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In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
WHY NOT CONSIDER RU’YATUL BIL ‘ILM: A Report from the Center for Islamic Studies, Indonesia[1]
Dr. Tono Saksono[2]
Introduction We have been following the controversy and the debate over ISNA’s decision on August 13, 2006 regarding using the astronomical calculation to replace the moon sighting method in marking the beginning of our holy month of Ramadan. In Jakarta, Indonesia, we have to face similar problems annually when it comes to the decision to start and to end the holy month of Ramadan and Dhulhijjah. Indonesian Muslims have long been experiencing the split between the proponents of astronomical calculation on the one end, and moon sighting on the other. Fortunately though, the split has not created any disharmony in our religious affairs nor in our daily social lives in spite of the fact that this has been going on for, as far as we can recall, more than 40 years. Most traditional Muslim brothers and sisters normally follow the moon-sighting method supported by the largest Muslim organization (Nahdatul Ulama with as many as 30 million members) in the country, whilst the second largest Muslim organization (Muhammadiyah with approximately 23 million members) is the main proponent of astronomical calculation method (hisab). The government’s stance is normally in favor of the moon-sighting as most of those within the Department of Religious Affairs who have the final say in determining official fatwa on the beginning and end of Ramadan are Nahdatul Ulama’s scholars, although some scholars from Muhammadiyah are also in the committee (obviously with second majority). Difference without harming spiritual harmony Our religious and spiritual activities, e.g. mosque activities, Islamic teachings and discussion and so forth support the astronomical calculation method although we are not Muhammadiyah members. During the Eid-ul Fitri celebrations on October 23, 2006 the government stick to its decision to complete 30 days fasting as hilal was not visible on the sunset of October 22. However, it was very encouraging for the proponent of astronomical calculation that the stronghold of Nahdatul Ulama (NU) in the province of East Java officially announced (for the first time ever) to follow astronomical calculation and perform Eid-ul Fitr prayer on October 23 as crescent apparently visible in the island of Madura, the northern part of the province. Luckily, in celebrating Eid-ul Adha prayer both astronomical calculation and moon-sighters mutually agreed to have it on Sunday, December 31, 2006. The problems occurred however, when we had to observe Arafah fasting prior to the Eid as Saudi Arabia announced the wuquf to fall on Friday, December 29. Again we split; some Muslim brothers and sisters in Indonesia observed the Arafah fasting on Friday, while the rest did it on Saturday the day after, although we all went for Eid prayer on Sunday. Wallahu ‘Alam, Allah Knows Best.
Having been experiencing delicate situation for over forty years, we can imagine that the ISNA’s decision is difficult indeed, both for ISNA and the ummah, Muslim brothers and sisters in North America. We fully understand that ISNA’s decision was issued after years of research and involvement in the practice of moon sighting when it joined the effort of the Committee For Crescent Observation (CFCO) in 1994 (therefore after 12-13 years of practicing and research!). The CFCO itself was set up in 1970’s following the news of moon-sighting received from Middle East were against the basic rules of moon's physical observation. Some prominent ulemas, Muslim scientists (Astronomers, Mathematicians), and trained hilal observers are also involved at CFCO[3]. Islamic Laws We firmly believe that there is no Muslim who will contest that our sources of Islamic Laws are four listed in order: 1. The Holy Qur’an.
The foremost legal ground for saum (fasts) during Ramadan is revealed by Allah SWT in:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِيَ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضاً أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُواْ الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, also clear (proofs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month, he must observe saum (fasts), and whoever is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) from other days. Allah intends ease for you; He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; so that you may be grateful to Him. (HQ, Al-Baqara: 185)
The above ayah only reveals the broad idea of the prescribed fasting during the month of Ramadan, without detailing as to when the Muslims have to start the saum. The detail is however revealed in the next verse of the same surah:
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَى نِسَآئِكُمْ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ عَلِمَ اللّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ فَالآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُواْ مَا كَتَبَ اللّهُ لَكُمْ وَكُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّواْ الصِّيَامَ إِلَى الَّليْلِ وَلاَ تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللّهِ فَلاَ تَقْرَبُوهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ It is made lawful to you to go unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are apparel for you and you are the same for them. Allah is aware that you were deceiving yourselves in this respect and He has turned in mercy toward you and forgave you. So now be in contact with them and seek what Allah has ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn, then complete the fast till night, and have no contact with them while you are in your devotion in the mosques. These are the limits imposed by Allah, so approach them not. Thus does Allah make clear His ayah for men that they may guard (against evil) (HQ, Al-Baqara: 187).
