Ramadhan timing

[Sword]

Salamun Alaykum, brother Joseph.


May Allah reward you for your superb works. I'm really glad and thankful to Allah to have found you on the internet, and I must say that your articles are simply eye-opening.


My question to you is:


From a Quran's perspective, is the worldwide timing of Ramadhan that we see today the correct timing of the month of Ramadhan? If it is not the correct timing, then when is it? I've read on another website that the Sunni and Shia Muslim's timing of Ramadhan is not approved by the Quran. I am confused. Please help me.

[Joseph Islam]

Wa alaikum assalam Sword,

JazakAllah Khair for your kind words. I am happy that you have found some of the material helpful, Alhumdolillah.

With regards your question, Ramadan is a well known month of the Islamic calendar so I do not feel there is any dispute with regards this.

However, I have written a couple of articles on the opening and closing times of the fast if these are of any use. I reference them below for your perusal. [1], [2].

Failing that, if you could kindly share the link of the site you mention, then maybe I can take a look at the specific claims and respond a little more comprehensively in due course.

I hope this helps, God willing.

Regards,
Joseph.


REFERENCES

[1] FASTING IS PRESCRIBED UNTIL NIGHT NOT SUNSET
http://quransmessage.com/articles/fasting%20till%20night%20FM3.htm
[2] TIME OF FAJR AND THE END OF SEHRI IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN
http://quransmessage.com/articles/fasting%20and%20ramadan%20FM3.htm

[Sword]

Wa alaikum assalam Sword,

JazakAllah Khair for your kind words. I am happy that you have found some of the material helpful, Alhumdolillah.

With regards your question, Ramadan is a well known month of the Islamic calendar so I do not feel there is any dispute with regards this.

However, I have written a couple of articles on the opening and closing times of the fast if these are of any use. I reference them below for your perusal. [1], [2].

Failing that, if you could kindly share the link of the site you mention, then maybe I can take a look at the specific claims and respond a little more comprehensively in due course.

I hope this helps, God willing.

Regards,
Joseph.


REFERENCES

[1] FASTING IS PRESCRIBED UNTIL NIGHT NOT SUNSET
http://quransmessage.com/articles/fasting%20till%20night%20FM3.htm
[2] TIME OF FAJR AND THE END OF SEHRI IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN
http://quransmessage.com/articles/fasting%20and%20ramadan%20FM3.htm

Peace be with you, brother.


Yes, I'm well aware of the opening and closing times of fasting, and I completely agree with the articles that you've referred. Insha'Allah, from next ramadhan, I hope to follow these timings.



Now here are the links where you should take a look at. Much has been discussed regarding the Islamic calender and the month of ramadhan:

http://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9188.0

http://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9605289.0



After you study the links, please get back on this thread to share your thoughts, or maybe you can write an article on this subject. I will be waiting, brother.



Peace.

[Irfan]

I read FreeMinds article several years ago.  I was no convicted by their arguments.  The writer emphasized the meaning of the Arabic word “Ramadhan” (scorched heat), so he thinks that the fasting month has to be hot.  However, Qur’an mentions the total number of the months twelve—of which “four” are “well-known”-9:36.  So the Qur’an is not inventing any new name for a month—these 12 months have been around since antiquity (the Qur’an says that these months were created since the creation of the earth/universe). I don’t think Allah would want to create a huge confusion about a well-known month and then require us to fast in it. Additionally, the names of the lunar months  do not have any special significance with respect to whether, or harvest of crops, or other social ritual etc, because of their usual rotation in their temporal routine (lunar year is 9-10 days shorter than solar year).

[Joseph Islam]

Dear Sword,

May peace be with you.

I have perused the link briefly, however I cannot add anything more than what brother Irfan has already said. He has resonated my view on this matter entirely.

The month of 'Ramadan' was known to the contemporaries of the Prophet before Islam was revealed to them. The Quran which remains the earliest historical document of Islam clearly indicates that it did not invent a new name nor introduce a new concept.

Therefore, I would find unwarranted any implicit appeal to secondary sources whether in the ambit of western scholarship or otherwise. It is well appreciated that there remains a dearth of sources in this period and much inferred is usually based on material which is not contemporaneous to the Prophetic ministry or inferences drawn from isolated archaeological data. With respect, this is not comprehensive evidence which would warrant cogent appeal.

Furthermore, given that lunar years are shorter than calendars based on solar years, the month of Ramadan could technically fall into 'cooler' months over the course of the years and decades. Therefore, I would find superfluous any root word analysis in this regards.

It is also highly unlikely that a fundamental practice such as fasting which finds direct support from the Quran and would have been practiced en masse by the new believing community would have become subject to such a large scale conspiracy that would warrant the kind of corruption of the actual month of fasting that is being suggested.

I hope that clarifies my position on this matter, God willing.
Joseph.

[Sword]

Salamun Alaykum.


Thanks for your concerns brother Irfan and Joseph, and for helping me in clearing my doubts.



Peace.