Proposal for uniform lunar year globally
Uniform counting of date or day(s) is of utmost significance in social or national perspective. Say, for celebration of Independence Day (26th March) or Victory Day (16th December) in Bangladesh, everyone should count the same
Professor Md. NazimUddin Bhuiyan
Uniform Lunar Counting (ULC) is important for the Muslim Ummah or Community. The Muslim nation or Ummah is one of the religious groups among the mankind spreading over the whole world in almost all of the countries of the world with majority in more than fifty countries. Counting of the moon influences a number of abadah (abadat / prayer) or religious rituals of a muslim. Starting of siam (Ramadan / fasting and in sequence Sabe-Qdr, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Ajha, Hajj, utteringTasriq (Iyyam-e-tasriq-uttering takbir), celebration of Miladunnabi (Date of birth of the prophet), starting of lunar year (Hizri year), etc. are dependent on the lunar counting.
Solar (Sun-based) counting is uniform and undebateable over the world. 1st January is in the same day in the whole world. Solar location or the suns position determines the morning, noon, evening, night, dawn, etc. and the five times Salat-timings are determined. Moons position is indicator of Lunar month. Twelve lunar months are counted historically and have religious foundation (Al Quran /SuraTauba: 9:36).But there is a lot of debate and discrepancy about lunar counting. The world is round and the Muslim countries, i.e., countries with Muslimmajority and countries with Muslim minorities are spread over the globe. Non-uniform counting, sometimes with two or three days difference gives rise to huge debates.In Safor, 1440h, (Hijri year), there was three counting: Friday (12/10/18),was 1stSafor in Bangladesh, 2ndSafor in India and 3rdSafor in KSA. Months are uniformly counted in other counting, i.e., in Gregorian calendar (/English calendar), Bangla Calendar, etc. The only differential counting is seen in Lunar counting.
Moon rotates round the earth. The complete rotation period is one Lunar month. General conclusion about moon-month is that it would be 29 or 30 days and would not be 28 or 31 days. One lunar month is about 29.51 days (or twenty nine days thirteen hours). One Lunar Year is 354 days (29.5 12) or 355 days. The sequence of two lunar months is 29 and 30 days. That is also with counting error. Moon is for counting purpose of man. Lunar month is time indicator and Hajj celebration determiner (2:189). Moon becomes gradually visible. For the very nature of twenty nine and a half (about) days (29.5), lunar month would be of 29 or 30 days, counting is acute (6: 90). For counting consistency with day, (with 24 hour sun-day) a half day (0.5) is deleted from a lunar month (to be 29 days) or added with a lunar month (to be 30 days). New moon is seen at 29th or 30th day of a month and in the next day a new month is started. It is told in a holy Hadis of the Prophet Mohammad (S.M. / Peace Be Upon Him-Pbup) that (you should) try to see (look) moon at the 29th day of Savan (8thLunar month) and if moon is not seen, than complete 30 days for the Savan (and then start Ramadan). The above rule is to be followed every month. Till now, before information age or Digital Age, moon is/was seen locally and state-authority (or Religious Authority, as in India) decides (decided) for start (also end) of Lunar month (Start of Ramadan/Eid). So local decision, at least for the 57 Muslim (or OIC) countries, is the standard (tradition/usual) practice and sometimes one or two or three days difference(s) prevails. Uniform counting of date or day(s) is of utmost significance in social or national perspective. Say, for celebration of Independence Day or Victory Day (16th December) in Bangladesh, everyone should count (26th March) the same. For Jummah Prayer everyone should identify the day as Friday. But for lunar counting, if the date is 1stSaowal in Saudi Arabia, then there must be Eid-ul-Fitr; and if it is 30th (or 29th) Ramadan in Bangladesh (or elsewhere), there must be practice of Siam (Ramadan). For differential counting, one may practice Ramadan, and other may celebrate Eid. This is very alarming to some or all people as Why does Eid (/eating/enjoyment) on the day of Ramadan, or why does Ramadan on the dayofEid? These crucial questions are also for other religious celebrations of the Muslim in different counting.
In non-visual age (non-television age), there was also different practice (Eid/Ramadan) in different countries on the basis of local counting. But in information age or visual age (television age), new generation(individual of modern days) wants Eid on same day or explanation of Eid (also other rituals/practice) on a separate day. So the Muslim scholars must be able to explain,whyEid on a separate day.
