CAIRO: For the first time, the Higher Judiciary Council in Saudi Arabia has announced that it will conduct the sighting of the crescent moon - which would determine the start of the holy month of Ramadan - on Monday Sept. 10, or Shaaban 28, the eighth month of the Hijri or lunar calendar. Usually, the moon sighting is conducted on Shaaban 29 as the lunar cycle is never 28 days. The Higher Judiciary Council in Saudi Arabia said that this year, the month of Shaaban began with an unconfirmed sighting. In addition, the council is considering the possibility that both of Shaaban and the month preceding it, Ragab, would have fewer days. Thus, the council has urged scholars throughout Saudi Arabia to conduct the moon sighting a day earlier than usual. Moon sighting is mentioned in the Quran and hadith as the determent of the start and end of lunar months. Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) said, "Fast when you see the crescent. If it is obscured to you, then complete thirty days of Shaaban. And break your fast when you see the crescent, if it is obscured to you then fast thirty days. The procedure involves experts searching for a visible sight of the crescent moon. Islamic scholars, especially in Egypt, have long disagreed with the Saudi Arabia's disregard of astronomy by depending on inaccurate sightings that often contradict scientific calculations. Last year, Saudi scholars announced the start of Ramadan a day earlier than Egypt, which mainly depends on astronomical calculations for such declarations. A number of Muslim countries depend on the Saudi sighting. This also applies to Muslim communities living in non-Muslim countries. Last year, some scientists suggested the Saudi scholars mistook Mercury for the moon, since the moon had was not visible that night. However, this year's decision to carry out the sighting a day earlier than usual has infuriated Islamic scholars and scientists alike. If the Saudi scholars confirm a sighting on Monday night, they could initiate a two-day difference in the calendar. Dr Moslim Shaltout, professor of astronomy, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the Arab world is used to the Saudi scholars disapproving what all Islamic nations agree on especially regarding the dates of the Islamic months. According to Shaltout, they regard this as their right because of the presence of the top two holy mosques on their land. By Haj time, the countries that had a different sighting in Ramadan adjust their calendar to the Saudi one. Others view this decision as one laden with political connotations. "This is more of a political decision rather than a religious one, said Mahmoud Ashour, former deputy for Al-Azhar and member of the Islamic Research Center, to Daily News Egypt. Islam in specific and religion in general, he said, has a higher status and should not be part of any struggle. However, this is no longer the case. "There is a political struggle in the [Middle East] between some countries over who has more power and control over the region . Islam is implicated in that struggle, Ashour added. "Religion should be kept out of any struggle or conflict so that when things go out of control, we will have something left that we can always revert to, Ashour said. On the other hand, Diaa Rashwan, an expert on Islamic studies from Al-Ahram Center for Strategic and Political Studies, told Daily News Egypt that he does not think the Saudi Arabia's statement has political implications. "The Saudi Arabian scholars must have had a scientific explanation behind this decision, Rashwan said. "Besides nothing is going on between Saudi Arabia and any other Arab or Islamic country at the time, Rashwan added.
