Muslims all over the world have been always eager to find the day on which the Lunar month is starting. Because their rituals like Ramdan fasting and Hajj are connected with it. Since long Muslims used to find out five prayer times looking int natural possibilities. Like measuring the length of one's shade by foot, Listening to sounds of birds like cock and so on.
Now our calenders are showing prayer times one year earlier, when they are released. This is depending upon the astronomical findings which is now with us. All factions of the Muslim ummah are accepting this scientific findings.
Unfortunately our leaders are in the darkness, even now in this regard.
Everybody knows that Lunar months will have either 30 or 29 days. Thi dewpends upon the finding of the new crescent in the western horizon. All lunar months will have moon in the sky except one day which we call New moon ( or "Karutha vaavu" on which there will not be any crescent. We can look in the sky for moon during the night ( from the sunset upto the morning - I mean all days, we can see it in its time and location, except one day - on the last day of the Lunar month, the day of Karutha vaavu (new moon). There will not be two new moon (Karutha vaavu). Then the next day after Karutha vavu should be the first day of the next lunar month.Unfortunately our calenders are marking karutha vaavu but the next day(some times the next also) may not be the first day of the next lunar month.
At the same time in the same calender it is recorded the five prayer times in advance basing on the scientific findings. For finding the end of the month they (we) do not utilize the scientific ability that Allah almighty has given us so far.
We say to justify this we have to see the crescent with our naked eyes. As proof for this they say that Prophet (s) has said " soomoo liru'ayathihi wa afthiroo liru'ayathihi" ( fast when you see it and stop when see it). Actually Prophet (s) said this when there were no other means, then, with them . And more this is the word of the Prophet(s). It should not become invalid.
Let us think of the term " Ru'ayath" in the above Hadith. What it means? The Arabic dictionaries say : Alru'ayathu : alnadhru bil aini ou bil a'qli ( Ru'ayath means: see with one's eye or by mind (Knowledge).
The same meaning for the term we give when Ibrahim (s) retells his son : I "see" in my dream that I should sacrifice you... you look what you "see". ( there are more examples in this regard.
Finally I am saying : in this matter - only in this matter we go back to the period when we had much scientific gains, very sad to say back to 1400 years.
Prof. Mohamed Ali Kadambot
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