Ramazan moon sighted, first fast on August 2
The announcement was made by Chairman of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, Mufti Munib ur Rehman, after chairing the meeting of the committee held at Meteorological (Met) Office here on Monday. He announced that Ramazan-ul-Mubarak 1, 1432 Hijri, will fall on August 2, 2011.
The meeting was attended by Members of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, including Maulana Anwar-ul- Haq, Mufti Abdul Qavi, Maulana Ubaidullah Panhwer, Maulana Shabbir Ahmed and Qazi Niaz Hussain.
The members of the Zonal Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Karachi included Mufti Syed Sabir Hussain, Maulana Sabir Noorani, Maulana Munir Ahmed Tariq, Maulana Nazir Ahmed, Hafiz Ahmed Sulfi, Maulana Asad Deobandi and Met Office officials, Naeem Shah with others also attended the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Mufti Munib ur Rehman said the confirmations of moon sighting were received from many parts of the country including Karachi, Islamabad, Wah Cantonment, Batgaram, Rawalakot, Saeedabad, Khipro and Sahiwal.
He said other offices of the Met Department also confirmed the sighting of the Ramazan moon .
Mufti Munib ur Rehman expressed his gratitude to the ulema of different schools of thought, saying they always endorsed and supported the decision of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.
He said “we believe in an amicable settlement of all matters through process of dialogue”.
During the announcement, he also criticised the unilateral decsion of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan adding that the clerics of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan should have co-operated and consulted with the central Ruet-e-Hilal committee.
Earlier the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee had met for sighting of the Ramazan-ul Mubarak moon on Monday in Karachi at the Met Office building.
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It was obvious, in Saudia Ramadan started on 1st August, no matter moon will sight or not we will start our ramadan next day. Its the same every year,
Ramadan mubarak to all!
I am a Sikh and I always observe ONE ROZA during Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarik to all my Muslims friends.
If all of people seen moon itself, then what is the purpose of hilal committee. why govt spending alot of money by give highly salary to Mfti Munib and his team, because if all people itself sight moon, then after that what the logic of mufti munib. in whole year mufti has only purpose, but he hasnt fullfill his duty in last 12 years. for which purpose he taken salary. this committee should be finished. all of the world has roza and eid on same day, but only india hindu and punjabi hindi are on other day. are in whole world only some part of pakistan on such place, that we could nt see moon.
happy ramadan from across the border
Brilliant Mr. Fahd..You have summed it up very nicely. Eid or start of the Ramzan can be arranged on one day, but then it should not be called a Lunar date. We can call it Saudi Calendar or anything else. Lunar positions are highly unpredictable, and first day of Lunar month starts with birth of new moon, which is hard to see due to dozens of reasons. As its life on first day is very short and with different time zones on earth, its impossible to be visible to all. Science can tell us the birth of moon in a specific time zone, but whether we can be seen or not is beyond scope of science. Unfortunately muslims around the world don't realize that its not their fault or weakness in their eyesight. Its problem with moon, which is beyond our control. Politics and sectarian differences have made it more difficult for muslims to come to logical conclusions. In Muslim countries its purely political and sectarian but in North America and Europe another aspect has caused problems for muslims. As in western countries Christmas is celeberated on fixed date (Majority, not all), we muslims also want to celeberat Eid on fixed date to show our unity and more importantly to get a holiday from our employers. Its very confusing for our employers and embarrissing for us not to tell the exact date of our most important religious holiday. Mr. Moon is the real culprit, but we fight each other with no reason.
Cannot understand that Muslim countries all over the world from Turkey to Malayisa and Indonesia follow one calendar but Pakistan follows another strange
@Fahd: Dear Fahad: I understand the moon is not sighted at the same time all over the world. Why is Eid celebrated on the same day all over the world...except Pakistan? In Pakistan it is celebrated the next day. To our right, our left, above and below it is celebrated one day before.
Can these mullahs / moon comittee not educate and COMMUNICATE their logic and line of reasoning with the public. They should be layed off and fired.
How come the eclipses are predicted to the last nano second and only in Pakistan it can not be predicted. Is the muslim calendar in Pakistan out of synch with the rest of the world.
Here is a site with world map and new moon visibility chart for July 30,31 and Aug 1st 2011.
http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/moonwatch/nextnewmoon.html
@Anwar: There are scientific reasons why new lunar month can start at different dates in different countries. If you search "new moon visibility graph for July 31 2011", you will see NASA or some other sites with a graph with world map. Based on that, there was absolutely no chance of any visibility anywhere else in Pakistan without or without telescope. As earth spins and sun sets in countries to west of Pakistan hours later, moon becomes brighter and can possibly be seen. That is why countries west of Pakistan can have New lunar month (Ramazan in this case) a day before Pakistan. Compare that graph to visibility chances on Aug 1st 2011 and you will get the answer. In N America fist of Ramazan is Aug 1, 2011. Visibility chart explains it very well.
