The newest moon on the horizon: An enthusiastic astronomer’s guide to fixing the beginning of Ramadan

Along with all of our improves inside the astronomy, could there be zero effortless, scientific option to the yearly tale of “when do we begin the new week out of Ramadan”, asks Nidhal Guessoum.

Because the Islamic weeks realize an excellent lunar calendar, the start of every month is actually marked of the first sighting of crescent moonlight. Annually, due to the fact holy times out-of Ramadan techniques, this new endless debate concerning the start of month increases, will which have awkward consequences. Lots of talks and you will debates provides up until now failed to acknowledge how-to eliminate this issue forever.

How come the brand new Islamic globe notice it so very hard to decide the beginning of Ramadan in addition to density of your holy months away from Eid and you will Hajj? As to the reasons can not astronomy solve it relatively easy situation? If science takes individuals and you may robotic crafts on the moon, talk about all the just right the skin, look for frost in lunar craters, and you may posting spacecrafts and probes towards the outskirts of your solar system, does it maybe not dictate the position and you will lights of one’s thin crescent, and this signals the beginning of Islamic weeks?

As i will explain, science is not guilty of new widespread frustration you to engulfs this new Muslim globe on a yearly basis in advance of inception and you may stop away from Ramadan. Lees verder →