How we achieved consensus on moon sighting – Usman Jibril

We informed them that the crescent and the sun will be together but because the sun’s movement differs from that of the moon, you will see the two being separated. By the time they will move past Saudi Arabia, we in Africa up to North America will not be able to see it because of […]

We informed them that the crescent and the sun will be together but because the sun’s movement differs from that of the moon, you will see the two being separated. By the time they will move past Saudi Arabia, we in Africa up to North America will not be able to see it because of sun rays. The Pacific Ocean where it will set is the only place where it could be seen. Because of that, we showed them that the crescent could not be sighted from China to Saudi Arabia and up to North America. We also told them that the crescent will only stay for seven minutes even at the Pacific Ocean where it will be seen.

But because we were in the midst of Islamic scholars, we resorted to the Sharia to see what it stipulates. And the Sharia urges Muslims to fast upon sighting the moon (Ramadan) and end it upon sighting the moon (Shawwal), but if you fail to sight it, then complete the days to be 30. So, we said the people should not be stopped from looking out for the new moon on the 29th day of Sha’aban, but based on astronomical evidence, the crescent will not be sighted on the night of the 29th. And between 7 and 7.10pm Nigerian time, it cannot be sighted. That was what we have been telling the Sultan – that we were certain the crescent could not be sighted on the 29th, but that he should allow Muslims to look out for it in accordance with Islamic Sharia provisions.

What we are telling the people is that there are 180 months on the sky, and in-between every two degrees, there is one. So if it comes at the time the sun is about to set, you will see its tiny form and think it is the moon. this is what many people see but claim sighting the moon. We keep telling them that if the moon sets before the sun, it will not be sighted. But if the sun sets before the moon, that is how it will beam it and the crescent will be sighted. This is what the committee agreed upon from the South West Islamic scholars, South East Islamic scholars and those of us from the North and our scientists. We arrived at a consensus that people should be allowed to look out for the new moon on the 29th, but scientifically it will be difficult to sight it, not just in Nigeria but even in Saudi Arabia and that was what happened. The moon was sighted in very few places.

Now the moon sighting committee has become permanent and we have set up an office. We will be sitting every month. We will also set up this committee at the state and local government levels as well as wards. We will also try and provide them with these gadgets. Even myself and some of our staff in the Kaduna office went out with our binoculars to look out for the moon. We were lucky the sky was very clear. We drove towards Kaduna airport and searched but couldn’t sight the crescent. I then called the sultan to inform him that we are here looking out for the moon with our binoculars but we did not sight it.

WT: So, the moon sighting committee will now be used to determine the beginning and end of all the 12 Islamic calendar months?

Jibril: Yes, this is what we will be doing every month. What we want the people to do is to cooperate with us because we want them to also look out for the moon. What we want to do in future, because not everybody knows how to look out for the moon. Those who don’t know how to look for it, start from the south to the north. But science has shown that all you need do is look at the north, this way you won’t have to waste your time looking at the south. Gradually, we will hopefully install our gadgets in states, LGS and wards and also teach people how to use them, not that everybody should rely on his eyes.

WT: Some Islamic scholars have expressed doubts over this arrangement. What message do you have for them?

Jibril: They should come so that we will sit down together and discuss. Our committee is not saying that we should all rely on the scientific methods of moon sighting, no. What we are saying is that this is what we have found out. The people should examine it. So, we did not stop people from looking out for the moon. And we have Islamic scholars in the moon sighting committee from different parts of this country and we said the people should be allowed to always look out for the moon. What we are interested in is teaching people how to look out for the moon, even if it is not through the scientific method. So this committee will continue meeting with Islamic scholars, including those who have no idea how the moon is sighted. At our meeting, which attracted representation from every part of Nigeria, we reached a consensus on the scientific method, but we did not say that people should stop looking for the moon because we have the scientific method. If we had stopped people from looking out for the moon on the 29th, the people would have said that we relied solely on science. We said this is what scientific evidence shows but people should also look out for the moon because nothing is beyond the power of Allah.