News > Miscellanous >The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah announced that Monday October 23, 2006 is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, according to jurisprudence and astronomical basis

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Sighting the crescent of the new month

The Religious Authority H.E. Sayyed M. H. Fadlullah issued a communiqué in which he stated that Monday is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. Following is a description of the rules and bases this ruling relied on.

Firstly: The jurisprudence basis

His Eminence Fatwa says that the lunar moon starts when the crescent is born and only after it reaches a stage it could be seen in any place we share with a part of the night.

This means that we can search for the crescent in several regions, and some far in the West, especially in the American continents whether North America or South America. This view is adopted by several religious scholars including the late religious Authority Abulkasim Al-Khouie.

In addition, Sayyed Fadlullah does not stipulate that seeing the crescent should be made exclusively by the naked eye.

It could include all what will enable us to see it like telescopes and the like.

It is worth mentioning that the places from which we can see the moon are not restricted to land, but they also include any geographical location on earth, even if it is in the middle of the sea. If it is seen in such locations, then the ruling that the new month has started is applicable.

Secondly: The Astronomical Basis.

1- The birth of the crescent of the blessed month of Shawal will be at 08:14 an (Beirut time) Sunday, October 22nd. On that day the sun will set at 17:56 level time, while the moon will set at 17:51 that is five minutes before the sun.

Its age will be 9 hours and 41 minutes and its illuminating rate will be 0.23% which means it will be impossible to see it in Beirut on that day.

It is also impossible to see it in the Arab and Muslim regions as well as other parts of the earth. Its stay in the horizon does not allow it not to be overwhelmed by the sun's light, and, thus, it cannot be seen by the naked eye even if the other conditions, like its age or the rate of its illumination, are available.

Regions where the moon could be sighted Sunday evening, October 22, 2006.

2- The position of the moon with respect to earth plays a fundamental role in determining the places the moon could be seen in this season of the year, the moon is facing the southern hemispheres which means that the regions based north of the equator, the moon will be below the horizon, and will set at time the light of the sun will be too strong to allow seeing the moon with the naked eye.

This will also be the case, as astronomers tell us, on Monday too. There will be thus a difficulty in seeing the moon in certain regions growing more difficult the further north we head. Nevertheless, it will be easily sighted in the Far East, and especially in New Zealand and Australia, as well as the American continent (see map below)

Regions where the moon could be sighted Monday evening, October 23, 2006.

Based on the testimonies of the scientific scholars (people of experience) it is clear that the moon could be seen on Saturday night in certain parts of South America, either by the naked eye or through a telescope. It could be seen by the naked eye in Chile, and it could be also seen by the naked eye too, but with the help of telescopes in Argentine Paraguay, Peru Uruguay. Lebanon and other countries share a part of the night with all these countries.

Chile, for example, is of a time difference of 6 hours in Winter and seven hours in Summer.

In the Chilean local time the sun will set on 23-10-2006 one and a half to two hours before dawn in our region.

This is in the case of Chile, which lies on the West Coast of South America, but as for the countries to the east of Chile like Argentine, Chile and Bolivia, the part of the night we share with them will be bigger.

It is worth mentioning that the maps indicate that we can see the crescent by the telescope on the eastern, coast of Southern America and in certain part of the Atlantic Ocean too.

Therefore, the beginning of the month of Shawal (eid Al-Fitr) will be on the day that follows that night in any place in the world whose dawn will be after the sunset in the region where the moon could be seen, which is the day of Monday October 23.

As for the countries that do not share a part of the night especially in Australia and New Zealand, and therefore could not be considered as having seen the moon Sunday night, they should have their Eid on the following day .Tuesday October 24, 2006.

In the end, the diverging jurisprudence adopted methodologies, especially the difference between those who rely on astronomic data and those who say that the moon should be sighted in the horizon of the country and not in a country it shares apart of the night with… Such differences, especially with the circumstances of the birth of the moon this year, prevent the establishment of a unified day for the Eid. Thus each one should return to His Religious Authority to break his fast.

May Allah return this Eid on all Muslims with His blessings, good and progress.

The jurisprudence office of the Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah.