|
The Actual Saudi Dating System
The OLD
Criteria (Up to 1420 AH, April 1999)
Most people think that Saudi Arabia always adopt the actual sighting of the
crescent as the basis to start Islamic months. But during the previous years,
it was very clear to the public as well as to astronomers that most of the
Saudi months were wrong if the actual sighting is the basis for starting the
Islamic month. Fortunately, JAS received a telegram from The Highest
Religious Council "Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala" in Saudi Arabia confirming that
Saudi Arabia adopts the astronomical calculations and totally ignores the
actual sighting. Below is a literal translation of this telegram.
"( To Jordan/
Al-Yadodeh/ M.Kh./ Al-Sook/ Mr. Hayel Mamdooh Abu-Zeid, dated January 21,
1998/Ramaḍaan 23, 1418H.
We wish to thank you
for sending us your greetings of Ramaḍaan, and for reminding us of the date
of the New Moon of Shawwal for the year 1418 H. We would like to remind you
that determining the first day of the Islamic month is like determining the
prayer times, and the aim of His Almighty from these times is to inform us
not to take it as worship. It is adopted in Umm-ul-Qura Calendar that if the
Moon's age at Sunset is 12 hours or more after the New Moon then the
PREVIOUS day is the first day of the Islamic month, since the Islamic day
starts at Sunset, and the night is before the daylight, as well as the time
of fasting is in the civil daylight. May Allah
accept your worship. May
Allah
bless this Ramaḍaan. Thanking you for your good cooperation.
From: Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia/ Al-Riyadh/ The Higher Religious Council "Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala"/
Mohammad Bin Ehmead.)"
Mr. Hayel of JAS received other letters also, about the same subject,
which were clearer than this telegram. The following example may
make their system clearer: If for example 29th Dec is 29 Sha'ban,
and the New Moon Phase occurs after Sunset in Riyadh, say at 11 pm
on 29th Dec., then the next day (30th Dec.) at the Sunset (For
example at 5 pm) the Moon's age will be 18 hours which is more than
12 hours, so that day (30th Dec.) is the first day of Ramaḍaan, even
though the New Moon was not even born at the Sunset on 29 Sha'ban
(29th Dec.), and generally in such cases the Moon will set before
Sunset!! Below is a copy of the telegram.
The NEW
Criteria (After 1420 AH, April 1999)
Recently, one of our
friends informed us that the responsible person of Umm Al-Qurrah calendar (the
official Saudi calendar) told him that they will change their current
criteria starting from the year 1421 AH.
Later on, as we got
the 1420 AH Umm Al-Qurrah calendar, we noticed that Saudi did change their
criteria starting from 1420 AH not 1421 AH. Which is better ! Now, Saudi
starts the lunar month if the Moon sets AFTER the Sun on the 29th day of the
previous month, as seen from Mecca. Although the new criteria are much
better than the old ones, it still ignores the actual sighting of the
crescent ! Also, at certain months they begin the month while the Moon is
not yet in conjunction (i.e. new moon) !! Setting of the Moon after the Sun
does NOT always imply that the Moon reached conjunction.
Kindly find below a
quote from the statement of Al-Shorah Council in which they mentioned their
new criteria.
A literal translation
of the below quote goes thus:
"To determine the
beginnings of lunar months, the collaborators in the preparation of Umm
Al-Qurrah calendar should adopt the sunset before the moonset according to
Mecca, and the coordinates of Al-Haram Mosque are adopted."
For example, on
07 December 1999 (29 Sha'ban), the Sun will set in Mecca at 17:38 LT, and
the Moon will set at 17:29. So since the Moon will set before the Sun, 08
December is NOT 1 Ramaḍaan. Consequently, 1 Ramaḍaan will be on 09 December.
Kindly, find below two papers. The one to the right is
a paper from an old Saudi calendar (which was printed before
changing the criteria), showing that 1 Ramaḍaan coincides with 08
December. Whereas the one to the left is a paper from Umm Al-Qurrah
Calendar 1420 AH, showing that 1 Ramaḍaan is 09 December 1999.
By Moh'd Odeh. Jordanian
Astronomical Society (JAS), All Rights Reserved. This material may not be
reproduced in any form without permission. For more information
Send E-mail or contact us at : The Jordanian Astronomical Society (JAS),
P.O.Box 141568, Amman 11814 Jordan
|
