Have you seen the moon lately?

Welcome back to you all. Hope you had a nice weekend! Who 'all' are, remains to be seen. Absolutely no hits over the weekend apart from me and my wife. That too, only to check on the hits counter!! Maybe I should advertise it a bit more! My wife has a simple explanation for this, she suggests that my blog is boring! Infact she's shocked that I manage to write so much about such boring subjects. She claims that it's interesting how much I manage to write - faint praise or what?

With that constructive criticism in mind, I shall attempt to make this blog more interesting! First up, before I talk about the subject title, I'd just like to write a bit about my wife! Let's see how interesting she finds this - can't accuse me of being boring now! My wife is easily the most amazing person I've met. She has numerous qualities, all of which seem to combine to make me a better person, or at least try to make me a better person. She doesn't always succeed, mainly due to my own stubborness but she has been extremely patient with me and I am always grateful for that. I'm truly lucky to have her and I want to be a better person for her, become her identikit husband. I'm constantly striving to achieve that, when my stubborness doesn't get in the way and hopefully I am succeeding! She'll have to comment on that after she reads this! I'll add more about my wife as the blog develops, but that's it for now.

Moving on, the month of Ramadhan has started which means millions of muslims are fasting between dawn and dusk. In the UK that amounts to about 14hrs of fasting, from 5am to 7pm - tough to say the least. But when did Ramadhan start? Some started fasting on Saturday, others on Sunday and other (including myself), stated today. The Islamic calendar is based on the moon - a lunar calendar. The first day of the month occurs on the first day of the new moon. Each month is 29-30 days in length. Every year there is a disagreement in the muslim community about when the new moon exists. This results in people starting the fast on different days, and hence celebrating Eid at the end of the month on different days as well.

Getting a bit scientific here, the new moon is technically 'no moon'. It is defined as the time when the moon is exactly parellel with the earth and hence the sun's light cannot reflect off the moon onto the earth, the moon is invisible (New Moon sightings). The crescent that appears shortly after, is the first sighting of the new moon and that day represents the start of a new month.

Obviously, there is only one moon, and therefore there should be only one new moon date. Physics states that the earth is round, revolves on it's own axis and the moon orbits around the earth. Such is the size of the moon in comparison to the Earth, the difference in time is minimal. As a result there should only be one day declared as the new moon and that day is the start of a new Islamic month. Therefore, surely in the UK the new moon occurred on one day, so the start date should be the same, but that is not the case. Very few websties state that the new moon was on the 23rd September and hence the month started on the 24th (when the crescent became visible), however majority of websites state the new moon was on the 22nd and the month started on the 23rd (new moon date, another new moon date)!

And yet, people have started on 3 different dates! Scientifically and astronomically it seems that the new moon was on the 22nd and therefore the new month should have commenced on the 23rd of September. I believe that the differing dates arise because not all muslims follow scientific data, but instead follow the teachings of scholars. The differences arise because different muslims follow different scholars who preach different rules and theories.

For example, I follow the teaching of Ayatullah Sistani. He states that:
The 1st day of a month is established in the following four ways:
1. If a person himself sights the moon.
2. If a number of persons confirm to have sighted the moon and their words assure or satisfy a person. Similarly, every other thing which assures or satisfies him about moon having being sighted.
3. If two just (Adil) persons say that they have sighted the moon at night. The first day of the month will not be established if they differ about the details of the new moon. This difference can be either explicit or even implied. For example, when a group of people goes out in search of a new moon and only two Adils claim to have seen the new moon, even though there were other Adils equally capable and knowledgeable, then the testimony by the first two Adils will not prove the advent of a new month.
4. If 30 days pass from the first of Sha'ban , the 1st of Ramadhan will be established, and if 30 days pass from the 1st of Ramadhan the 1st of Shawwal will be established

The above simple rules seem straightforward, but the dates still differ. I feel that it's become too technical. So much so, that it's doing my head in! I've been trying to research this for the past 2hrs and my head is pounding. I need some food! The screen is really hurting my eyes! I think I better conclude!

Apologies, but my conclusion is going to sound half baked, mainly because it is! I haven't written enough information, and now it's getting boring! Shit! But I better finish..... There shouldn't be differeing dates for the start of any motnh. This problem only seems to arise in the month of Ramadhan. The start and end dates of other months prove to be no problem whatsoever. The first of Zilhaj (month of Hajj) is the same all the time throughout the country, even the world and yet there is always a hitch in Ramadhan. Maybe people don't want to fast sooner or later than they need to!

We need more clarity on the subject. A potential solution would be to follow the muslim capital of the world, Mecca. When the new moon is sighted there, the rest of the world should follow accordingly. Hence countries in time zones ahead of Mecca should start the same day and countries behind Mecca should start the following day. Is it really that simple? I don't think so, and if I get a chance I'll find some more information about it. In the meantime I have got to get away from the screen, my eyes are burning! How am I gonna see my patients!

Apologies to you all, namely my wife!
Take care all,
Thoughts just flow, when do they have to make sense?