By Haroon Balogun

No doubt Muslims wait in pious anticipation for Ramadan, in full expectation of the sighting of the moon to usher in Ramadan.  In the recenting past, the commencement of Ramadan had been laced with dissent voices.  Some would say, we have to follow Saudi Arabia, others would kick. Some would querry the astronomical calculations and fault the decision.

Even those who were aware of the Prophet’s injuction on moon sighting would throw up another argument. The result was that different  groups started fasting a day apart.  That was before the emergence of his Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad as the leader of Muslims in this country.

The Sultan has since done a lot of work in making sure that authentic and realible witnesses and moon sighter were engaged. Thorough job done as well as ensuring unity among the Muslim ummah.  At least, in the last few years, the situation was better. He has ensured that physical sighting of the moon for the commencement and termination of Ramadan fasting and other Islamic events should be in conformity with Qur‘an and Sunnah.

He has also permited the employment of science and technology as a complementary means to the physical sighting of the moon in line with the Shari’ah.  Although, astronomical calculation and computational algorithms are beyond the grasp of the general masses to master; some modern scholars argue that since pre-modern Muslims just did not have access to the precise moon sighting calculations we have today, we shouldn’t be held hostage to their scientific limitations upon which their medieval fatwas rested. This is not the sole use of moon sighting, it only complementary.

What we need to do at this point when Ramadan is less than two weeks is to put up a  comprehensive public enlightenment to articulate the efforts the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA is doing towards achieving the set goal of reliable report on moon sighting.

Break all barriers to quick and spontenous information dissemination so that when the moon is sighted by the committee, the dissemination of the information should not be dalayed any further so as to reach all the nooks and cranies of the country in due time.

One of the excuses put forward by people is that they do not get the information on time, even though the argument may be weak considering the information technology system and the vibrancy of the social media, we still need to do this inorder to ensure that we allow time for verification since what we sometimes get on the social media are often misleading. We need to sustain the feat and ensure that the unity becomes stronger and enduring.

No doubt, the arrival of Ramadan is confirmed by sighting the new crescent moon, or by the passing of thirty days in the month of Sha‘ban. The Prophet, (s.a.w) decreed: “Fast when you see it (the new moon) and end the fast when you see it. If it is hidden from you, then wait until thirty days of Sha‘ban have passed.”

Based upon the above hadith, most jurists hold that if there is a confirmed sighting of the new moon in any given region or country, fasting becomes obligatory for all those living there irrespective of the proximity of the sighting.

Proximity of sighting

This is provided news of the sighting reaches them in a reliable manner and time. Distance is not an issue: reliable sighting and reliable conveyance of the sighting is. This is the opinion of the Hanafis, Maliks and Hanbalis. According to these jurists, ‘Fast when you see it (sumu li ru’yatihi),’ refers to all Muslims being bound to wherever a sighting of the new moon takes place globally.

With the inauguration of states and local ‘Muslim Communities’ who will have interraction with the apex body of Muslims, we will see a growing voice of unity emerging from scholars and religious leaders on this issue. We need to see some sort of consensus idea even away from the issue of a moon sighting, to include other issues that affect the practice of Islam generally in this country.

Again, we also need to ignite a more fruitful national scholarly discussion concerning fiqh in Islam. The sooner, the better. I attended a conference of Imams organised by the Lekki Muslim Ummah, LEMU, Lagos, some few weeks back where different scholars dissected and analysed innumerable contending issues.  It was highly educative and thought provoking especially to those who have been doing things in the old way without recourse to the Quran and hadiths, so much that particpants lauded the programme and wanted it in a larger scale.

And if such programme cannot be held nationally with eminent schorlars and jurists from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world coming to deliver papers, then we should certainly think of how we can further educate our imams, leaders and those who influence decisions and behaviours of Muslims in our environments in line with the Quran and Sunnah. Our religious leaders need to step up to their jobs and steer this ship, as only they can.

This is a religious burden far too great for anyone but them to bear. The rest of us can certainly make suggestions. Beyond that, we need to rest our individualistic tendencies and align ourselves with the larger collective and the greater good of the deen. The Quran is one, the hadith is one, the ummah cannot afford to be but one. Jumuah Mubarak!