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New moon means fully black moon, with no light yet. This is not possibly visible.<o:p></o:p>

Also, the moon needs to be born BEFORE maghrib in order to be considered. However, this month it was born at around 8:30 PM (Beirut time)<o:p></o:p>

Walllahu a3lam,<o:p></o:p>

From: Dirassat Beirut [mailto:post=dirassat.posterous.com@posterous.com] On Behalf Of Dirassat Beirut
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 8:53 PM
To: mohamad.akra@ebanan.com
Subject: [dirassat] Blessed Ramadan starting tomorrow Sunday July 31, 2011<o:p></o:p>

— makra
New moon as defined by astronomers and not religious institutions. 
Regards,Walid.
— Walid Nouh

New moon <u>as defined by astronomers</u> is when it is fully black, i.e., NOT visible...<o:p></o:p>

As a matter of fact, it looks like all Middle eastern countries are fasting on Monday. Check http://aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8BBA3A76-D575-488B-A88A-D63B2F94E3D1.htm?Googl...:p></o:p>

From: Posterous [mailto:

— makra
Visibility is defined as the knowledge when the "new moon", a global astronomical event, has occurred. With this state of knowledge, we enter a new lunar month. Visibility with the naked eye is nothing but a "primitive" mean to determine the beginning of the lunar month. So, the blackness of new moon last evening cannot hide the fact that Ramadan has started today based on the current Islamic understanding of the calendar (vs the original luni-solar system derived from Babylonian astronomy). 

Regards,Walid.
— Walid Nouh

Even if that "blackness of new moon" happened after sunset, which means that the new night (which begings with sunset) started before that global event has occurred?<o:p></o:p>

Are you saying that we can have a night which is partly from Sha3ban and partly from Ramadan? I guess you can see the irony already.<o:p></o:p>

Wassalam,<o:p></o:p>

From: Posterous [mailto:

— makra
It is definitely Ramadan. and the evidence is so celestial. It comes from Syria. No need for a new crescent .. I see a full moon. No naked eye can deny it.
— 3alijouzou

If you are relying on Syria, then I hope Ramadan will not end up being more than 30 days long...<o:p></o:p>

From: Posterous [mailto:

— makra
The only solution to all the mess that is made is to follow a method that is standard. which is very Godly, and Islamic. We need to check the great event of the birth of a new moon. Now we have people going for the first day of Ramadan over 3-4 days. This is really too much. As for today you will start the month with more than 20 hours (in Lebanon - an entity in itself) of the life of the moon. While we could follow one moon for the whole universe .. and I guess earth has one moon (the latest I checked)
— 3alijouzou
This year, Ramadan will be 30 days (new moon is born on mourning of August 29th). Eid Alfitr on August 30th will coincide with the murder of Prince Darah Shikoh, the eldest son and rightful heir of Mogol Emperor Shah Jahan, at the hand of his younger brother and usurper of throne, Aurangzeb.

Regards,Walid.
— Walid Nouh

I hope you agree with me that no standard method should allow a night that belongs to two different months...<o:p></o:p>

Every night must belong to a "single month" (the latest I checked).<o:p></o:p>

I can imagine people making taraweeh till 11:53 PM because - oops - at 11:54 we have a new moon, and - tough luck - it is no more Ramadan...<o:p></o:p>

Alternatively, I can imagine people fastng during the day and then at 1:16 PM - oops - they can fast no more, because a new moon is born and it is now Shawwal.<o:p></o:p>

Mind you, there is an evidence from Sunnah that it is wrong to split the day between two months (!):<o:p></o:p>

روى الدارقطني والبيهقي بإسناد صحيح من حديث شقيق بن سلمة قال: أتانا كتاب عمر بن الخطاب ونحن بخانقين "إن الأهلة بعضها أكبر من بعض ، فإذا رأيتم الهلال نهارا <u>فلا تفطروا</u> حتى تمسوا".<o:p></o:p>

Wallahua 3lam<o:p></o:p>

From: Posterous [mailto:

— makra
The night will belong to one month within a consistent calendar system. Remember that determining the birth of the new moon is an mean for the beginning of the month.The boundary event suggested by Mohammed will be resolved beforehand by astronomers or professional calendar setters (qalammas). Unfortunately, muslims are still debating whether to trust astronomical calculations to determine the new moon event, and mixing traditional school of sighting with modern science. Those countries in the middle east who happen to agreed on Ramadan beginning on Monday have disagreed many times in the past and will surely disagree for the upcoming future. No single country have documented a clear system they use to determine the beginnings of Islamic month. Many decides on the basis of religious and political affiliation and the whims of the time. Many Muslims around the world and especially in USA have waited for late hours in Masjid waiting to hear from their favorite country the beginning of Ramadan and whether to pray Tarawih or not. Later, many spend the rest of the evening in dispute. 
I respect Turkey which published a calendar for Ramadan but did not openly document the methodology they have used. At least, people in Turkey know beforehand the start and the end of the Islamic month. 
A calendar system will include the boundary cases and should be devised by professionals. The system can decide, for example, one hour new moon event before midnight, as an acceptable cuttoff to start new month. If you do not accept astronomical new moon calculations and rely on naked eye for sighting, you cannot devise such a system which will be very unfortunate. We will taking the meaning of the Hadith "نحن أمة امية ..." quite literally. 
Luckily, we are not faced with this boundary condition this year, I say:فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ
I have witnessed the beginning of Ramadan. 
Regards,Walid.
— Walid Nouh
95 killed in hama alone

And said Fadlallah. One of the most so called liberated scholars of Shiaa. Who bases his decision onthe "possibility" of witnessing hilal with naked eye. Still beleives that within areas which share a part of the night, all of these areas will need to fast since there is a scientific possibility for sighting. Still he falls into the trap of considering there are two new moons in the world. He thinks that people who do not share this part of the night cannot fast. Good lord
Ali Jouzou
Sent from my BB
 
From: Posterous [mailto:
— revup

Even Turkey declared Ramadan on Monday<o:p></o:p>

http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=76899.<o:p></o:p>

And Mawlana said: I see so many misses but not a single mister ...<o:p></o:p>

Regards,<o:p></o:p>

From: Posterous [mailto:

— makra

Ramadan Kareem<o:p></o:p>

Regards,<o:p></o:p>

Sajid<o:p></o:p>

From: Dirassat Beirut [mailto:post=dirassat.posterous.com@posterous.com] On Behalf Of Dirassat Beirut
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 8:53 PM
To: sajid@infoprise.net
Subject: [dirassat] Blessed Ramadan starting tomorrow Sunday July 31, 2011<o:p></o:p>

— Sajid Mohammed