Muslims Use New Method to Determine Ramadan

In a pioneering declaration last week, the Fiqh Council of North America, a body of Islamic scholars from the U.S. and Canada, announced that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan will commence on September 13this year.

On its website, FCNA encourages all Muslims throughout North America to recognize Thursday as the start of Ramadan based on the council's scientific calculations of the new moon. Along with the European Council for Fatwa and Research, FCNA concurs that the astronomical New Moon is on Tueday, September 11 at 12:44 Universal time (3:44 pm Mecca time). According to the FCNA, the new moon is when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun closest to the Sun-Earth line and can be accurately predicted by astronomical calculation.

Although long overdue, FCNA's recommendation is an important step in unifying the American Muslim community before it embarks on one of its most important religious obligations.

For Muslims, Ramadan is a time of self-restraint and reflection, where God's favor is emphasized and His name kept close in the heart, as they fast from sunrise to sunset. During this month Muslims are supposed to renew their commitment to their faith, since in this month, they believe the Quran was reveled to the Prophet Mohammed.

In many ways, Islam is a public religion, not only in its religiously mandated laws for society, but also in the way it spread throughout history. The Muhajirs and the Ansar, among the very first to accept Islam, devoted their life to establishing an improving their community, no matter how exigent the task. FCNA's proposal to the Muslim community is one that should not be taken lightly by our imams and masjid personnel. Along with the European Council for Fatwa and Research, FCNA uses Mecca in Saudi Arabia to predict the moon sighting, which must occur after sunset. On Wednesday, September 12, 2007, sunset in Mecca is 6:27 pm local time, while moonset is at 6:55 pm local time, making the first day of Ramadan Thursday, September 13.