Summary
The intense interest in observing the moon to signal the start of significant Islamic events is concentrated on Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, and then Eid, the festival commemorating the end of fasting and the beginning of the next month. Is tomorrow Ramadan 2022 in the United Kingdom?
On Friday, April 1, some astronomers and mosques declared Ramadan, despite the fact that HM Nautical Almanac Office – a British Government agency that produces astronomical data for organisations such as the armed forces, police, religious groups, and diary/calendar manufacturers – stated that the moon would not be visible in the UK, Middle East, or elsewhere in Asia or Africa on that day.
The first slim crescent of the new moon will be visible only in a few locations, including parts of South America, the United States, and the Caribbean, the agency said.
Where was the date for Ramadan 2022 announced?
On Friday afternoon, Saudi Arabia lined up telescopes to search for a faint thumbnail of the moon against its clear blue skies. Officials later announced that they had seen it in Sudair, referring to Friday night’s Taraweeh prayers and then the first full day of Ramadan on Saturday, April 2.
Green Lane Masjid in Small Heath, Birmingham, has followed Saudi news and announced that it, too, will observe Ramadan on April 2 for its community of worshippers. Amanah Masjid in Henley Street, Sparkbrook, will also begin on April 2, and Stechford Mosque in Albert Road had previously published a prayer schedule in accordance with that date.
Across the globe, the Australian Fatwa Council announced that Ramadan 2022 would begin on April 2, based on astronomical data indicating that the moon would be visible on April 1 in that part of the world.
Where will it be if the date changes?
Throughout the rest of the world, including Morocco and Pakistan, Ramadan does not begin until Sunday, April 3. On Saturday, April 2, officials in those locations will search for the moon. Any communities in other countries that adopt a Sunday start date in response to those sightings would do the same.
These variations are due to Ramadan – and other Islamic dates – falling on different days in different countries, and occasionally even within the same country or city.
Saudi Arabia’s announcements of moon sightings generally correspond to its Umm al-Qura Calendar, which forecasts significant dates over a period of years. Certain individuals have cast doubt on the veracity of its reported sightings.
According to Middle East Eye, Muslim-majority countries such as Egypt, Iran, Morocco, and Turkey rely on local moon sightings, while many other nations wait for Saudi Arabia to make the call, as the country is home to Islam’s holiest sites.
What about moon sightings in the United Kingdom?
Iqbal Sacranie, the Muslim Council of Britain’s (MCB) founding secretary-general, told the publication: “Until the 1980s, the majority of Muslims followed Morocco because Islamic law dictates that if your country is unable to see the moon, you should follow the sighting of the nearest Muslim nation.
“However, the issue would be that we would receive news from Morocco after midnight in the UK, and we would not know whether it was Ramadan or Eid the following day until it was too late or the moon was not visible on our horizon.”
Mr Sacranie explains that the UK’s varying dates make it awkward for friends and relatives to celebrate at the same time – and also make it impossible to decide on an Eid ul Fitr public holiday at the end of Ramadan. “When I spoke with the British government in 1997, they were willing to make Eid a national holiday for schoolchildren, but when they asked me for a date, we couldn’t agree on one due to division,” he explained.
More recently, at Birmingham-based Islamic broadcaster Noor TV, a moonsighting board comprised of scientists and religious scholars was established to collaborate on verified crescent sightings in the UK.
Following confusion over the 2019 dates, Noor TV and a number of other Islamic organisations in the United Kingdom reached an agreement to collaborate on the issue. Raja Zahid Nawaz, a member of the Noor TV Moonsighting Board and diversity board adviser to the British Science Association, said that having major events on two different days – sometimes within the same city – “makes it difficult, not just for families wishing to take time off for the celebrations, but for organisations, employers, schools, and colleges.”
“Seeing the new moon’s first crescent is a profoundly spiritual and emotional experience, and we must get it right,” he explained.
Other British Muslims are also attempting to convince people to stop looking for moon sightings overseas, despite concerns that UK weather may make spotting the crescent more difficult. Imad Ahmed, the New Crescent Society’s founder, stated: “Our moon sightings began with a mission. Is it truly too cloudy to see clearly? And we discovered that, no, it is not too cloudy to go see the moon.
“Cloudy in London does not necessarily mean cloudy in Birmingham or Scotland on the same day. If there are sighters located throughout the country, you have a better chance of seeing the moon if it is near the horizon.”