This discourse, in essence, is continuation of article Moon Sighting and The Qur’an.
Many Muslim intellectuals today bring arguments from the Qur’an to validate their NEW calendrical stands. In this part, some of those arguments are going to be examined.
However, a person can neither know all such arguments present across the world nor can he/she anticipate all that will come in the future. He or she even does not have the time to make a critical note on each of the known ones. So it is on individual Muslims to learn how to critically analyze a take. On the Day of Judgment, it is an individual who will have to satisfy God on personal ground. For example, one cannot say there: since Imam Qardavi was a great scholar, he/she followed him.
Though we try to write every article in a way that it may empower the readers, this part is specially written for this purpose.
First thing to check is relevance. Many speakers or writers present many irrelevant verses to impress the audience that they are very knowledgeable. Under such impression, it is easy for them to sell their thoughts.
Then, check their interpretation — translation, extended commentary, argumentation:
– in terms of the Qur’anic wording,
– in terms of the context,
– in terms of the attributes of God.
The last parameter is usually missed, even by scholars. God is all-knowing, almighty, just, wise; He promotes uprightness only, He uses clear and articulated language, and the like. Thus, check whether any of His attributes is being compromised by the interpretation of the writer or speaker.
To be comprehensive, there are also other things to focus on. But checking the relevance and interpretation critically is sufficient to save you from anyone’s misguidance. God has drafted the Qur’an very wisely: a little reflection without any prejudgment is good enough to avoid deviations.
Now let us look at an excerpt from an article of Khalid Shaukat, the prominent and acclaimed Islamic calendar expertise in North America. He has quoted irrelevant verses, and also misinterpreted many of them. These are not his plain mistakes but manipulations on purpose, because we have drawn his attention to his errors and misrepresentations since 2007 time after time.
You can read his full article on his website:
<https://www.moonsighting.com/articles/suggested-global-islamic-calendar.pdf [1]>
________________________________________________________________
A Suggested Global Islamic Calendar
By Khalid Shaukat
Before we talk about the Islamic calendar, it is important to remind
ourselves about what Qur’an and Hadeeth say about this subject.
The most relevant instruction from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is:
ﱢيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ { 189 } البقرة
They ask thee concerning the New Moons. Say:
They are but signs to mark fixed periods of time
in (the affairs of) men, and for Pilgrimage.
(Al-Baqarah 2:189)
Remember, this is guidance for the whole mankind, not just for Muslims.
The calendar should be for whole mankind. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala also
stressed that the calendar should be lunar with twelve months in a year.
َ إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّـهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّـهِ
يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ
The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year)
so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth;
of them four are sacred. (Al-Taubah 9:36)
Further, Qur’an says:
ھو الذي جعل الشمس ضياء والقمر نورا وقدره منازل لتعلموا عدد السنين والحساب
ما خلق ﷲ ذلك إلاَ بالحق يفصل الآيات لقوم يعلمون {5 } يونسﱢ
It is He Who made the Sun to be a shining glory and the Moon to be
a light (of beauty), and measured out stages for her; that you might know
the number of years and the count (of time). Nowise did Allah create this
but in truth and righteousness. (Thus) does He explain His Signs
in detail, for those who understand. (Yunus 10:5)
ٍالشمس والقمر بحسبان {5 } الرحمنﱠ
The Sun and the Moon follow courses (exactly) computed. (Al-Rahman 55:5)
Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has created the Sun and Moon and both of them
move according to precise and pre-defined patterns. Knowledge of
these patterns help people calculate time, days and years, as mentioned in
Surah Yunus, Ayah 5 mentioned above. This pattern is not only for
prayer times, but it is for all time periods like the beginning of a month
throughout the year. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala tells us that we should pray our
daily Salah and begin and end our fasts based on the movement of the sun.
أقم الﱠصلاة لدلوك الشمس إلى غسق الليل وقرآن الفجر إن قرآن الفجر كان مشھوداِ ﱠ
Establish regular prayers with the sun’s decline till the darkness
of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer
and reading in the morning carry their testimony. (Al-Isra’ 17:78)
وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ
مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ
and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you
distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast
Till the night appears. (Al-Baqarah 2:187)
__________________________________________
First of all, Khalid Shaukat has translated يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ : “They ask thee concerning the New Moons.”
At the fist step of examination, the piece قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ in his quotation sounds to be related to the calendar. So his reference is ok.
Let us move to examining his interpretation of الْأَهِلَّةِ .
