Why ISNA Blunders
Again & Again?
By Omar Afzal
Chairperson of the Committee for Crescent Observation
Intl.
ISNA Fiqh Committee
pretends to know Fiqh and astronomy of moon-sighting
and yet repeats the same mistake in deciding about
Ramadan and Eidain dates again and again. It creates
confusion and as a result bungles the Islamic
dates: Ramadan on the last date of Shaban, Eid
al-Fitr on the last date of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha
on 9th day of D. Hijja, etc. Many Muslims fall
into ISNA trap believing it to be the national
organization.
Why is ISNA unable
to learn from its mistakes?
ISNA Fiqh Council
(FC) is a closed group, with a closed mind. For
more than 25 years it has been repeatedly told
that:
1. A crescent moon
is always visible on the30th day.
2. Once a crescent-moon
is actually seen it will be seen everywhere west
of the original place of sighting (within its
visibility parabola).
3. A crescent-moon
never becomes visible in the first 2-3 minutes
after sunset.
Had ISNA kept these
simple observational facts in mind, it could never
believe its astronomer(?) who is known for affirming
every false claim of sighting as Possible. He
has done it for years since 1989 and did it again
on Thursday, Oct. 14.
a. ISNA FC deliberately
omitted every point that showed its incompetence:
Moons age (in LA 22.5 h) and angle (12.1) were
not the only factors; its altitude (5.8 degrees
above the horizon at sunset) was very crucial.
That is why it was NOT VISBLE anywhere in N. America.
b. There was only
ONE report from Austin, TX (and not TWO as ISNA
put it). Its 1 ½ witnesses saw a thin line,
which stretched 9-12-3 or 10-12-02 on a clock
for around three minutes after sunset. A crescent
in N. America will never appear in this shape.
c. At 8:30 pm the
ISNA astronomer confirmed that this thin, upside
curve, two finger width above the horizon was
NOT THE HILAL. By 10:50 pm the same astronomer
told FC that the witnesses sighted crescent was
nearly correct. How could it happen?
d. There was not
a speck of cloud on the horizon, the witness confirms.
But nobody else from Austin, TX saw a moon, though
it was on the horizon for the next 27 minutes.
e. From Austin to
LA where an FC member himself resides, horizons
were very clear. Did ISNA receive any other claim?
There was NONE.
f. Austin, TX was
outside both A, and B zones. Both the location
and time were incorrect.
g. Every visibility
calculation predicted sighting as IMPOSSIBLE,
and not probable.
Had ISNA Fuqaha
used a little common sense, they could conclude
that Austin sighting was nothing but a mirage.
It could not be 30th day of Shaban, otherwise
the moon MUST be visible from S. Arabia to LA
on clear skies. The number of witnesses did not
meet the Shariah requirements when skies are clear
in a town, not to say of a whole continent.
ISNA and its astronomer
(?) are the least reliable source of accurate
moon-sighting information. ISNA makes no specific
arrangement for observers and accepts every rumor.
For accurate sighting
always check: <www.moonsighting.net> or
www.ulemacouncil.com
or call 607-277-6706
