By Syed Osman Sher, Toronto, Canada
The months of Ramadan and Shawwal begin every year with controversy over the sighting of the moon almost throughout the Muslim world. Generally in the same place, for some of us the fard of fasting starts a day earlier, and for others a day later. The same happens at the end of Ramadan. It follows, therefore, that even in the observance of commandments of God we do not behave as an Ummah.
This picture of discord may demonstrate that imperfection is ingrained in the religion itself, because it must not have provided its followers with right directions. But, is it really so? No! It is so because of the Muslim Ummah’s insistence to continue living in ignorance and darkness, although God Almighty says in Surat 14.1: Alif Lam Ra. (This is) a Scripture which We have revealed unto thee (Muhammad) that thereby thou mayest bring forth mankind from darkness unto light, by the permission of their Lord, unto the path of the Mighty, the Owner of Praise.
We have an aversion to go deep into the spirit of the religion. Islam does not direct mankind to believe in things and actions by seeing it on the surface. For everything we have to scrutinize the spirit of the things, and act accordingly. Even a bad action, which arose of a good intention, is excusable. For instance, during fasting if one eats or drinks unintentionally, the fast would not break. Niyat is more important than action. One hadith says: Al-aamal bin nayyat: actions are to be judged on the touchstone of intentions.
Islamic sharia, based on the holy Qur’an and Hadith, shows us the path for passing our lives in peace and piety in this world, and thus to earn Paradise in the world hereafter. Both these sources appeared about fifteen centuries ago in Saudi Arabia, where ignorance was prevailing, and where norms were purely tribal. If, for the guidance of the people of those days, Qur’an and Hadith were to talk in terms of modern scientific language and in the backdrop of technological advancement of today and of the times to come, who could not have dismissed the Words of Allah and the holy Prophet as sheer nonsense (nauzubillah), and how many could have been the followers of Islam at that time and today? So the divine directions were given them at the level of their understanding and the prevalent norms of the local society.
The only constant in this world is ‘change’. Time is continually changing, and with it, the norms, values, standards, and knowledge. Fully aware of this, The Aalim-ul Ghaib, the Knower of the Unknown, exhorts us repeatedly in the Qur’an to think and observe, so as to go beyond the existing frontiers of our knowledge and adjust our lives accordingly. The only condition is that we continue to remain within the confines of taqwa. To cope with the volatile condition of the society, both in terms of time and locale, the Muslim Ummah has been blessed with such noble and democratic institutions as Shura, Ijma, Ijtihad and Qiyas. The Hadith also urges the Muslims to seek knowledge even if we had to get it from China, a very far away land at that time. Unfortunately, we have forsaken all those instruments that could have guided us in the ever-changing world. The result is that today we stand confused. This situation would continue unless we made adjustments in our religious and social lives in accordance with modern scientific knowledge and technological developments. If not, how could we be truthful in proclaiming that Islam has been made as the most perfect, practical and progressive religion, and it is good for the humanity for all times to come?
Let us look at the spirit, pragmatism, and flexibility of Islam. It gives us latitude as to how God’s commandments could be observed, or even not observed, when circumstances change, not only in such matters as our daily lives but also in the fundamentals of ibada. In this connection I give below the translation of a few verses of the Qur’an, although numerous occasions could be cited when laxity is permitted:
(2.177) It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Book and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and give Zakat, to fulfill the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient in pain and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing.
(4.43) O ye who believe! Approach not prayers in a state of intoxication, until ye can understand all that ye say, nor in a state of ceremonial impurity except when you are passing by (through the mosque), until after washing your whole body. If ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the privy, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand (or earth), and rub therewith your faces and hands. For Allah doth blot out sins and forgive again and again.
(2.184) (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own freewill, it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.
(2.196) And complete the Hajj and ‘umra in the service of Allah, but if ye are prevented (from completing it), send an offering for sacrifice, such as ye may find, and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches the place of sacrifice. And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his scalp, (necessitating shaving), (he should) in compensation fast, or feed the poor, or offer sacrifice…
(3.97)… Pilgrimage thereto (the Station of Abraham) is a duty men owe to Allah, those who can afford the journey…
(2.173) He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swine flesh, and that which hath been immolated to (the name of) any other than Allah. But he who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
The dispute in respect of moon sighting arises due to various interpretations of the following ahadith: 3:130 “Begin and end your fast (month of Ramadan) upon sighting of the moon. If clouds prevent this, complete thirty days or make an estimate” (Sahih Bukhari, 3:130). “Do not fast unless you sight the crescent. Do not end your fasting until you sight the (following) crescent” (Sahih Bukhari, 3:131). Interpreting it literally, some people insist that the holy Prophet has enjoined upon us strictly to see the moon before we begin observing the commandment of fasting. But from the hadith (3:130) it appears that if the moon cannot be seen, which is always probable due to some natural obstructions, the people are free to make an estimate. This is the pragmatism the holy Prophet teaches us.
Now, let us examine another aspect of this issue, and see if we act here in a similar way. The holy Qur’an in sura 2.187 says: “And eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears…” Taking advantage of the modern scientific knowledge we rely on the calculation of the timings, both to begin and end the fast for full one month of Ramadan, and follow it religiously. We do not go every night out to see when the white thread of dawn appeared distinct from its black thread in order to begin the fast, nor for the night to appear before breaking the fast. If we can rely on scientific calculations in one respect why can we not do so in case of moon sighting?
Probably we are not aware, so let it be known to ourselves, the Muslims, that the knowledge about the movement of moon on its orbit has been made so perfect in modern times that as early as 1967 the man actually landed on it, and also came back safely as planned. On the basis of this knowledge, he is able to forecast, precisely indeed, when the moon would come out every month above the horizon. Some argue that such appearance may not be visible to a naked eye due to the brightness of the setting sun. But we at least know that the next day it would certainly be visible. Whichever of the two situations, we can definitely know in advance the date of the moon’s visibility, and so can fix a date for observing fast and celebrating Eid.
The confusion in this respect arises basically because of the absence of the institution of Shura at national or international level or of a synod in Islam. Our ulema, who guide the Muslims in religious matters, locally or nationally, only agree to disagree on the point that in the changing society, and despite the up-gradation of knowledge, we can forge ourselves as a nation, specially in the area of observing a commandment of God. Summing up, I will quote Prof. Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy of Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, (Time to give up false notions: Muslims and the West, Dawn of December 11, 2001):
Muslims must recognize that their societies are far larger, more diverse and complex than the small homogeneous tribal society in Arabia 1400 years ago. It is therefore time to renounce the idea that Islam can survive and prosper only in an Islamic state run according to Islamic “sharia” law. Muslims need a secular and democratic state that respects religious freedom, human dignity, and is founded on the principle that power belongs to the people. This means confronting and rejecting the claim by orthodox Islamic scholars that in an Islamic state sovereignty does not belong to the people but, instead, to the viceregents of Allah (Khilafat-al-Arz) or Islamic jurists (Vilayat-e-Faqih).