Feb 1995 Fasting in Columbus

[For its first issue during Ramadan as the ISGC newsletter, IQRA! staff created a two part edition with multiple spiritual articles and background information about fasting. Only one article in all of this might be considered an article about the community, and most of it is a long highly technical discussion about moon sighting. I'm omitting that technical detail, which people can access from other sources like www.moonsighting.com, and including only the short discussion of the local community issues with moon sighting. An announcements in these pages give the hotline telephone number people were urge to call to find out about when the month started and ended. There were also 3 letters to the editor this month.]

Sighting the Community

Why is there more than one day for the start of Ramadan in the same city? I called HOME and the month of .... has already started!!! Should I fast with them or should I fast with the local community? Why can't we just follow astronomical calculations to start the month?

These are probably some of the most common questions that we hear every year with the start of Ramadan. This occurs in the U.S. because there is no single Islamic authority, its area covers various time zones, and there are so many nationalistic entities that remain attached to their homes rather than to the local community. The issue could easily be a DIVIDING FACTOR for Muslims to the extent that in one apartment in Chicago three roommates fasted on different days. This year, Columbus performed better than last year in preparation for the moon sighing event. These efforts were characterized by organization, responsibility, and openness. The fruits of that effort were clearly apparent in the smoothness with which the decision was transmitted to the community, the speed with which the decision was taken after a brother witnessed the crescent, the voicemail which never gave a busy signal, and the media coverage in IV (Channel 10), radio (NPR Weekly Edition) and press (the Columbus Dispatch). However, some people still fasted with other overseas countries, and not with the local community.

To clarify this issue, IQRA! contacted Dr. Mohib Durrani, an Islamic scholar of Columbia University, who has been researching the issue for years and currently works with ISNA for the moon sighting committee. He demonstrates how the astronomical method (Al-hesab Al-falaky) can be reconciled with the fiqh rul, (somo le-rou'yateh, was afteroo le-rou'yeth) and support it instead of contradict it. [this introduction is followed by a very detailed long discussion of the issues.]

Community Eid Dinner with the Islamic Center

at Whitehall Community Center off Hamilton Rd. in Whitehall Park, Saturday, March 4th.
Magrib prayer with be at 6:30 followed by a potluck dinner. A children's program is planned with the traditional clown entertainment, goody bags, and pizza for all.

MSA Children' Eid Party

Sunday March 5th at 12:00 noon. Songs and theater skits presented by the Arab sisters' halaqah for women and chldren. The Hall must be left clean and vacted by 2:00 so please come promptly at noon to avoid missing any of the snow.