Faith, science and controversy — the debate over Pakistan’s moon sighting

ISLAMABAD: In Pakistan, the sighting of the moon — marking the beginning of significant Islamic months like Ramadan and Shawwal — has become a source of controversy. What should be a simple, unifying moment of faith often turns into a point of division and debate. Various committees, religious leaders, and groups all claim the right to announce when the moon is sighted, leading to confusion and, at times, different parts of the country celebrating Eid on different days. This persistent conflict raises important questions about the tension between religious traditions and modern advancements in science. In this piece, we delve into the history of Pakistan’s moon sighting disputes, the role of technology and religious authority, and whether there is any hope for unity under one moon.

According to the Hum Investigates, in the past 25 years, the government of Pakistan has spent over 2 billion rupees on the moon sighting process. According to research by Investigates, these expenses have been incurred on the meetings of the central and zonal moon sighting committees, the salaries, travel allowances, and travel arrangements of the government employees and members involved.

The Hum Investigates team has conducted research to find answers to several key questions, such as: Will Eid al-Fitr be celebrated on the same day across the country this year? Will the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee be able to reach a consensus on the moon sighting? When and how did the moon sighting dispute start? Why does the moon appear differently to the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the Meteorological Department, and SUPARCO? Will the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, meteorologists, or modern science prevail?

As soon as the third decade of Ramadan begins, debates regarding the Eid moon start to emerge among people in Pakistan. In recent years, the determination of the Eid al-Fitr day has become a significant point of contention. The last two or three days of Ramadan are often consumed with the question of whether the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will announce the sighting of the Shawwal moon, or whether the committee formed by the Qasim Ali Khan Mosque in Peshawar will announce it. Will Eid be celebrated on the same day across the country, or will there be two Eids? Will Pakistan celebrate Eid with Saudi Arabia, or will it be celebrated later?

Also read: Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meets tomorrow for Ramazan moon sighting

Some, like former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry, have argued that a lunar calendar should be created using modern scientific principles and technology, which he had developed during his tenure in the Ministry of Science and Technology. In May 2019, Fawad Chaudhry proposed the creation of a lunar calendar and the use of scientific methods for moon sighting. His proposal caused an uproar in the country’s religious circles, and the Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, rejected it.

Fawad Chaudhry explained that he had spoken to Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman and other members of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. He said, “Look, if moon sighting is only to be done by the eye and no technology can be used, then it becomes a religious issue. But if you are looking through glasses, then you are using technology. If you say that moon sighting must be done by the eye, then only young people with 6/6 vision should be used for this task. If you say that the moon must only be seen with the naked eye, then people in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Jhelum, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Gwadar, Hyderabad, etc. will celebrate Eid on different days, and unity will be difficult. If you want to align with Saudi Arabia, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, because technology has already shown that the moon was visible there. You can align with that, but still, it remains a religious issue.”

On the other hand, Mufti Munir Ahmad, a member of Rohit e Hilal committee Karachi zone, said, “As far as not using science is concerned, I want to clarify that science is not against the Quran or Islam. Yes, science can assist in understanding the Quran and Islam more deeply. For instance, science tells us that the moon visible to the human eye must be at least 19 hours old. It is impossible to see a moon that is younger than 19 hours. The time between 19 to 22 hours is when the human eye can see the moon, and if the moon’s age is between 18 to 19 hours, a telescope can help. But if the moon is only 10 to 12 hours old, it can’t be seen even by climbing on a plane. If anyone claims to have seen the moon, then how can that be accepted? This is the point where the real disagreement and questions arise.”

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Science’s testimony will only be accepted to the extent that it supports a human eye witnessing it. If a person saw the moon, whether a common person or a scientist, we will ask science whether it was possible for the human eye to see the moon at that specific time. If science confirms that the moon was visible to the human eye, then the testimony will be considered valid. Otherwise, if science says that it was not possible for the human eye to see the moon, then it cannot be accepted, regardless of who claims to have seen it.

The Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, although not against the use of modern scientific instruments for moon sighting, has raised objections to the size of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee formed by the government.

Tahir Ashrafi said, “I don’t think that so much money has been spent. We need to look into this. If the meetings only involve paying for hotel stays or a single day’s expenses, then if such large amounts of money have been spent, it raises a question about where that money has gone. However, since I don’t have the research on this, I cannot give a final opinion. Secondly, I believe that such a large committee is not necessary. This is the age of science, and much of the information we need can be gathered using modern instruments. Even when our people observe the moon, they use telescopes. Therefore, I think two things should be done: First, we should include more experts in scientific fields, particularly astronomers, along with religious scholars so that representatives from all schools of thought are present. A chairman should be appointed, and with them, a 10 or 12-member committee should be formed to decide on the moon sighting.”

The former Chairman of the Islamic Ideology Council, Dr. Qibla Ayaz, said that religious scholars have done a lot of work regarding scientific instruments, and they can certainly be used as supporting tools. However, these tools should only be used as supplementary aids. He added, “When it comes to the 29th day of the month, it is necessary to determine whether the moon can be sighted or not, or whether there can be a testimony. So, as far as scientific instruments are concerned, they are useful and necessary as supportive tools.”

