I was blessed by an article by Nazir Naji Shahib appeared on 28th October Jang in which he wrote so many absurd things to demonstrate their haterd against Mullahs that I decided to send him a letter about moon sighting issue ,science and Mullahism. I have also forwarded this letter to the editor so that he can forward to other columnists who are planning to write about this issue. The letter is given below. I am tired of reading the shit about this issue in different papers like some Qayamat has come in Pakistan and so called unity got trashed due to multiple Eids.

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Respected Nazir Naji Sahib,
Assalam o Alaikum!

I have been reading your columns for 3 years. Though I disagree with you most of the time but I always dropped the idea of replying you back because most of them were political and I am one of those Pakistanis who are tired of all so called democratic parties. Your last article provoked me to contact you first time and clear some confusion which you have shared with masses though your article. I would prefer to split my mail in 3 sections. 1) Moon sighting 2) Science about Moon phase 3) Mullah-ism and Iqbal 4) Political or religious issue.

Let me tell you that I came across a GEO TV program in which you were a guest and you claimed that moon sighting has no relation with Quran and Sunnah. I was simply amazed that you never came across few Instances of Quran as well as hadith about moon sighting? In Quran Surah Baqrah, verse Number 185

The month of Ramazan is the one in which the Qur’an was revealed as a guidance for humanity and clarifications of that guidance and a standard. So whoever witnesses the month among you, let him fast” (2:185).

If you read the original Arabic text, the word “Shahida” has been used by Allah that clearly tells the Importance of evidence that is moon sighting in Islam plus you should notice that Allah has applied condition that only those people can fast who have evidence of the month. You can visit this link for Arabic text online.

You also claimed in that program that it has nothing to do with Sunnah. Allow me to quote a famous hadith which normally a Muslim of Kid of age 14/16 knows very well by reading books.

Do not fast unless you sight the crescent, and do not break your fast till you sight the (following) crescent.” (Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3:130).

I quoted Quran first because there are sects who reject the authenticity of hadiths so at least they should consider Quran authentic source of Islamic teachings?

Ok back to your column[Internet Link: http://ejang.jang.com.pk/jm/10-28-2006/images/05_09.gif ]. You started your column by Mullah bashing and blamed them for every evil things in our society. You then emphasized on adapting scientific methods as if science is savior for us like Jesus (AS) would be world’s savior before Qayamat. Allow me to tell you that I was a science student and have read till university level then finally got a degree in the field of Computer engineering. No science student or scientist can ever claim that science is 100% accurate and scientific theories don’t change from time to time. I would like to bring your attention on one of the famous conflict between Science and religion when Galileo rejected the Aristotelian science which had become tradition of Catholic Churches in 17th Century. Catholic Churches believed in Aristotle’s concept that earth was stationary and is center of the Universe and sun moves around the earth which was rejected by Nicholas Copernicus by giving theory that earth and other objects are circling around the sun within our solar system. Galileo endorsed his theory by using his telescope after detailed observation of celestial objects’. This is one of the examples of fragile nature of Science. In modern era, Einstein’s theory has been challenged as well so one can’t say that science is 100% true all the time. I am not rejecting the importance of science, in fact I prefer to implement science in different fields of life but I or any person having science background will never claim that science is always right. Those Christians were not too devoted to their religions hence it didn’t make much difference for the followers of that time but still Galileo was cursed and damned by the churches of that time. Imagine about our Muslims [Ordinary Muslims not Mullahs] who are devoted towards than Christians towards Bible, what would be left for you and others have to say if such scientific calculation goes wrong in future? Would you be able to face such Muslims even in your Mohalla ? There are people who consider Islam more Important than themselves and they do get restless even if they miss a Namaz. Again, such people don’t belong to Mullah Community which you often discuss in your articles. Many like you often give example of Saudia or other countries which seeks help of science to make a lunar calendar for different Islamic length. May I tell you that there were instances when Saudi calendar was declared inaccurate even by Astronomers? Do make a visit to this link[http://www.icoproject.org/sau.html] about revision of criteria in Saudi Calendar, not once, not twice but three times!

One thing further which you also said in your article that new scientific methods have made it possible to create calendars for next 10/20 years. Ok fine but does that formulae or methods also claim that birth of new moon is same globally? That is, the birth time of new moon in Australia will be same as birth time in Africa or in America? There is no evidence or assertion by scientists that moon sighting is uniform globally. If a moon is sighted in Saudia then it doesn’t mean that same moon will appear in Pakistan as well. Even sun rising and setting is not uniform within Pakistan even in Karachi then how can we assume that moon’s appearance would be same across the globe? There is a detailed and interesting article by Mr. Meer which was published on 28th October, 2006 DAWN.

