Moon-sighting row: Two Eids in Pakistan, again

Ruling parties distance themselves from Mufti Popalzai's announcement, most people to wait for govt announcement.


Express August 29, 2011
Moon-sighting row: Two Eids in Pakistan, again

PESHAWAR:



A mosque in Peshawar has held up its odd tradition of sighting the Shawwal moon before the rest of the country with its chief cleric announcing the end of the fasting month of Ramazan late Monday night.


Officially, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government did not endorse the decision of Mufti Shahabuddin Popolzai, the chief cleric at Peshawar’s historic Masjid Qasim Ali Khan, to celebrate Eidul Fitr on Tuesday (today).

The long-running controversy between Masjid Qasim Ali Khan and the official moon-sighting panel – the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee – will again lead the Pakistani nation to celebrate Eidul Fitr on two different days.

Mufti Popolzai’s ‘decree’ coincided with an official announcement from the Saudi religious authorities that the Shawwal moon has been sighted and Eidul Fitr will be celebrated in the kingdom on Tuesday.

Other Middle Eastern and Gulf states – including Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran and Iraq – also announced the end of Ramazan. Muslims in Europe and the United States will also celebrate Eidul Fitr on Tuesday.

(Read: Eid expected to be on the same day world over)

In Peshawar, Mufti Popolzai told the media after a meeting of his own unofficial moon-sighting committee that they have received ‘testimonies’ about moon-sighting from 10 persons from different parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“The ulema heard the testimonies and examined the evidence in the light of shariah,” he said, referring to the members of his committee. “We are convinced that the Shawwal moon has been sighted and Eidul Fitr will be on Tuesday,” he added.

Interestingly, Popalzai’s committee did not entertain the ‘testimonies’ until the Saudi authorities announced the sighting of the moon at around 9.15pm.

Asked about the moon-sighting row, the mufti put the blame squarely on the federal government, implying that the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee ignored shariah laws. “I’ve asked the religious panel of the Senate standing committee to hear our viewpoint,” he added.

Meanwhile, a local committee in Mohib Banda mosque in Mardan also announced that it has received 20 ‘testimonies’ about moon-sighting. Jamiat Ulema-i-Afghan in Charsadda also announced sighting moon.

Eidul Fitr will also be celebrated in the tribal regions, including Khyber, Bajaur, Orakzai and North Waziristan agencies, on Tuesday. However, people in Hazara and Malakand divisions will follow the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee decision which will be convening today to decide the sighting of Shawwal moon.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2011.

COMMENTS (59)

Masudul Alam Choudhury | 13 years ago | Reply

I sent you a piece on dual moonsighting. Do you intend on publishing it here?

Abdallah | 13 years ago | Reply It is haram to use calculations in this matter of moon sighting. The evidences are clear and well known. Rather the moon must be sighted. Those who want to quote birth of new moon and claim impossibilty of sighting and so on should realise that this is a calculation and as such it is haram to use it. Furthermore, the calculations for the birth of the new moon and are not new rather the Jews used to mock the Prophet (saw) for sighting or completing 30 days when not sighted because of their calculations. The calculations besides being haram to use and utterly rejected i the face of testimony are not accurate at all. Majority of people in Pakistan are followers of Hanafi fiqh and the rule is the sighting can take place anywhere in the world. That the committee of Muneeb al-Rahman does not do this indicates that they do not know the ruling or they ignore it.
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