent “quite some time weighing the option of ignoring NWFP moon-sighting reports”. But the option was ultimately rejected as divisive and politically injudicious.Religious scholars insist that an Islamic month begins with the actual sighting of the moon.
Those who sight the Shawwal moon first, celebrate Eid ahead of those who do not.If the central Ruet-i-Hilal committee had not made the announcement it eventually did, three Eids would have been celebrated in Pakistan: one on Tuesday by those who follow Saudi Arabia in the celebration of the festival, second on Wednesday by those in the NWFP who sighted the moon on Tuesday and third on Thursday by those who act upon guidelines of the central Ruet-i-Hilal committee.The final announcement of the Ruet-i-Hilal committee waspreceded by a flurry of activity in the NWFP which saw senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour, of the Awami National Party, first making an unscheduled visit to the provincial office of the committee and then making a public statement that reports had been received from district coordination officers about the sighting of the Shawwal moon.
Agencies add: In India, Eid will be celebrated in India on Thursday, according to an announcement made by Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid.Meanwhile, Eid was celebrated on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Afghanistan Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian areas.
Sunni’s in Iraq also celebrated the Eid on Tuesday, while the Shias will celebrate the festival on Wednesday.Egypt and Tunisia will celebrate Eid on Wednesday.
Eid was also celebrated on Tuesday by Muslims in most countries of Eastern Europe. Muslims in several parts of Philippines also celebrated the Eid, but President Gloria Arroyo announced that the festival would begin on Wednesday. Indonesia and Singapore have also announced that
Wednesday would the first day of Eid.
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