Eid Al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of fasting in Ramadan, will be Monday, according to Khaled ibn Saleh Al-Zaaq, member of Arab Space Science Federation and supervisor of Buraidah Astronomical Observatory. In a statement carried by Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper, Al-Zaaq said it would be impossible to sight the Shawwal crescent today (Saturday) as it will disappear one hour before the sunset.Arab Space Science Federation. Okay, I feel my boggle stirring.
“We can only see the new moon on Monday evening with difficulty as it will be visible for only 36 minutes with a glow of 1.90 percent,” said Al-Zaaq, who is also a member of the Islamic Project to Observe the Crescent. He urged the public not to be confused by seeing celestial bodies on Saturday evening.
Islamic Project to Observe the Crescent. Oh yeah, boggle's gettin' stronger.
Ali Manikfan, an Indian expert on moon sighting, also confirmed that Monday would be the first day of Eid. “I have observed the waning phases of the moon in the last days of Ramadan. Yesterday morning I could see the crescent at about 8 a.m. It was about 25 degrees away from the sun. The crescent will be visible today (Saturday) before sunrise. This will be the last visible phase of the moon for Ramadan,” Manikfan said in a statement.
Well, that settles it. Sorta. He is just an Indian, after all, not of the Master "Race".
“Sunday morning the crescent will not be seen even though it will rise before the sun. This is the day on which the moon phase is not visible to the earth. Somewhere in the world both the sun and the moon will rise together on Sunday,” said Manikfan, who is a staunch advocate of a unified Islamic calendar.
Who sez they're not a Moon Cult?
[He] called upon Muslims all over the world to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr on the same day. He urged the Organization of the Islamic Conference to unify the Islamic calendar.
We should all do this on the same day. It's much more, um, impressive 'n stuff.
“Eid Al-Fitr should be celebrated on the first day of the lunar month of Shawwal. Muslims around the world are now celebrating it on three different days due to the lack of a unified calendar,” he told Arab News.
Very unimpressive.
Manikfan urged Muslims to adopt modern technological methods to sight crescent.
Muzzy Luddites!
“Islam is the most advanced and scientific religion. It’s impossible to believe that the Prophet (pbuh) would instruct his followers in this age of science and technology to search for the new moon with their naked eyes when lunar and solar dates can be determined in advance on the basis of scientific calculations,” he said. He hoped that Saudi Arabia would take the lead and prepare a unified Islamic calendar for distribution in all Muslim countries.
And now my boggle is fully restored... overflowin', even.