Jammu and Kashmir mulling moon-sighting panel after confusion over beginning of Ramadan
The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir may soon establish a moon-sighting committee equipped with the latest technology after there was a confusion over the beginning of Ramadan following contradictory reports over sighting of crescent on Wednesday evening.
The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir may soon establish a moon-sighting committee equipped with the latest technology after there was a confusion over the beginning of Ramadan following contradictory reports over sighting of crescent on Wednesday evening.
While a majority of Muslim population began fasting in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, some will start on Friday.
The confusion started when the grand mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Naser-ul-Islam on Wednesday evening said he received no evidence of sighting of moon from any part of J&K and urged Muslims to start fasting from Friday. Earlier, the moon-sight committee of the Jama Masjid, Delhi, had also announced that they did not see crescent anywhere. However, a few hours later, around 10.40 pm, Central Ruet Hilal Committee Pakistan (crescent-sighting committee) announced sighting of moon and said Ramadan will start from Thursday.
Soon a majority of mosques in Kashmir started reverberating with ‘tarawih’ or night prayers; although Islam said that “he stands by his decision as there was no credible witness of crescent sighting. We have no connection with Pakistan crescent-sighting committee”.
Owing to the confusion, Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board is now mulling to establish UT’s own crescent sighting committee.
Darakshan Andrabi, chairperson of the Waqf Board which administers majority of prominent shrines in J&K, said that people are insisting for UT’s own committee and control room.
“Earlier people used to concur with whatever was announced by the grand mufti, but after the confusion yesterday, we should have such a committee with latest technology like telescopes. We should also have a control room through which we can ourselves observe and decide when should we celebrate Eid or observe Ramadan. This is a scientific age and everything is available. Our meteorological department is working in an advanced way. And till next Eid, we will also try to avoid this confusion,” she said.
She said that she received calls till 2 am but Waqf won’t seek to control. “I told them that it is not up to us. Waqf is not controlling it. But people are insisting that we should frame our own Ruet Hilal Committee (crescent sighting committee). For that we are appealing people to give their suggestions and only after that we will reach to any conclusion,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi, a prominent Islamic scholar, sought to clear the confusion saying that such ‘days of doubt’ have happened historically as well. He said that the confusion will clear, whether it was first Ramadan or not, when the month will come to an end and next month’s moon will be sighted.