Now the other issue which is not much relevant to moon sighting issue directly. Its Mullah bashing and blaming mullah for every evil act in our society then you people use Iqbal’s poetry to put some weight in your rants. Black sheeps are in every field of our society not only in Mullah Community. One can’t make a crazy claim that non-Mullahs are saints. Do you claim that there is no evil among journalists? Do you want to say that journalists don’t change their loyalties and always speak and write honesty without any political association? You quoted Iqbal’s shair:

Why don’t you people ever quote which is a classic shair Ki Muhammad Se Wafa tunay tu Hum Teray hain for muslims to practice Islam honestry[without any involvement of lefts liberalism] or Yeh Ghazi Ye teray Ye Purasrar Banday from Tariq Ki Dua about spirit of Jihad? Tell me did any Mullah quote something like:

Deen-e-Saiyasatdaan Fe Sabilun Naar [The religion of a politician is a way towards Hellfire] or did you coin any such shair against evil journalists or politicians and feudal?

Are you going to claim that Ayub Khan was actually a Mullah and he imposed Martial law because He had sighted the moon but Mullahs were not ready? I think Shaikh Mujibur Rahman was forced to start movement for a separate country because He didn’t want to accept Bhutto’s statement about moon sighting in East Pakistan. Off course the main conflict between Nawaz Sharif and Musharraf was none other than moon sighting.

Sir, it’s true that majority of Pakistanis are jahil and uneducated but please do keep this in mind that there is a big cabal in our society who rejects both right wing pseudo Mullahs and left wing liberals in our society and for them both cabals are like plague in our society. Don’t make fictitious statements that only Mullahs ruined Pakistan. Pakistan was ruined by Feudal, corrupt politicians, right wing extremist religious scholars and left wing liberals who always try their best to impose their own version of religions. When we talk about moderate and enlightened Pakistanis then it doesn’t mean they are associated with lefts liberals who are nothing but copycats of West ideologies and beliefs and so called secularism. Majority of Pakistanis loathe both right and left cabals. That’s the other matter they are silent due to enormous problems they have been facing due to corrupt politics in Pakistan. Fact of the day, Musharraf is not a Mullah.

Kindly don’t abuse your pen power by bringing controversies among Pakistanis. The problem with majority of us that when they listen some ‘learned man’ to talking about Science and Islam , they start giving him importance more than a Prophet. People like Ghamdi and Dr. Mehdi who inject their liberals’ views in name of Islam are really not credible for most of us and majority of us don’t even pay attention to them. When I see such blind following for such people, I’m forced to believe that this mentality is not different than a village man or woman of distant area who believes in a Peer or Makhdoom more than religion’s Prophet and in the end that Peer or Makhdom ruins the life of that man and woman.

In my opinion, moon sighting is nothing but a political issue rather a religious. Even involvement of science is not going to make any change. Do you want to say that there is NO science implementation in our society? What about traffic signals violation and corruption in NADRA cards and even in Atomic issues?

How come three eids making us divided? Are not we already divided? Do you want to say that we are united in other areas? Please don’t try to fool us like politicians by giving us such articles which don’t hold water. Both science and Islam reflect that there is no issue to celebrate multiple Eids in a country. According to Quranic verse which I quoted above, If I personally sights the moon then I have to keep/break fast regardless other have seen or not. Either govt dissolve the Royat-e-Hilal Committee or make it corruption and politics free. Why is like that evidence from Mardan, Chaghi areas are not taken seriously and only areas like Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore are consider credible? Why there is supremacy of a big province all the time? Did you ever think as an ordinary Pakistan about this matter?

Please stop underestimate majority of this nation and don’t consider them Jahil. They are silent but not dead. As long as you keep writing such controversial and fictitious article, an ordinary Pakistani like me would never take you seriously and won’t consider your opinion (s) credible.

In the last paragraph, you are complaining that your fellow journalists calling you an Agent of some NGO etc, why didn’t you blame entire Journalist society and curse and damn all press clubs of Pakistan because they also put a fatwa against you? Why such double standards? It’s not my concern who gave you dollars or property but I do realize that you do write to please a certain cabal in our society which is not fair and honest thing for an aged person like you.

I was not aware that compare Aniq Naji is your son. That guy sounded very reasonable in TV programs, I wonder why he is he so different from you?

I hope my letter would help you to realize the thinking of an ordinary Pakistani about different issues and hope you would reply my email back or via your next columns. I have a personal blog and I would publish this letter on website as well so that others can read and would send to others columnists as well. Not because I want to offend you but because to remove confusion about this serious matter. I would sure publish your response as well.

Regards,

Adnan Siddiqi

Tagged:Moon sighting,Eid,fasting,Islam

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