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[quote]Assalaamu-Alaykum.

Our Fard Ibadah and other forms of Ibadah hinges on intention, place, time and action. Each one is dependent on the other.

The Islamic month begins with the positive report of the sighting of the Hilaal. This is the Almighty Allah's Command in Sura Baqara, Ayah 189.

The above Ayah further states that is  no virtue if you enter houses (months) from the back (using other criteria).

Virtue is defined as 'the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong'.

As Muslims, we do not have the satisfaction of personal choices in the matter of how to begin each new lunar month - we have to look for the Hilaal.

The Holy Prophet's (Peace be upon him) statement :"The month has either 29 or 30 days,and, if the Hilaal is hidden on the 29th day then add an extra day to the month".

The sighting of the Hilaal begins each new Islamic lunar month and this is the Almighty Allah's Command.

The science of Hilaal sighting should be common knowledge to all Muslims, but unfortunately, the powers that be have found it necessary not to teach natural law in madrassahs and other institutions of Islamic learning.

These so-called powers are quite satisfied to keep Muslims 'in the dark' as far as the sciences that are expounded in the Holy Qur'an are concerned.

The waxing crescent has to meet certain criteria measurement values in order to be seen. If the values are below certain parameters then the moon remains in it's hidden (ghumma alaykum) phase.

To predict the earliest visibily by naked eye of the youngest waxing crescent for any locality on earth is not easy as this science is in its infancy. At the moment there are Muslim astronomers and scientists researching this subject.

And sighting in various localities has to be done in an organised and scientific manner (presently absent in almost the whole world).

The Islamic month cannot begin on the same gregorian date throughout the world because the Islamic day encompasses two gregorian dates (the night before and the day after).

And because the Hilaal will be sighted west of the initial sighting locality; the areas to the east of the first sighting locality will begin their first day of the lunar month a day later. Therefore the beginning of the Islamic month would span three gregorian days around the world.

We perform our Fard Ibadah in Sacred time-slots and it is important that these time-slots are correctly marked according to Divine Command wherever one may be located on the face of this earth.

Many erroneous sighting reports have been made and unfortunately accepted by the authorities. As long as our decision makers ignore natural science we will have to live with this problem of different beginnings of months in various communities.

My advice is that each individual adheres to Qur'anic Commands with  scientific knowledge where necessary. It means going back to school and getting away from the comfort zones that we have created for ourselves.

Wassalaam.

Abdurrazak Ebrahim (Dr)

<ebrahimsenior@ctrs.co.za>
Cape Town.[/quote]

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