For the countries after Saudi Arabia or to the west of Saudi Arabia, there is noproblem or problem is less severe. From Missor (Egypt) to Morocco and America, the daygo to the west and difference is less possible and all feel we celebrate with KSA and on the same day. If moon is visible in KSA, it would be more visible in the countries to the west of KSA, as moon will get more time to risemore or to become more visible. Countries in the east, if start in the same day, it becomes earlier and seems absurd. On the other hand, when the day comes after KSA,African and American countries, it steps in thenext day in the practice and seems the second day. If Eid in Sunday in the KSA and in Africa and America, it is bound to change in the IDL to Monday in the East Asian countries and seems same-day celebration became hampered. If a New IDL is not established, Eid on Sunday from KSA to USA (up to Hawai and also up to IDL) and Eid on Monday from Fiji, Indonesia to Guam (/from west of IDL to Iran or east of KSA) should be thought the same day. If at present concept and position of IDL, all Muslim want to celebrate at same day, and starting before KSA is (may) not acceptable, the start at Sunday from Fiji (Papua New Guinea PNG / Indonesia) and end at IDL is possible. If KSA should be allowed to start first, accept KSA counting and countries to the east of KSA, celebrating at the next day may think it the earlierday (as followed in KSA), may think Monday as Sunday, in the Indonesia to Iran region, for implication of IDL.
The problem of lunar counting and Religious celebration is severe in the south, south east, east Asia and Australia. These countries are at east of Saudi Arabia and time counting is earlier to Saudi. So a crucial question whether to start celebration at 1-9 hours before of Saudi (GMT/UCT), though on the same day. But almost all countries of this region, follow Saudi Counting or same counting except Bangladesh. This country always maintains a separate counting, which sometimes deviate one to two or three days. Two or three days deviation is completely unacceptable.
An Auto Model is developed and followed usually, and is also followed in the KSA and eastern Asia. The reason behind this is the expectation of a majority that all celebration including Eid should be on same day, and should be with Saudi Arabia and should be with all Muslims of the world. The consideration absent in the above model are: (i) celebration with Eid should be for the mankind, all men and women over the globe, (ii) starting point of day, (iii) the non- inclusion of geographical reality.
An Alternative Suggested Model: Being Islams foundation place and using lunar counting in every aspects of national life, Saudi Arabia (KSA) follows a real counting to a greater extent. Bangladesh leaves one, two or three days in the previous month. Even in the Rajab 1440h (March-April 2019), Lunar counting is such that moon crossed the level of sun (moon creation) was on Wednesday about 4.00pm UCT(/GMT) (29thJamadiusSani and Friday (after 30thJamadiusSani on Thursday), KSA started Rajab and Bangladesh started 1st Rajab on Saturday (9th March 2019), i.e, KSA left one day (about 24 hours) and Bangladesh left 2 days in the previous month, which is usual phenomenon. For Purnima (fall moon), the Hindus celebrated (DolJatra) on Thursday (21st March, 2019), the Kurdis celebrated Naoroj on Thursday (21st March, 2019 in Iraq, celebration debacle and death of 90 persons in Ferry accident.Purnima (Full Moon) is start of New Year) in Iran (/ Kurdistan). There was full moon in the USA on 20th 21st March, Saudi Purnima was on Thursday night (after day, 22ndMarch) and Bangladeshi Purnima was in the next day (23th March, 2019). Even 18th May, 2019 was Buddha Purnima (15th day of the moon, Government Holiday in Bangladesh)(Saturday), KSA Purnima 20th May (Monday), 2019; and BangladeshPurnima 21stMay (Tuesday), 2019;an alarming 4 days variation.
This discrepancies are regular some times (in some months), Muslim (KSA other), Hindu, Buddhist and even Irani (/ Kurdish) rituals or religious events, some on certain date or Purnima (15th night or night after 14th day). Then 3 or 4 days difference in counting becomes visible which is a real problem and need solution, at least a reasonable some time is required for moon to be visible (when seen it is visible, and it is a proof to all or the seers). But if more than 23 hours 59 minutes is left in the previous month, we are leaving even two days (more than one day) in the previous month, we are leaving one or even two days in the previous month which is not acceptable. Less than one day (23hours 59 minutes, 24 hours or a day) may be left in the previous month. After that counting must be started may be even from Saudi Arabia First or of any country.
Saudi Arabia counted1st day of Savan on 6th April (Saturday), 2019; Bangladeshcounted 1stday of Savan on 8thApril (Monday), 2019;with two days difference the month went on and after 30thSavan, KSA, started 1st Ramadan on 6th May (Monday) and after 29thSavan, Bangladesh started 1stRamadan on 7th May (Tuesday), 2019.Moon Sighting Committee attempted on the evening of 6th April, 2019 to see moon, but failed, moon was not seen in Bangladesh.
The writer is Professor, Department. of Accounting Information Systems, University of Dhaka,
E-mail [email protected]
