B y V A .Abdul Rahim,
Hijri Committee of India
Technical Rebuttal: The Fallacy of Visibility vs. Astronomical Reality
1. Misinterpretation of “Ghumma” (The Obscured Moon)
The Letter’s Claim: Suggests that if the moon is not visible, the month must be extended based on traditional sighting.
The Rebuttal: The term “Ghumma” in the Hadith refers scientifically to the Conjunction. When the Prophet ﷺ spoke of the moon being “covered” or “obscured,” he was referring to the astronomical moment when the moon is lost in the sun’s light (New Moon).
The Logic: In a “Foolproof Calendar,” the conjunction is the objective end of the month. To “complete the count” was a mercy for those without calculation tools; today, we have the precise UTC time of conjunction, removing all doubt (Shakk).
The Rebuttal: This is a manipulation of historical facts to fit a visibility-based narrative.
2. The False Timeline of Hajjatul Wada (10 AH)
The Letter’s Claim: Asserts that the Day of Arafat was a Friday and that Dhul-Hijjah 1 was a Thursday (two days after conjunction).
The Correction: Historical records and the “Foolproof” calculation show that the Prophet’s ﷺ iconic Last Sermon actually took place on Yaum an-Nahr (The Day of Sacrifice/10th of Dhul-Hijjah), not on the Day of Arafat. By incorrectly shifting the days of Hajj to fit a “Friday Arafat,” the author ignores the astronomical alignment of the 10th year of Hijra.
3. The Definition of “New Moon” in Quran and Hadith
The Letter’s Claim: Uses Quran 2:189 and 36:39 to support visibility (Ru
′
yah).
The Rebuttal: These verses emphasize that the moon follows calculated orbits (Husban).
The Logic: A crescent is merely a phase of the moon, whereas the Conjunction is the start of the cycle. To start a month based on when a human eye can see a sliver of light—which varies by weather and location—contradicts the Quranic description of the sun and moon as a precise “counting” mechanism for mankind.
4. The “Two-Day Gap” Fallacy
The Letter’s Claim: Relying on a Wednesday evening sighting in Makkah (Feb 26, 632 AD).
The Rebuttal: This logic creates a “lost day” between the actual birth of the new month (the conjunction) and the human observation of it.
The Logic: The Creator established the lunar cycle to begin at the moment of alignment. Waiting 24–48 hours for “visibility” is a human delay, not a divine one. A true Islamic calendar must be based on the Conjunction, which is the only “Proof” that is mathematically “Foolproof.”
5. Contradiction of the “Universal” Calendar
The Letter’s Claim: Relies on local Makkah visibility.
The Rebuttal: Islam is a global deen. A calendar based on sighting causes different parts of the world to start months on different days.
The Logic: The Conjunction is a singular event in time (UTC). Using it as the marker for the end/start of the month provides a unified, global calendar for all Muslims as well as mankind fulfilling the requirement for a “Perfected” system.
Wassalam