Will a dispute arise in the survey of the crescent of the month of Rajab this year?

The crescent will already be higher on the horizon after sunset, but it is not possible to see it with the naked eye or with a telescope in most Arab countries.

Rajab crescent moon survey

In Islamic law, determining the start of the Hijri months depends on the principle of “sighting,” meaning that the new crescent is observed immediately after sunset on the day of sighting, which in this case occurs on next Tuesday, Jumada al-Akhirah 29, 1443, corresponding to February 1, 2022, in the vast majority. from Islamic countries.

The Hijri months are related to the moon's revolution around the earth. For us on Earth, the phases of the moon begin with the crescent, which increases in size day after day, reaches the full moon after about 14 days, and then decreases again.

But it is not only the size of the illumination on the surface of the moon that varies day by day, but the location of the moon as well, as it seems to us that it moves in the sky away from the sun day after day, until we reach the day of the full moon, so the sun sets on one side and the moon comes out on the other, but What if we decided - theoretically for the purpose of understanding - to turn back time day by day? In this case, the moon will approach the sun until it stands next to it in the sky.

This is called the “conjunction moment,” which is the beginning of the lunar month, and we cannot see the moon during it, of course, but jurists and astronomers use it to predict the beginning of the new Hijri month.

If the moment of conjugation took place before a sufficient time before the specialists from the legal boards went out to observe the crescent after sunset on the day of sighting (about 14 hours), then it is almost certain that they will be able to observe the crescent, and the next day is announced as the first day of the Hijri month. It was less than that, and a dispute arose.

First of rajab

As for the current situation, the moment of the moon’s conjunction with the sun will be the morning of the first of next February at exactly 08:46 am Doha time, i.e. less than 10 hours for the crescent moon to appear clearly to specialists after sunset, either with the naked eye or the telescope.

According to the International Astronomy Center , the crescent in this case will already be above the horizon after sunset, but it is not possible to see it with the naked eye or with a telescope in most Arab countries because of its approach to the horizon and its entry into the remaining sunlight. With the exception of regions such as southern Algeria, southern Morocco, Mauritania, Somalia and southern Sudan, where the crescent can be seen with a telescope with some scrutiny.

In that case, a dispute may arise between the rest of the Arab countries. If the state adopts astronomical calculations, the next February 2 is the first day of Rajab 1443, and if vision is adopted with the naked eye or a telescope, then the month of Rajab begins on February 3 next.