Moon sighting is an Islamic ruling that goes will all months

By Asif Farooqi, IOL Pakistan Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, January 10 (IslamOnline.net) - Pakistan metrological department announced Saturday, January 10, that Eid Al-Adha (Eid of the Sacrifice) would be celebrated February 2, sparking off yet another controversy over moon sighting procedures in the Muslim Southeast Asian country.

Chairman of Pakistan Reut-E-Hilal (moon sighting) committee has snubbed the metrological department for its “unauthorized, un-Islamic and premature” announcement and has asked it to restrain itself only to predictions and not to make any announcements beforehand.

Reut-E-Hilal committee is a government appointed body of Ulema (Islamic scholars) which has the authority to declare sighting of moon to set up Islamic calendar in the country.

Director General of the Met office, Dr. Qamar Chaudhary announced Saturday that according to astronomical predictions and lunar position it was almost certain that Eid Al-Adha would be observed February 2.

The announcement came weeks after the controversy over sighting of Eid Al-Fitr moon (Eid of Breaking the Fast ) which caused a big fuss when the Reut-E-Hilal committee failed to confirm evidence the moon had been sighted Ramadan 28, dividing the country wherein a large number of people celebrated Eid a day ahead of the rest of the country.

The controversy forced the government to induct, for the first time an official from the Met Office to help the Ulema collect the evidence on moon sighting.

However, by making the announcement on the possibilities of moon sighting for Eid Al-Adha over 20 day earlier, chairman of the Reut-E-Hilal committee Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman said the Met Office overstepped its jurisdictions.

“This is not the job of the Met Office to make an announcement as to when moon of an Islamic calendar would be visible” Mufti Muneeb said. He added the Met Office should restrict itself only to weather predictions.

Muneeb said under Islamic traditions, it was not possible to announce a date for celebrating Eid Al-Adha till the sighting of the Dhul-Hijjah moon.

He urged the general public not to heed to these un-authorized announcements and wait for a formal announcement from Ruet-E-Hilal committee to know the final dates for Eid.