Saturday, October 15, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Same religion, different calendar?
I don’t get it! Why the hell is the first of Ramadan different on different parts of the globe! (or is it Ramazan??!! Another dispute!) I just don’t get it! This year it was 4th Oct in some places like Maldives, the Saudis, North America, and today 5th Oct for Malaysia, and some others, and tomorrow for Pakistan, Nepal and some others! What the hell is wrong! Isn’t this supposed to be one “umma”?
All fingers point to the sighting of the moon! That’s what the Muslim calendar or rather the lunar calendar is based on. I had a look at the translations of the Holy Qur’an (is that how to spell it in English! Yet another dispute!) There clearly is mention of sighting of the moon, but I wonder if it strictly means sight as in with the naked eye. The holy book contains very many mathematical mysteries and I believe (many scholars too believe) the “sighting” can very well refer to scientific / mathematical sighting as well!
Apparently this is a dispute among the “dhannabeykalun,” the learned scholars of the religion! I read this, and many more stating so. They disagree on using the mathematical principle. They also disagree that sighting the moon in one area (either way; with eyes or from math) is binding on Muslims in other areas as well. What do they agree on? To disagree I guess. They haven’t found a solution. Well I know the saying “emeehakah emeehegge dheen” (each person’s religion for his own) but we are talking of the same religion here!
Absurd, isn’t it. The very calendar we Muslims follow is a disagreement! No wonder the Muslims are getting all sorts of names! Sad isn’t it. I know that in some places, like Pakistan, even the day of the Hajj can differ from the day millions of people together, in unison, in one place are performing and marking the day! By the way this differs from group to group in Pakistan itself! Now, how utterly ridiculous is that!
It is common logic and scientific fact that the moon sighting definitely differs from place to place on the globe. This is fact since the day we learnt the Earth isn’t flat (or is this in disagreement too, still!) Does this mean every latitude and longitude have their own Muslim calendars? There has to be some agreement on how to resolve this! The science is out there and the scientists who know this, the holy book is out there and the people who have mastered it, the Prophet’s way of life is there and the people who have become scholars of it. What the hell are doing? Why don’t they get together and burn some serious brain sugar and get it resolved!
I hope they at least are in agreement that the Day of Judgment is the one the same day for all! Or are they not?
All fingers point to the sighting of the moon! That’s what the Muslim calendar or rather the lunar calendar is based on. I had a look at the translations of the Holy Qur’an (is that how to spell it in English! Yet another dispute!) There clearly is mention of sighting of the moon, but I wonder if it strictly means sight as in with the naked eye. The holy book contains very many mathematical mysteries and I believe (many scholars too believe) the “sighting” can very well refer to scientific / mathematical sighting as well!
Apparently this is a dispute among the “dhannabeykalun,” the learned scholars of the religion! I read this, and many more stating so. They disagree on using the mathematical principle. They also disagree that sighting the moon in one area (either way; with eyes or from math) is binding on Muslims in other areas as well. What do they agree on? To disagree I guess. They haven’t found a solution. Well I know the saying “emeehakah emeehegge dheen” (each person’s religion for his own) but we are talking of the same religion here!
Absurd, isn’t it. The very calendar we Muslims follow is a disagreement! No wonder the Muslims are getting all sorts of names! Sad isn’t it. I know that in some places, like Pakistan, even the day of the Hajj can differ from the day millions of people together, in unison, in one place are performing and marking the day! By the way this differs from group to group in Pakistan itself! Now, how utterly ridiculous is that!
It is common logic and scientific fact that the moon sighting definitely differs from place to place on the globe. This is fact since the day we learnt the Earth isn’t flat (or is this in disagreement too, still!) Does this mean every latitude and longitude have their own Muslim calendars? There has to be some agreement on how to resolve this! The science is out there and the scientists who know this, the holy book is out there and the people who have mastered it, the Prophet’s way of life is there and the people who have become scholars of it. What the hell are doing? Why don’t they get together and burn some serious brain sugar and get it resolved!
I hope they at least are in agreement that the Day of Judgment is the one the same day for all! Or are they not?
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