Why ISNA Stumbles – Again and Again?
ISNA Fiqh Committee
pretends to know Fiqh and astronomy of moon-sighting and yet repeats the same
mistake in deciding about Ramadan and Eidain dates again and again. It creates
confusion and as a result bungles the Islamic dates: Ramadan on the last date of
Sh’aban, Eid al-Fitr on the last date of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha on 9th
day of D. Hijja, etc. Many Muslims fall into ISNA trap believing it to be the
‘national’ organization.
Why is ISNA unable to
learn from its mistakes?
ISNA Fiqh Council (FC) is a
closed group, with a closed mind. For more than 25 years it has been repeatedly
told that:
1. A crescent moon is always visible on 30th day.
2. Once a crescent-moon is actually seen it will be seen everywhere west of
the original place of
sighting (within its visibility parabola).
3. A crescent-moon never becomes visible in the first 2-3 minutes after
sunset.
Had ISNA kept these simple observational facts in their
head, it could never believe its “astronomer” (?) who is known for affirming
every false claim of sighting as “Possible”. He has done it for years since 1989
and did it again on Thursday, Oct. 14. ISNA FC’s explanation of Ramadan
2004 decision is a good evidence of their self-deception.
a. ISNA FC deliberately
omitted every point that showed its incompetence: Moon’s age (in LA 22.5 h) and
angle (12.1) were not the only factors; it’s altitude (5.8 degrees above the
horizon at sunset) was very crucial. That is why it was NOT VISIBLE anywhere
in N. America.
b. There was only ONE
report from Austin, TX (and not TWO as ISNA put it). Its 1 ½ witnesses saw a
thin line, which stretched 9-12-3 or 10-12-02 on a clock for around
three minutes after sunset. A crescent in N. America will
never appear in this shape.
c. At 8:30 pm the ISNA
astronomer confirmed that this thin, upside curve, two finger width
above the horizon was NOT THE HILAL. By 10:50 pm the same astronomer told FC
that the witness’s sighted “crescent was nearly correct”. How could it happen?
d. “There was not a speck
of cloud on the horizon”, the witness confirms. But nobody else from Austin, TX
saw a moon, though it was on the horizon for the next 27 minutes.
e. From Austin to LA where an FC member himself
resides, horizons were “very clear”. Did ISNA receive any other claim?
There was NONE.
f. Austin, TX was
outside both A, and B zones. Both the location and time were incorrect.
g. Every “visibility”
calculation predicted sighting as “IMPOSSIBLE”, and not
“probable”.
Had ISNA Fuqaha used a
little common sense, they could conclude that Austin sighting was nothing but a
mirage. It could not be 30th day of Sha’ban, otherwise the
moon MUST be visible from S. Arabia to LA on clear skies. The number of
witnesses did not meet the Shari’ah requirements when skies are clear in a town,
not to say of a whole continent.
ISNA and its astronomer (?)
are the least reliable source of accurate moon-sighting information. ISNA
makes no specific arrangement for observers and accepts every rumor.
For accurate
sighting always check:
www.islamicmoon.com
or
www.ulemacouncil.com or call
607-277-6706
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Moon
Sighting
