Splitting the Moon

Eid greetings from the U.S.
Every year Ramadan and Eid bring joy and excitement to Muslims around the world. But along with it comes confusion as well. That is the confusion associated with the sighting of the Ramadan and Eid moons. This year was no different for us.

Actually this year was more confusing because Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) decided that it would go by calculations instead of actual moon sighting. However, they were sensible enough to put a disclaimer along with their announcement. It read as follows:

“The Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) is encouraging all Muslims throughout North America to consider using the methodology of calculations for the sake of unity and to avoid the confusion and disputes that have occurred in the past. However, the Fiqh Council does not, and does not intend to, force its decision on anyone or on any Muslim community. You should follow the decision of your Imam and your Masjid. Moreover, you should do so with great respect and avoiding unnecessary disputes and arguments.”

I quote this statement to point out the inherent dilemma. There seems to be a conflict between unity and uniformity here. Unfortunately, moon sighting has involved political maneuvering and factional rivalries in the past. Given the political sensitivities and schism between rival “factions” involved it is not surprising that my local Masjid, like so many in the U.S. always takes the easy way out. It simply follows Saudi Arabia. However, if you think about it, it becomes obvious that this is not the correct approach. Eid is supposed to be local. If we look at classic Islamic methodology the whole matter is pretty simple and rests only on the Shahada of adults Muslims. There is also some room for error according to a narration by Ibn Abbas. Without going into the full details, that is the domain of Islamic Jurisprudence, suffice it to say that the whole matter of moon sighting is relatively simple or at least not as obtrusive as it seems.

So we decided to swim against the current and follow Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) – they still seemed to follow the old fashioned and time-honored methodology of local moon sighting. Ramadan started well – although we were a little out of synch with our local friends. However, on the night of moon sighting their website stopped working! So we learned the hard way that this approach although ideal is not for the faint-hearted as it raises eyebrows in the local community. Moreover, you also run the risk of missing a chance to socialize and network during Eid – a ritual only a few are willing to forgo.

The problem does not end here though. Seems like I was in for another dilemma – this time at an individual level. I was talking to one of my friends the other day and the conversation drifted to moon sighting in Ramadan. I told him that we were not following our local Masjid as it follows Saudi Arabia. As my reasoning went because the Eid and Ramadan are local therefore it is not correct to do that (i.e., to follow Saudi Arabia in the U.S.). He however, pointed out that it was important to follow local Masjid for the sake of unity. He made a reference to a Hadith in which Muslims are advised to obey their leader even if he is a Fasiq (with the proviso that you do not have any means to remove him from office). That obviously got us both thinking – what is more important local unity or purity of religion (assuming that local moon sighting is the correct way to go). The discussion turned out to be a little more sophisticated (or convoluted depending how you look at it). I felt that we needed more evidence from the Quran and Hadith to solve this riddle. I also realize that there may not be any direct evidence but only derived conclusions.

So there we have it. Like so many conflicts in Islamic theology, moon sighting has a simple practical solution – yet its implementation seems as elusive as reaching the stars.