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Possibility of uniform lunar calendar - Scholars discuss in Makkah

Monday February 13, 2012 02:03:37 PM, ummid.com Staff Reporter

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Malegaon: An international conference aimed at ending differences on lunar calculations and unite the Muslims in observing obligatory rituals of fasting and Haj as well as Eid festivals is under way in Makkah. It was opened by Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Sheikh Saleh Al-Asheikh Saturday.

The three-day conference is organized by the Islamic Fiqh Academy, an affiliate of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL), a media report says.

A number of prominent figures including religious scholars, jurisprudents and astronomers from the Kingdom and abroad are taking part in the event at the grand conference hall of MWL headquarters, Saudi leading daily Arab News reported today.

Grand Mufti and President of the Senior Scholars’ Commission Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh in his speech highlighted the significance of determining the start of the lunar month on the basis of the sighting of the moon.

 

“Islam had defined that the beginning and ending of the fast depends on the sighting of the crescent and there is no difference of opinion on this. As for Gregorian months, they are mainly for determining four seasons of the year and they have no relevance as far as Shariah rules are concerned,” he said.

The grand mufti reiterated Islamic Shariah principles should be upheld when calculating lunar months.

 

“We are not waging a war with astronomy. But we don’t want to exceed the proper bounds of the Islamic Shariah when making lunar calculations,” he said, while urging the Muslims to follow relevant Islamic principles.

In his speech, MWL Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Turki said the conference would come out with proposals and recommendations with regard to achieving some sort of uniformity in determining the timing of the Islamic obligatory rituals of fasting and Haj.

“The Islamic scholars and astronomers would discuss how lunar calculations could be used to unite the Muslim Ummah in determining the fasting month of Ramadan, the timing of Haj and Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha,” he said, hoping the event would be a milestone at least in narrowing differences among Islamic scholars and astronomers across the world when making such calculations.

The MWL chief also highlighted the increasing relevance of Islamic astronomy in uniting Muslims worldwide.

 

Spelling out the objectives of convening the conference, Saleh Al-Baqami, secretary general of the academy, hoped the participants would come out with comprehensive solutions to remove the causes of differences with regard to determining the beginning of lunar months.

Continuing deliberations on the second day on Sunday, participants discussed five topics focusing on various aspects regarding lunar months and the role of Islamic Shariah principles in determining them. These included the sighting of the moon to mark the beginning and ending of the months for fasting and Haj.

The participants also discussed the Islamic jurisprudent approach with regard to a number of issues such as settling debts, and Iddat, which is the legally prescribed period of waiting during which a woman may not remarry after being widowed or divorced. The session, which is chaired by Grand Mufti Al-Asheikh, would issue a communiqué after wrapping up its deliberations on Monday.

 


 


 

 

 

 

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Picture of the Day

New Delhi,27 Jan 2012-IGNOU Vice-Chancellor M Aslam receiving the "Best teaching practices Award" from noted film director Prakash Jha at the India Today Aspire education summit 2012,in New Delhi on Friday. Also in picture India Today Group's Rekha Puri.

(Photo: IANS/Amlan Paliwal)

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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