Comments on: Date of Eid-ul-Adha, December 2007 http://ahmadiyya.org/WordPress/2007/12/18/date-of-eid-ul-adha-december-2007/ Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:31:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Abdul Momin http://ahmadiyya.org/WordPress/2007/12/18/date-of-eid-ul-adha-december-2007/#comment-1080 Abdul Momin Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:08:18 +0000 http://ahmadiyya.org/WordPress/2007/12/18/date-of-eid-ul-adha-december-2007/#comment-1080 The new moon occurs on December 9, long after sunset as the following data will show: U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department Sun and Moon Data for One Day The following information is provided for (longitude E67.0, latitude N25.0) (Near Karachi) : Monday 10 December 2007 Universal Time +5h Sunset 17:43 Moonset 18:06 Phase of the Moon on 10 December: waxing crescent with 0% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated. New Moon on 9 December 2007 at 22:41 (Universal Time + 5h). The following information is provided for (longitude E40.0, latitude N22.0) (Near Mecca) : Monday 10 December 2007 Universal Time +3h Sunset 17:37 Moonset 18:06 Phase of the Moon on 10 December: waxing crescent with 0% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated. New Moon on 9 December 2007 at 20:41 (Universal Time + 3h). It seems that the Saudis have declared December 10 as the first of Zilhaj. So then Eid would occur on December 19 (Zilhaj 10). But the above data shows that even on December 10, when the new moon will be nearly 19 hours old in Saudi Arabia at sunset, it will still not be visible to the naked eye. I am not sure what criteria the Saudis use, but the Pakistan government which bases its lunar months on visual sighting, in this instance has got it right by declaring Zilhaj 1 to be on December 12 and Eid to be on December 21. For USA the correct date for Zilhaj 10 would be December 20, but it seems that most Muslims organizations will follow the Saudis and celeberate Eid on Wednesday December 19. So we have Saudi Arabia celebrating Eid on December 19, Britain on December 20, USA on December 19, Pakistan on December 21. Going East to West from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, this is hardly a logical pattern of things. Also there should never be more than a day's difference in the start of lunar months between any two points on earth. But in this instance we have a difference of 2 days between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Unless the Muslim world uses the same criteria and one reference point as the basis for calculating all lunar months (longitude 180 E, 180W, latitude 0 N, 0 S), confusion will usually prevail at the time of Muslim holy festivals. The new moon occurs on December 9, long after sunset as the following data will show:
U.S. Naval Observatory
Astronomical Applications Department
Sun and Moon Data for One Day

The following information is provided for (longitude E67.0, latitude N25.0) (Near Karachi) :
Monday 10 December 2007 Universal Time +5h
Sunset 17:43
Moonset 18:06
Phase of the Moon on 10 December: waxing crescent with 0% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated.
New Moon on 9 December 2007 at 22:41 (Universal Time + 5h).

The following information is provided for (longitude E40.0, latitude N22.0) (Near Mecca) :
Monday 10 December 2007 Universal Time +3h
Sunset 17:37
Moonset 18:06

Phase of the Moon on 10 December: waxing crescent with 0% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated.
New Moon on 9 December 2007 at 20:41 (Universal Time + 3h).

It seems that the Saudis have declared December 10 as the first of Zilhaj. So then Eid would occur on December 19 (Zilhaj 10). But the above data shows that even on December 10, when the new moon will be nearly 19 hours old in Saudi Arabia at sunset, it will still not be visible to the naked eye. I am not sure what criteria the Saudis use, but the Pakistan government which bases its lunar months on visual sighting, in this instance has got it right by declaring Zilhaj 1 to be on December 12 and Eid to be on December 21. For USA the correct date for Zilhaj 10 would be December 20, but it seems that most Muslims organizations will follow the Saudis and celeberate Eid on Wednesday December 19.

So we have Saudi Arabia celebrating Eid on December 19, Britain on December 20, USA on December 19, Pakistan on December 21. Going East to West from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, this is hardly a logical pattern of things. Also there should never be more than a day’s difference in the start of lunar months between any two points on earth. But in this instance we have a difference of 2 days between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Unless the Muslim world uses the same criteria and one reference point as the basis for calculating all lunar months (longitude 180 E, 180W, latitude 0 N, 0 S), confusion will usually prevail at the time of Muslim holy festivals.

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