New York Hilal-Sighting
Conference a Huge Success
Left to right: Dr Omar Afzal,
Br Khalid Shaukat, Maulana G. A. Siddiqi, and Maulana
M.G. Nadvi |
New
York: On Sunday, May 28, 2006 more than 55 Muslim community
leaders and imams of Tri-state masajid met in a daylong conference
to address the issue of the unification of Islamic dates,
especially for Ramadan and Eidain. The conference was addressed
by prominent ulema of various schools of thought as well as
Muslim astronomical experts.
The Muslim community of North America, despite its numerical
strength, is facing serious challenge. Among the most acute,
recurring year after yea,r is the determination of Ramadan
and Eidain dates. The community faces split every year on
these most joyous occasions. The chaos and disarray not only
distorts our image in the eyes of non-Muslims, but is also
creating hostility among Muslim youth who feel embarrassed
and curse the imams and the community elders for their ineptitude.
It is a pity that some Muslim kids in a school ask their teachers
to be excused on one day for the Eid and the others on another
day.
Ulema and community leaders have attempted for years to unify
the Muslims without much success at the local or national
levels.
This was the first successful attempt by the ulema and imams
of diverse schools of thoughts, and Muslim moon-sighting experts
to form a Hilal Sighting Committee of North America. Br. Zaheer
Uddin will coordinate with Mr. Kahlid Shaukat, Dr. Omar Afzal,
and Dr. M.A.K. Lodhi. The ulema affiliated with the Committee
are Maulana Ghufran Siddiqi, Imam Ghulam Yasin Rizvi, Imam
Ghulam Rasul of Jama’te Ahle Sunnat USA, Maulana Ghous
Nadvi of Ulema Council of North America, Mufti Jamal Uddin,
Mufti Numan Vazir and Mufti Ruhul Amin of the Shari’ah
Board, Sheikh Fadhel Al-Sahlani of Imam al-Khoei Islamic Center,
and Maulana Ashrafuzzaman Khan of the Ulema Council of America.
After a heart-warming recitation of the Qur’an by Imam
Ghulam Rasul of Staten Island, Maulana Muhammad Ghous Nadvi
emphasized the need of starting Islamic month correctly in
North America. He posed a simple question to the audience:
Can we pray Jumu’ah Salah on Sunday or make Hajj on
the 1st of Dhul Hijjah? Of course, the audience replied NO
in unison:.Similarly, we cannot start Ramadan wrongly on the
last day of Sha’ban.
Maulana Ghufran Ali Siddiqui elaborated on why Eidul Adha
is on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah irrespective of where we live.
Whatever connection exists between Hajj and Eidul Adha does
not affect determining its correct date.
Dr. Omar Afzal, who is an alim and astronomer, explained how
Muslims sometimes make erroneous claims about seeing a hilal
when there is no hilal on the horizon. He emphasized a very
simple way of ascertaining a claimed sighting: When a hilal
is sighted in town A in a country then the places west to
point A will be able to see the same hilal the same evening
a few minutes later. If not seen then the claim from A is
spurious.
A Muslim expert on astronomy and calculation, Br. Khalid Shaukat
who had come from Washington, DC, explained that there is
no contradiction between hilal sighting and astronomical calculations.
Rather, hilal sighting and calculations go hand in hand and
complement each other. His power point presentation of how
a moon becomes visible was very informative.
Dr. Salman Shaikh who was involved in hilal sighting in Saudi
Arabia during his five-year stay there presented an eye witness
account of hilal sighting. Even the great ulema of Saudi Arabia,
including Shaikh Bin Bazz and Shaikh Uthameen, were not satisfied
with the Saudi announcements of hilal sighting. For the Muslim
in North America, these ulema have issued the fatawa and instructed
to follow their sighting of hilal in their countries for all
12 months, including the month of Dhul Hijjah.
The coordinator of these efforts and the Hilal Sighting Committee
of North America, Br. Zaheer Uddin, in his power point presentation
explained the conclusion of agreement of ulema and the Muslim
experts on astronomy. He praised the ulema, imams and the
leadership who got together for the unity and following the
Shari’a to start all 12 months correctly.
A resolution was presented by Imam Ashrafuz Zaman Khan and
approved by the attendees. According to it the Ulema and the
astronomical experts agreed that the Islamic month should
begin after a verifiable sighting of the hilal (crescent moon)
in North America. Muslim astronomical experts will provide
the sighting data and point out about the astronomical possibility
of the moon’s earliest visibility somewhere in the US.
They will deliver their recommendation after carefully evaluating
the eyewitness accounts. The final decision, however, will
be made by the Shura of the Hilal Sighting Committee of North
America and conveyed to member masajid through e-mails and
announced on the Shura website. Local mosques and individuals
will be able to access the decision on the website: www.hilalsighting.org
The Committee has also published a beautiful dual lunar and
solar dates calendar showing the earliest visible hilal, the
first dates of the Islamic months and the actual shape of
the moon at each lunar date. The calendar was available for
a nominal price during the conference and can be had by calling
718-848-8952.
The venue for the Hilal Sighting Conference was Masjid al-Abidin
(Liberty Ave and 27th. St. in Queens, New York). The Imam
of the Masjid Br. Nasar Haque and the president Br. Qamrul
welcomed the imams and the participants and the program was
moderated by Dr. Abu Azad Haque, coordinator for Hilal Sighting
New York.
The conference concluded at 3:30 pm. with du’aa
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