Jordan | The Grand Mufti of the Kingdom: The Ramadan crescent was born on Sunday afternoon and its sighting is “not possible”

The Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, Ahmed Al-Hasanat, confirmed that sighting the Ramadan crescent is “not possible” on Sunday. According to astronomical calculations, indicating that these calculations confirmed that the crescent was actually born at 12:30 this afternoon.

He said in statements to “The Kingdom” that “the crescent has already been born at noon today, Sunday, and will remain after sunset tonight for 13 minutes in the Kingdom’s sky,” indicating that conditions are related to the possibility of seeing in terms of the intensity of the crescent’s illumination, its proximity to the sun, its distance from the earth, and its proximity to the earth. These are criteria set by astronomers to determine the sighting of the crescent moon.

On Sunday evening, all citizens and residents of Jordan are investigating the sighting of the crescent of the holy month of Ramadan, at the invitation of the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, Ahmed Al-Hasanat, while the Jordanian Astronomical Society indicates that sighting the crescent is “not possible” on Sunday.

The Fatwa Directorates in all governorates open their doors to receive the testimony of the sighting of the crescent of the month of Ramadan. Al-Hasanat said that the Fatwa Department has adopted an accurate scientific approach in monitoring the crescent moons, based on scientific data and studying the reports provided by the relevant authorities, including astronomers who carry out precise calculations to monitor the crescent moons and study the data. Scientific analysis of the circumstances of sighting the crescent in the Islamic world at different risings.

Al-Hasanat pointed out that the Council for Fatwa, Research and Islamic Studies meets after sunset on Sunday, in a special session to study the data and circumstances that generate and the possibility of seeing the crescent of the blessed month of Ramadan this year.

“We have established, in cooperation with the crescent moon committee of the General Fatwa Department, and a number of astronomers, led by the Jordanian Astronomical Society, a group of sub-committees that will investigate the crescent moon: one in the courtyard of the Al-Hussein bin Talal Mosque, another committee located on 60th Street in Salt, and a committee in Wadi Rum. There is also a committee in Irbid and some other locations,” according to the Mufti.

He stressed that “the committees take all the data related to monitoring, in addition to the astronomical calculations that show the possibility of sighting or not, and present them in full to the Council for Fatwa, Research and Islamic Studies, and after deliberation and consultation of opinions, an announcement is made about the extent to which it is possible to prove the crescent of the month of Ramadan is tomorrow, Monday.” Or the day after tomorrow, Tuesday.”

Regarding the sighting of the crescent in neighboring countries, he said that the General Fatwa Department is committed to the decision of the Fiqh Council to unify the sightings, explaining that “when the sighting of the crescent is proven in any Islamic country with which we share night and day, we confirm the beginning and end of the month, and we stipulate that sighting in that country be possible.” From the scientific astronomical point of view, that is, by adopting vision with knowledge.”

“It is not permissible for us to reject the scientific data, and therefore if the scientific astronomical data say that it is possible to see sightings in any neighboring Muslim country surrounding us and actually see them, we are committed to announcing the beginning and end of the month with them,” according to Al-Hasanat, indicating that “if the scientific data denies the possibility The sighting of the crescent moon in this country was then proven, so we truly cannot go against science and the requirements of sound science and the definitive knowledge of the testimony of a witness who may have made a mistake in seeing it or made a mistake in his testimony.”

The head of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, Ammar Al-Sakkji, told Al-Mamlaka that seeing the Ramadan crescent in Jordan and the Arab region seems “not possible” on Sunday, based on astronomical calculations and data for the crescent.

Al-Sakkji stated that modern astronomy considers the central conjunction to be the beginning of the lunar cycle (birth or new moon) or the beginning of the lunar month, explaining that the conjunction will be for the city of Amman and its suburbs at exactly 12 noon on Sunday, March 10, 2024, and the crescent will remain above the horizon after sunset. The sun is about 13 minutes away, and its age from conjunction until sunset is 6 hours and 40 minutes.

Regarding the weather conditions during the Ramadan crescent sighting period in Jordan, Arab Weather expected that the weather would be generally stable and clear in most areas, while the winds would be moderate northwesterly, with active gusts in the southern desert, which may raise dust locally in those areas.

ArabiaWeather added that the weather will be suitable for seeing the crescent of Ramadan. Due to the absence of cloud cover and the high clarity of horizontal visibility in most areas.