One nation, three Eids

We celebrate this Eid-ul-Fitr in different parts of the country on three different days - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - which has spoiled the festive spirit associated with the day. This though is not the first time that the people in most of Pakistan did not know until late in the evening that they were to observe another fast the next day instead of celebrating Eid.
The confusion is the result of our religious leaders' insistence on a literal interpretation of the Islamic tradition that calls for sighting of the Shawwal moon with the naked eye. What is being ignored is the fact that people in the early days of Islam had no other way of finding out if the Shawwal moon had appeared but to see it with their own eyes.
Besides, at the time there was no concept of a nation-state, which has become central to the determination of the Eid day in the present-day world. Notably, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee looks for evidence of the moon's appearance from within Pakistan to declare the Eid day, irrespective of the fact that other Islamic countries in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia - the land of early Islam - almost always celebrate Eid one day (this year two days) ahead of Pakistan.
It is plain that the literalist argument is not relevant to the present-day realities. Aside from the emergence of new political notions, human knowledge has advanced to the point where scientists can predict with precision every minute detail of the lunar cycle - the basis of Islamic calendar. It has enabled Man to physically land on the moon and uncover many of the mysteries of the universe.
And here we are insisting to see the moon in order to ensure whether or not it has completed its fixed cycle of disappearance and reappearance. It is worthwhile to note that the method of Fatimid calendar that originated with the Fatimid dynasty, which ruled parts of the then Muslim world as far back as 909-1171, still works unchallenged for many without any accuracy problems. Also, it is relevant to point out here that tidal tables prepared 50 years ago to help maritime navigation deal with the phenomenon of tidal waves, caused by the gravitational pull of the moon, have continued to provide exact information to sailors and navigators.
Of course, the same information is available for the next fifty years as well. It makes little sense, therefore, for us to persist with the practice of physical sighting of the moon to celebrate the advent of Ramazan and then Eid in a manner which, we like to assume, must have the element of fervour. The confusion that usually surrounds the occasion surly dampens much of the fervour.
At least in this one respect we can learn from the examples of our brothers-in-faith elsewhere in the world, for example, the Fatimids who have found a way of making a clear determination of the Shawwal moon's appearance. Similarly, in North America, a region where people live in four different time zones, the Islamic Council of North America has agreed on a common solution to end the controversies over moon sighting.
Proclaiming that whereas fasting is a religious obligation and moon sighting with the naked eye is not, they have prepared a lunar calendar based on precise calculations of the lunar movements for the next six years for the Muslims in the region to follow. It is about time, our religious scholars, too, followed the noble and essential tradition of Ijtehad and relied on modern knowledge to end the confusion that has ruined many Eid days for the Muslims of this country.