Ramadan fasting for 1999 to 2000, with the Quranic rules for the fast and dates for the Americas and for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It explains lunar months and why calculating the new moon replaces crescent sighting, then uses the code of 19 to confirm the Night of Power as the 27th night. Reader letters praise Submission.org and question hadith.
Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed,
providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute book.
Those of you who witness this month shall fast therein.
Those who are ill or traveling may substitute the same
number of other days. GOD wishes for you convenience, not hardship, that
you may fulfill your obligations, and to glorify GOD
for guiding you, and to express your appreciation. 2:185
Ramadan Mubarek
(blessed the month of Ramadan)
The Fasting Days:
8-Dec-1999 � 6-Jan-2000
The above days are inclusive, and they apply to North and South American Continents.
The dates for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia: 9-Dec-1999 � 7-Jan-2000
Ramadan is the ninth lunar
month in the Islamic calendar. Muslims (submitters) all over the world
fast every day of this month from dawn to the sunset. During fasting,
the Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and sexual encounter as ordained
by
God in the Quran:
…You may eat and drink until the white thread of
light becomes distinguishable from the dark thread of night at dawn. Then,
you shall fast until sunset. Sexual intercourse is prohibited if you decide
to retreat to
the masjid (during the last
ten days of Ramadan). These are God’s laws; you shall not transgress
them. God thus clarifies His revelations for the people, that they may
attain salvation. (2:187)
Page 2
Ramadan
What is a Lunar Month?
A lunar month is approximately 29.5 days, which is the time it
takes for the moon to orbit the earth. Because a lunar month is,
on the average, one day shorter than a solar month, a lunar year
is 10-12 days shorter than a solar year. Therefore, the Month of
Ramadan comes 10-12 days earlier each year. This way we get to fast
when the days are very warm and long in summer as well as when they
are cool and short in winter. This beautiful design by God is also
a test for us to see if we will fast regardless of the length or
temperature of the days of Ramadan.
The beginning of a new lunar month is the moment, during the moon’s
orbit around the earth, when the moon is in conjunction with the
sun, with the sun’s light hitting the side of the moon away
from the earth. In this position, the moon is said to be a “new
moon,” with its dark side turned toward the earth. By definition,
a new moon is not visible from the earth as the sun’s light
is shining only on the side of the moon not facing the earth.
As the moon continues to orbit around the earth, it starts forming
a crescent. This will be minutes after the new moon even though
the crescent will not visible for several hours. In some traditional
Islamic countries, Muslims do not start fasting until they can see
the crescent in the sky. In those countries people who sight the
crescent first may also be rewarded. To get the reward, some people
camp on hilltops where the visibility will be the best.
Is Moon Sighting Necessary?
God gave us scientific knowledge to
determine exactly when a lunar month will begin and end. Therefore
there is no need for trying to sight the crescent of the moon to
start fasting. Any observatory or astronomy center should have that
information for your area. Some almanacs, magazines or newspapers
also report the times for the phases of the moon. To determine when
one should start fasting, compare the time the new lunar month begins
with the time of sunset, the beginning of a day in the Islamic calendar.
What is an Islamic Day?
The Islamic day is the same as the Hebrew day. It begins at sunset
and ends at the next sunset. In this system, the night comes before
the day. Therefore, in some traditional Islamic countries, when
they talk about, for instance, Friday night, they are actually referring
to Thursday night as we know it because that night actually belongs
to Friday according to their definition of a day.
Beginning of Ramadan
To determine when Ramadan (or any lunar month) begins, we need
to know mainly two facts. The first is the time of the “new
moon,” and the second is the time of sunset of the same day
as this new moon. Even though the lunar month theoretically begins
with the new moon, in practice the month begins on the first sunset
following this new moon.
If the new moon time for the month of Ramadan is before the sunset,
one starts fasting the next day at dawn (fajr). However, if the
new moon time is actually past the sunset, then that particular
night is considered to belong to the last day of the previous month
(Sha’ban).
Therefore, even if the new moon time
may fall before the dawn, the first day of Ramadan does not start
until the next sunset. Thus one starts fasting at dawn following
this sunset.
Ending of Ramadan
One has to use the same system to determine the ending of the month
to be consistent. If the new moon time for the month following Ramadan
(the month of Shawwal) is before the sunset, one ends fasting at
that sunset because the next day will be the first day of Shawwal.
If the new moon time is past the sunset one must fast the next day
also since that day will belong to Ramadan.
Ramadan This Year
The new moon times to be used for determining the beginning and
ending of Ramadan are given below for GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).
The actual time for each time zone is relative to GMT. For example,
Tucson is seven hours behind GMT. Thus when, for example, it is
10 P.M. according to GMT, it is 3 P.M. in Tucson. Based on the above
information, God willing, the first day of Ramadan for Tucson is
December 8, the last day is January 6. The Night of Power starts
at the sunset of January 2, 2000.