In response to a question, he said, “We need to check if the days of the month are complete or if there is a possibility of sighting. If the possibility of sighting exists, we will use calculations and scientific tools. If the weather is bad and there is no possibility of sighting in any country or area, and the days are complete, then certainly, if scientific tools show the moon, religious scholars have allowed it.”

Regarding research, particularly in astronomy and moon sighting, he said that our institutions are doing excellent work and are very active and satisfactory in their work. “The question regarding the expense of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s moon sighting is: What expenses are involved? The members do not have salaries; they work on an honorary basis, and maybe just an allowance is provided for a single day. So, the expenses are negligible. However, alternative solutions exist.”

Clearly, there is a need for legislation in this matter. If our country passes a law, such as one that determines the zone where the moon is visible, then this could eliminate the need for a separate committee. For example, in Saudi Arabia, the responsibility has been given to the Qazi, and similarly, in Pakistan, through the Federal Shariat Court, this responsibility could be legally assigned. This is possible, but legislation is required.

The Islamic Ideology Council has done a lot of work on this subject and provided multiple recommendations. One such recommendation is that, in today’s world, with the widespread availability of planes, telephones, mobile phones, and other means of communication, we can easily know where the moon has been sighted. Based on this, we could determine the moon sighting in countries with synchronized days and nights.

Mahr Sahibzada Khan, DG of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, discussed the scientific aspects of moon sighting. He explained that there are key scientific factors involved in sighting the moon, such as the moon’s presence on the horizon after sunset and its angle, which must be 8 degrees or more for it to be visible. He used the example of Ramadan’s moon sighting, explaining that this year’s moon was not visible due to its low angle and low light, but the next day, the moon appeared larger and brighter, leading people to believe it might have been visible the day before.

He also mentioned that Eid’s moon, it will be visible on March 30, with an angle of 12 degrees, making it clearly visible. He noted that the weather in Pakistan will be favourable, and there should be no difficulty in sighting the moon.

Khan further emphasized that with the advancements in science, moon sighting predictions have become very accurate, and if scientific principles are followed, there will be no disputes regarding moon sighting. He mentioned the Islamic calendar, where moon sighting predictions are made, and stated that adopting this method is possible. He also highlighted the positive nature of meetings among religious scholars, where they discuss religious and community issues.

The issue of moon sighting and the Islamic calendar in Pakistan has been a source of local disputes since its inception. The first official step by the government was taken during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s era when the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was established at the national level to determine the sighting of the lunar months.

Long before the formal establishment of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, disputes had already started over whether the moon had been sighted or not. The first dispute occurred in 1958 when Eid was celebrated a day before the government’s official announcement in Peshawar.

The second dispute occurred during Ayub Khan’s era in 1961 when the government changed its moon sighting announcement late at night, resulting in multiple Eid celebrations. Eid was celebrated three times in 1961 across Pakistan.

By 1966 and 1967, the moon sighting dispute had escalated to the point where various religious groups made their own announcements, leading to the government detaining several prominent religious leaders.

To prevent increasing disputes regarding the moon sighting during Eid, the government decided to formally establish the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

The committee members and supporting staff meet four times a year. The committee conducts the moon sighting for Ramadan in Peshawar, for Shawwal in Islamabad, for Zul-Hijjah in Karachi, and for Muharram in Quetta.

The zonal committees, with 32 members, meet every 29th day of the lunar month to sight the moon. According to information gathered from current and retired members and employees of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has held 100 meetings in the past 25 years, and the zonal committees have held 300 meetings.

In 1999, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee spent a total of 57 crores on meetings, including the salaries and travel expenses of members and staff. Since 2001, zonal committees have held 300 meetings at a total cost of 95 crores.

More than 25 employees from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology, SPARCO, and the Meteorological Department assist the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. The salaries and benefits of these employees have cost the national treasury 17 crores over 20 years.

The moon sighting dispute began in July 2020, when a verbal war erupted between Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry and Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman regarding the sighting of the Zul-Hijjah moon. This dispute reflected the difference between traditional and scientific methods of moon sighting. Fawad Chaudhry supported the use of scientific technology, while Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman emphasized traditional methods.

In 2021, after the committee’s announcement, Eid al-Fitr was celebrated across the country, but some committee members criticized the decision and suggested that people observe a “one-day fast” as a correction. These members argued that the testimony regarding the moon sighting was not credible, and the committee made a hasty decision.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the central committee’s announcement is often not given much importance, and most cities in the province celebrate Eid in alignment with Saudi Arabia. The moon sighting process in Saudi Arabia is supervised by the Supreme Court, which requests the public to testify in court if they see the moon.

Although Saudi scholars consider astronomical calculations as a supportive tool, the final decision is based on visual sighting of the moon. If two credible witnesses testify that they saw the moon, then Eid is declared on that day. Even in cases where the moon is predicted, the Supreme Court decides whether to accept the testimony. Therefore, the final decision is based on the reliability of the eyewitnesses.

In Pakistan, the method of moon sighting has remained deeply intertwined with religious beliefs and practices, while technology and scientific advancements have been met with resistance in some circles.

Abobakar Khan also contributed to the story