Khalid’s translation of الْأَهِلَّةِ as “the New Moons” sounds strange enough to raise a red flag. Why? Khalid has used substandard language while translating the questioner and God’s words. When you do not know or have confusion about the background of a particular kind of moon, you use singular nomenclature to ask about it, such as: What is a Red Moon? What is a Super Duper Moon? What is the New Moon for? And you do not say in plural: What do Full Moons do, or , what are Super Duper Moons? In case you use plural word by mistake, the answerer will reply using the singular word. Therefore, Khalid’s translation reflecting that both the people at Medina and God were poor in language provides clear clues that Khalid is either too incompetent in understanding the Qur’an, or is a great player when it comes to get his end.
You check the commentary by any exegete/Mufassir (not plain translators), and you will find the meaning of الْأَهِلَّةِ in the verse as the waxing and waning crescent moons of a lunar cycle.
Further, it has been accepted NORM in all civilizations from BCE time to the present to call crescents (in Arabic, أَهِلَّةِ : singular هلال) those moons that are visible and less than half moon, even Science follows this definition today. Since Khalid Shaukat claims to be an expert in calendar business, his translation of crescents(أَهِلَّةِ) as “new moons” is his intentional manipulation. It is his manipulation also because we explained this verse to him in 2007 in a long critique emailed to him.
LOOKING AT THE CONTEXT:
Even before Muhammad (PBUH), Arabs’ Calendar was lunar based on Moon Sighting. So they knew well that the New Crescent Moon (first هلال) is the sign for them to start the new month. Thus it makes no sense that the people at Medina asked about New Crescent Moons as to which they had clear understanding.
CONCLUSION:
Khalid Shaukat attributed substandard language to God, and twisted the meaning of الْأَهِلَّةِ in the verse.
Examining his interpretation of مَوَاقِيتُ as “signs to mark fixed periods of time.”
His translation of مَوَاقِيتُ ALSO gives the impression that God has language problem. Have you ever heard someone, a common person or astronomer, saying: a New Moon marks a fixed period of time? Is it proper language? Does it convey any sensible meaning?
How does a New Moon mark a fixed period of time? Does it mark the period until the next New Moon — i.e. 29 or 30 days? If not, what does “marking fixed period of time” mean which is specific with a New Moon?
The fact of the matter is that مَوَاقِيتُ (mʌwʌqiːt) is the plural of مِيقَاتُ (miːqɑːt) on measure مفعال (mif-‘ɑːl), which is a measure of اسم آله (noun of tool) in Arabic language, from root و ق ت (time). Therefore, مَوَاقِيتُ means devices to mark times i.e. devices to signal for the days/dates of a month.
Regarding signals, we all understand that:
(i) A signal is always region specific.
(ii) Our earth is round, so a signal cannot go all over the earth.
(iii) It is unthinkable that Wise and Almighty God would signal
Pakistan by sending His signal to Japan.
Therefore, مَوَاقِيتُ signals are region specific, and they mark dates locally.
CONCLUSION:
Khalid Shaukat ascribed silly and meaningless language to God, plus falsified the message of local calendar contained in مَوَاقِيتُ .
Khalid also claims about verse 2.189: “this is guidance for the whole mankind, not just for Muslims. The calendar should be for whole mankind.”
His argument is based on the word لِلنَّاسِ there which does not always mean, “for whole mankind”. In fact,
النَّاسُ literally means persons in plural. So it may mean just a few persons, a large group of people, people at a place, a whole nation, all humanity, etc., depending on the context.
CONSIDERING THE CONTEXT:
Some question was asked by the people of Medina, and God answered them. At that point:
Why did God tell the people of Medina that a New Crescent Moon is for the whole mankind? Were they in a position to adopt the New Crescent Moon seen in any part of the world, and vice versa? If not, how was it guidance for them?
If Khalid’s meaning one global calendar for the whole mankind is right, didn’t this disclosure upset the Prophet and Sahabah that they could never be able to practice the right dating system? Was it fitting for God to reduce and mentally torture them at no fault of theirs?
And why did God speak about the practice of every month in so complicated way that it took 14 centuries to crack by some so-called intellectuals of today?
Also, if the meaning of لِلنَّاسِ is for the whole mankind, that calendar becomes binding on all humanity, and therefore, no Muslim country can use any other calendar as their civil calendar.
CONCLUSION:
Khalid Shaukat TWISTED the word النَّاسُ for his agenda of global calendar, and invented on the Qur’an. Even if the context of good and bad omen in the verse is ignored, the verse plainly told the people at Medina that the crescents are for people to run the calendar, and it did not say that the crescents are for ALL HUMANS to run a single GLOBAL calendar.
To ease out reading, the remaining discourse continues as Part 2.
***************
All of our writings are open to disputes.
Please bring them on the forum for
open discussion and resolution.
***************