The endless debate of Ramadan and Eid Hilal
An American Muslim tradition

Debates and persons in this article are pure fiction; any resemblance with reality is mere coincidence: This is an imaginary debate occurring in the first day of Ramadan among three Muslims: Debater One (DO), Debater Two (DT), and the voice of Commonsense (CS).

CS: Mabrook, congratulations brothers. May Allah bless us to complete this month of fasting and worship.

DO: You are too late, brother. I started fasting two days ago.

CS: That’s interesting. But based on what? Our Imam declared last night that Ramadan starts today based on the opinion of the scholars in the city!

DO: Well, they saw the hilal two nights ago in Mali and Mauritania, and we should follow the first moon sighting. Besides, they have expansive deserts and clear blue skies. And if anyone claimed to have seen the crescent, then he or she saw it for sure.

DT: So do you think that the folks of Mali and Mauritania reject the people of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan who fasted yesterday? Are they lying then?

DO: I think the decision in the countries you mentioned is more political than scientific. I trust Mali and Mauritania, and although they saw the hilal in Comoro Islands one night earlier, but according to my calculations, it was impossible for them to see it in Comoro Islands.

DT: Well, Saudia is the place of Ka’ba and wherever they say is right, as far as the crescent is concerned.

DO: Well a few years ago, they fasted only 28 days, and it seems that their decision was incorrect.

DT: It is impossible for them to make an error in the hilal thing. This is their specialty.

CS: Brothers let us concentrate on the essence of Ramadan and forget this trivial issue. It is time to recharge our spiritual batteries and focus on purification of our souls. Let us agree that we should be more generous in this month, mend the broken relationships in our families, read and understand the Quran, feed the hungry and donate to the poor as our Prophet asked us to do.

DT: What do you mean by trivial. This is the most important issue in Ramadan. Furthermore, I do not believe our local scholars that you have mentioned. What I forgot in Fiqh is more than what they all know. I have read, not only one or two, but three full articles about the hilal issue, each one is more than one page in Hilaldebate online. It is very comprehensive Hilal debate encyclopedia dedicated completely on this very important issue. Check it out brothers; I spend more than two hours every day in Ramadan reading it so I can use it in such debates.

DO: I also read Hilaldebates for Dummies. In addition, I am planning to take a three-month course in Hilaldebatology. This is a very prestige course, after which I will receive a certificate from the Hilal Debate Council of North America.

CS: Brothers let us leave this issue to the scholars. They have spent their lives studying Islamic jurisprudence, fiqh, and scientific methods in calculating moon sighting. They know our communities, the current realities and common good. We should treat them with respect and follow their guidance, as our Quran asks us to do.

DO: That is, if we don’t know, but in the Hilal issue, all of us know more than the scholars you have mentioned.

CS: That is enough for me. This is an endless and meaningless debate, see you tonight at Traweeh.

DT: I will be praying at home, I cannot pray behind your Imam. He prays only 8 rak’as and I pray 16.

DO: I am sorry, but I tend to sleep right after breaking my fast, but let us plan to continue this discussion at the time of Eid. I will convince you that my views are right.