Part 2
(Read Part 1 Here which explains Islamic Evidence on this subject)
As explained in Part 1 that the physical Moon Sighting is required for the start of Rmadhan & Eid. Majority of the renowned scholars follow this opinion. Yet calculation is important to establish where & when to expect the new moon. If I say to you I have seen the moon on 26th of Ramadhan, would you believe me? New moon can only be expected on 29th or 30th of the moon month. Similarly there are scientifically proven rules that dictate when & where one should or should not expect to see the moon. Let me explain.
What is New Moon?
New moon occurs when sun, moon & earth come in line, No light of the sun is reflected by moon to earth, so it is a dark or invisible. Then moon moves away slowly & start reflecting light to earth. After about 18 hours, moon reflects enough light that it becomes visible on earth as a small crescent.
Before moon crescent becomes visible to an eye, all of the below conditions must have to be met (small variations possible):
- Age of the new moon must be at least 18 hours
- Angle between sun, earth & moon has to be more than 8 degrees
- The moon should be high enough above the horizon to be seen,
- The time difference between sunset and moonset should be greater than 30 minutes
Moon Visibility Increases from West to East
Moon visibility increases from west to east i.e. if it is visible at a point A, it will be visible in all areas west of A but not on the east side. For example, if new moon is visible up to France, it must also be visible in USA but must not be visible in Middle East on that time & day.
Considering the above points scientists plot a moon visibility map. It shows very clearly in which country the moon crescent will be visible on a given day. You can visit many web sites to see this.
Try this site run by Muslim scientists showing moon sighting dates: http://moonsighting.com/. See below the visibility map for 5th June 2016:
White lines are country borders whereas colour clouds are moon visibility areas (Green: easily visible with naked eye, Red: only visible with optical aid) .
Now if someone announces on 5th of June 2012 in Pakistan or UAE that he has seen the moon then he is at least mistaken if not lying. It is just not possible.
We can now predict that which area of the world one should expect the see the new moon.
But don’t forget, we still need someone to witness physically the crescent moon in order to start or end the Ramadhan.
Happy Ramdhan to Everyone!
Yes.This should be done.There should be a body of scientists and Islamic scholars from all the Muslim population regions round the globe and that body will decide the 1st date of every month particularly Ramadhan,Eids etc.
Things have changed since the days of Prophet PBUH. We abandoned swords and Camels, Donkeys etc, and adopted guns, Cars and Planes. Communication has been revolutionized since then, so the need for sighting of moon in specific geographical location is not required. IJTEHAD by the scholars and scientists is required. Scientific calculation can be used after IJMAA. Sighting or calculated moon appearance in MECCA should be observed in the whole world. After all this is an AFFAQI religion, why to squeeze ourselves in different regions geographically. Is it not strange that we celebrate HAJJ as per our regional calendar on… Read more »
Saudi Arabia started Ramadan on Wednesday 11th and according to the map, the crescent could not be visible on Tuesday in that part of the world. Could you pls explain?
AoA Nabeel,
Sorry I am replying to your question very late, only after 11 years 🙂
Saudi Arabia announces the beginning to Ramzan based on the Birth of Moon. But Moon actually becomes visible after approx 18 its birth.
They did the same this year too (April 2022). It was not possible to see the Moon on 1st April in Asia or Europe. You can check it yourself on UK Government Moon sighting website here: Moon Watch :: An Einstein Year Project (ukho.gov.uk)