Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue

Additional Reporting By Subhy Mujahid, IOL Correspondent

CAIRO, October 6 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The Muslims’ holy fasting month of Ramadan will start in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, according to astrological calculations, on Friday, October 15.

A source with Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy & Geophysics (NRIAG) told IslamOnline.net on Wednesday, October 6, that calculations indicate the sighting of the new moon would not be possible in most Arab and Muslim countries before sunset on Thursday, October 14.

This, he added, means that Thursday would be the last day of Sha`ban and that Friday would mark the beginning of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month.  

In Saudi Arabia , a study by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Soliman Al-Manei, a member of the kingdom’s Ulema authority, also concluded that Ramadan would fall on Friday.

It calculated that the new moon would be born at 5:49 a.m. on Thursday, making Friday the first day of the holy fasting month.

Meanwhile, the Qatari Al-Watan newspaper quoted astronomer Khaled Abdullah Turki as saying the new crescent would be born at 5:48 a.m. Thursday Doha local time.

Despite expected difficulties, the sighting of the new moon would be possible and the first day of Ramadan would fall Friday, he added.

In fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member Kuwait, astronomer Saleh Mohammad El-Egeri was also on board.

He said astrological calculations indicate that the new crescent would be born at 5:48 a.m. Thursday.

Egyptian Mufti Ali Gomaa had recently announced that there would likely be no contradiction between astrological calculations and the eye-sighting of the new moon.

The prominent scholar called on Arab and Muslim countries to unite the beginning of the lunar months and abide by the relevant resolution of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.

While one group of scholars sees that Muslims in other regions and countries are to follow this sighting as long as these countries share one part of the night, another states that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia.

A third, however, disputes both views, arguing that Islam is against division and disunity, since Muslims, for instance, are not allowed to hold two congregational prayers in one mosque at the same time.

This group believes that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country (such as Egypt's Dar al-Iftaa [House of Fatwa]) announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.