In the debate on the dispute of astronomical calculation method versus moon sighting, many Muslim brothers and sisters always referred to prophetic sayings (hadith) which too, give the details as to when to start and to end the holy Ramadan, they are quoted:
Do not fast till you see the new moon, and do not break fast till you see it” (Saheeh Muslim)
Ibnu Umar (ra), reported Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) as saying: ”When you see it[4] then you must observe saum, and when you see it, then break your fast; but if it is overcast, then calculate for it. (Saheeh Muslim)
Obviously, Allah uses different words when expressing the meeting of His ummah with the month of Ramadan (شَهِدَ) and when He ordered the Messenger (pbuh) to give the details of the timing to start and end the saum by using words tara (تَرَو) and raaytum (رَأَيْتُمْ) upon the sighting of hilal (crescent) at the sunset. Another word of similar importance in the quoted hadith is faqduru that has the same root as word qaddara (قَدَّرَ) which simply means to calculate, to measure, or to decide. The dispute arises in interpreting whether or not we have to sight the hilal physically.
The proponents of moon-sighting firmly believe that the words tara (تَرَو) and raaytum (رَأَيْتُمْ) in the above-quoted hadiths are something to do with the act of seeing the hilal physically. Some Muslim scholars even decline any use of modern instrument (such as binoculars, the telescope and so forth) in lieu of direct eye sighting, claiming that this is the message from Allah for those who live in the remote area for whom such technology is unreachable[5]. However, we immediately sense inconsistency in this matter. If being universal really matters irrespective of human achievement in science and technology, we then have to stick with Allah’s guidance upon the commencement of saum in the above verse: until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Apparently, we are now using modern instrument (clock, wristwatch and so forth) as a representation of advanced mathematical calculation and the advent of human technological achievements.
In the mean time, the proponents of mathematical and astronomical calculation (hisab) believe that the act of seeing in the above hadiths is not necessarily physically as with the advent of modern astronomy, the position of any celestial body can accurately be calculated and monitored at any time from anywhere in the globe. In so doing, the words tara (تَرَو) and raaytum (رَأَيْتُمْ) simply mean to calculate it or to see it by means of knowledge, and hence the word qaddara (قَدَّرَ) emphasizes the option of mathematical calculation. Statistics of word ro’a in the Qur’an Differences are something that we are not capable of avoiding to exist in our worldly life. They have always existed from the beginning of the creation of humankind and will continue to exist until the last day. What we have to avoid is these difference from creating fracture within the brotherhood of Islam. We firmly believe that every difference has a solution and the solution for Islamic differences is found in none other than the Qur’an and the practices of His final Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh). We have to remember that Allah has instructed:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority from among you. If you dispute over anything, then refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the last day. This is better and very good in the end. (HQ, An-Nisa: 59)
If we refer to the hadith to mark the beginning of holy month of Ramadan we quoted before, we immediately recognize the key words in these two hadiths and many more of the same spirit. They are: tarawu al-hilalu, tarauhu, raaytumuhu and also faqduru lahu. Let us, as instructed by Allah in His holy verse quoted above, refer to the holy Qur’an and analyze these words.
The word ro’a, although originally means to see visually[6] (ru’yatul bil fi’l), apparently appears more frequently with the meaning of seeing with cognition[7] (ru’yatul bil ‘ilm) in the holy Qur’an. The word changes according to its context to become tara (تَرَ – you sees or you relize/understand), or nara (نَرَى – we see or we realize/understand) or yara (يَرَى – he/she sees or he/she realizes/understands). This word and its derivatives apparently appear in 183 verses of the holy Qur’an, out of which there are 143 verses (78.14%) the word (and its derivatives) carries the meaning of cognitive seeing (ru’yatul bil ’ilm)[8]. Only the remaining 40 verses (21.86%) carry the original meaning of seeing visually (ru’yatul bil fi’l). Should we be interested in the number of chapters instead, then ru’ytaul bil ’ilm is contained in 61 chapters (67.78%), whilst ru’yatul bil fi’l is contained in 29 chapters (32.22%). From this proportion alone, we immediately sense the clear message from the Omniscient Allah SWT that He actually wants us to make use of our intellectual capacity as human rather than just our capability of seeing. Table-1 and Table-2 respectively show verses that contain the word ro’a when it means seeing visually and cognitive seeing. Moreover, a great deal of verses to contain word ro’a in Table-2 carries the meaning of seeing the unseen (ghaib). There is no doubt that this kind of act of seeing is of highest level as it is related to faith, and cannot be included into seeing physically[9].
Table SEQ Table \* ARABIC 1: Verses to contain the word ro’a when it means ru’yatul bil fi’l
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