A Bombshell Discovery of Saudi Date System

Most people think that Saudi Arabia always adopt the actual sighting of the crescent as the basis to start Islamic month. But during the previous years it was very clear to the public as well as to astronomers that most of the Saudi months were wrong if the actual sighting is the basis for starting the Islamic month. The Jordanian Astronomical Society (JAS) received a telegram from The Higher Council "Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala" in Saudi Arabia that confirms that Saudi Arabia adopts the astronomical calculations and totally ignores the actual sighting.

Below is the text of the telegram, translated from Arabic:

"( To Jordan/ Al-Yadodeh/ M.Kh./ Al-Sook/ Mr. Hayel Mamdooh Abu-Zeid, dated January 21, 1998/Ramadan 23, 1418H.

We wish to thank you for sending us your greetings of Ramadan, and for reminding us of the date of the New Moon of Shawwal for the year 1418 H. We would like to remind you that determining the first day of the Islamic month is like determining the prayer times, and the aim of His Almighty from these times is to inform us not to take it as worship. It is adopted in Umm-ul-Qura Calendar that if the Moon's age at the Sunset is 12 hours or more after the New Moon then the PREVIOUS day is the first day of the Islamic month, since the Islamic day starts at the Sunset, and the night is before the daylight, as well as the time of fasting is in the civil daylight. May Allah accept your worship. May Allah bless this Ramadan. Thanking you for good cooperation.

From: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/ Al-Riyadh/ The Higher Council "Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala"/ Mohammad Bin Ehmead.)"

Mr. Hayel from JAS received other letters also, about the same subject, which were clearer than this telegram. The following example may make their system clearer:

If for example 29th December is 29 Sha'ban, and the New Moon Phase occurs after the Sunset in Makkah, say at 11 pm on 29th December, then the next day (30th December) at the Sunset (for example at 5 pm) the Moon's age will be 18 hours which is more than 12 hours, so that day (30th December) is the first day of Ramadhan, even though the New Moon was not even born at the Sunset on 29 Sha'ban (29th December), and generally in such cases the Moon will have set before the Sunset!!