This look like survey equipment
@ Anwar : That is because the moon cannot be sighted in the whole world at one time. Look it up. It is not possible that the moon is sighted on the same day throughout the world. @ Asad: there are two reasons why calculating in advance wont work, one because the equation for predicting the sighting of the moon has more than 5000 variables, so its accuracy is not 100%, and second, the Hadith of the Holy Prophet ( SAW) clearly states that you need to see the moon and then fast. We cannot fast on a calendar that predicts the sighting of the moon.
I dont know why people always bring up this issue. Its a simple SCIENTIFIC fact that the whole world cannot fast on the same day because of the moon. I dont know why everyone becomes so sensitive to the issue of muslim unity at the time of ramazan and eid, whereas at other times when it is needed the same Mullah bashers dont do anything. Anyways RAMAZAN mubarak to all the nation.
What happened in the days before the Ruet-i-Hilal committee was planted on us ??
''Jab chand hota hai to sab ko nazar ata hai '' - Ramadan Mubarak to all!
Is that a telescope ? If yes then Pakistan needs help!
@Pashtun: Have you consulted any religious scholar or are you just passing your statement on the words of Allah SWT ??? Do you think mere translation is enough not the reference to the context of a verse.??
@Asad: You can never get this rational into anyone's head in Pakistan. Even Saudi Arabia took the help of scientist to identify if there is a possibility or not but in Pakistan you can forget a reasonable debate. This committee feeds alot of obese mullahs so it cant be abandoned!
@Bilal Raza Qadri: Its not the sectarian attendance. Its intellectual attendance. According to observatory updates, the full moon in Islamabad (where the mullahs met), the first of the moon was on July 29th.
I just want to mention that in the Central Ruiat Hilal Committee, Ulamas of all sects are included, including Deobandis, so just because of sectarian bias, don't criticize.
May this Ramadan Mubarak bring peace and stability in Pakistan. Ameen.
Ramadan Mubarak to all muslims all over the world!
Akthar
This article reminds me that Pakistani's tend to loose sight of the spirit of Islam and prefer endless arguments over the minutia.
The people who are rich and can afford to feed a miskeen ,may not fast.As per the second Sura AL Baqarah of the Holy Quran : "2.183: O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);
2.184: (Fast) a certain number of days; and (for) him who is sick among you, or on a journey, (the same) number of other days; and for those who can afford it there is a ransom: the feeding of a man in need - but whoso doeth good of his own accord, it is better for him: and that ye fast is better for you if ye did but know."
Ramadan Mubarak!!!!
Hope this holy occasion brings peace to all...
Ramazan Mubarak! The accurate decision by Ruet-i-Hilal Committee. May Allah bring happiness to Pakistan in this holy month.
I dont why are they looking for the moon sighting. Geo has shown it live on their cameras. may be Mufti believe only themselves.
@All: Leave all the things, just say Ramadan Mubarik and pray for your maghfirat and for long life of Pakistan PAKISTAN ZINDABAD, PAKISTAN PAINDABAD INSHAALLAH. Allah save Pakistan... Amin
ramazan ul mubarak to all my muslims brothers and sisters!
Either we need to stop following this blind man who always sees moon after a day or spend money on his eyes to get him fixed. On a serious note: Why cant we believe the moulvi of Peshawar and start our fast according to them? after all they are muslim too.
Stop it please Criticizing Criticizing Criticizing on every issue...I m fed up of this mentality Its a blessed month so b happy n b united...Ramzan Mubarak to all Muslims within Pakistan n elsewhere...B blessed!!
@ Anwer we are turtles thats why but run steady and reach the destination.
ALLAH HO AKBAR
Ramadan Mubarak,
BUT........
When Mullahs are blind how can they see the moon?
Is that the largest telescope the Hilal Committe has got? No wonder there are controversies every year about the moon sighting. I believe SUPARCO would have better ones and the maulanas can seek some assistance from them to avoid the fiasco every year. SUPARCO could even calculate in advance the date when the new moon would be visible
Congrats! Professor Dr. Muneeb has successfully sighted a rare astrological phenomenon
Is there any scientific reason why the whole world celebrates Eid one day before Pakistan?
Ramadan Mubarak!