These Ramadan dates are valid practically for the North and South
American continent. On the other hand, the people in Europe, Middle
East, Africa and Asia should start Ramadan on December 9, and end
it on January 7, 2000.
Happy Ramadan.
Page 3
The Night of Power
Laylat Al Qadr
The Night of Power or Destiny is an extremely important night for
Muslims. It is the night in which our code of guidance, the Holy
Quran, was revealed from the Lord of the Universe to Prophet Muhammad.
The Quran was revealed in Ramadan (2:185), and traditionally Muslims
celebrated the Night of Power on the 27th night of Ramadan.
God describes this night as better than a thousand months. During
that night, the angels and the Spirit descend therein, by God’s
leave, to carry out every command (97:1-5).
Because the Night of Power is such a special night, those Muslims
(Submitters) who want to gain extra credit of righteousness spend
the night by commemorating God the Almighty either in their privacy
or in a mosque with other Muslims. There are also some Muslims who
retreat to a mosque in the last ten days of Ramadan to take advantage
of God’s blessings further and increase their faith of submission.
Although the Night of Power falls on the 27th night of Ramadan,
the followers of satanic innovations are never sure about it. They
have their own books to follow beside the Quran a.k.a. hadiths
(sayings attributed to the prophet). In one of them, SaHiH Bukhary,
it is claimed that the prophet and his companions knew the precise
night, but later God caused it to be forgotten. In still another
hadith, it is reported that the “Night of Power” keeps
changing from one year to another, whatever this means.
True Muslims always trust their Lord, and are confident that He
will never deceive them. When God Almighty informs us in His most
authentic Hadith that “We did not leave anything out of this
book” (6:38), they know that all they need is found in this
divine revelation. For this reason, and even before the discovery
of the divine code of 19 by Dr. Rashad Khalifa, Muslim scholars
researched for the exact date of the “Night of Power,”
or Laylat Al Qadr in the Quran.
Some saw signs in Sura 97 “Al Qadr.” It is interesting
to see that God mentioned “Laylat Al Qadr” (The Night
of Power), a phrase that consists of 9 Arabic letters, exactly three
times, in 97:1, 2, and 3. The sign was that 9x3=27, which means
it is the 27th night of Ramadan.
Other Muslim researchers noticed that Sura 97 consists of exactly
30 Arabic words, as if it were referring to the days of the month.
If you start counting the words, then you will find that the 27th
word is “it,” as if God is telling us the 27th night
of Ramadan is “it.”
Mathematical Confirmation
The code of 19, however, serves as an authentication for all information
one extracts from the book of God. It also helps put to rest any
speculations concerning the exact occurrence of that night. The
divine code spells out the true date of the night of power as follows:
The gematric or numeric value of “Laylat Al Qadr” is
410. The nine Arabic letters that make up this phrase have the following
values (letters shown in English equivalents):
If we add 410, the total of above numbers, plus the Sura number
(97) and the verse numbers in which “Laylat Al Qadr”
occurs (1, 2, 3), we get
410 + 97 + 1 + 2 + 3 = 513, or 19 x 27.
Praise God.
Mohamed H. Aboul-Seoud, Ph.D.
Page 4
Comments on the Net
As-salam Alakium Brothers and Sisters at Submission.org
Thank you very much for your creating the website “Submission.”
I took Shahada one year ago yesterday and Allah has answered my prayers
that I be guided in this deen (religion) and that my knowledge be increased.
Many of the issues to address appear to be written specifically for me—answering
many of my numerous questions, even those that I had not yet formed. I
am especially thankful because many of my questions I have not presented
to others because I feared they would not be well received.
I often questioned why the prophet’s name was part of the Shahada
and why we said Amen at the end of Al-Fatiha
when I had read that Amen refers to Amen Ra
from Egyptian cultural legacy and idolotry / polytheism. I especially
questioned the hadiths many of which are derogatory towards women and
appear to promote superstitions.
Thank you very much...I plan to read and study with the Quran as my guide.
May Allah bless you in your work.
Sincerely, your Sister in Faith
D
* * * * *
Salaam,
I think your site is one of the best sources for Islam. Thanks for preparing
such a good site…
Sincerely, B J
* * * * *
Salaam,
Firstly, I must say that your WEB site is one of the most rewarding Islamic
site I have read so far.
…I lecture Psychophysiology in London, UK. I am also a practicing
Muslim and have been looking into various Islamic issues for a long time.
I came by your site when I was looking into some problems with the hadiths
and I found your information very intellectually and spiritually stimulating…
Regards, Dr. A.
* * * * *
I’m a non-muslim who is investigating Islam and your site is truly
the best I have seen.
(No name)
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