UAE: More than 100 drones used to sight crescent Moon for Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr
'It would be a loss of money and effort to deploy drones in all future moonsighting efforts if they do not prove to observe more than the other allocated methods can view,' said Ibrahim Al Jarwan, head of the UAE Astronomy Society, said.
Islamic Hijri months last either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the crescent Moon is sighted. For instance, the month of Ramadan lasted 29 days as the Moon was spotted on Ramadan 29. Had it not been spotted, the month would have lasted 30 days.
Moonsighting in the UAE is a keenly followed event as it determines the duration of official holidays. Islamic festival Eid Al Fitr would have seen a five-day holiday if the Moon was not spotted on Ramadan 29.
The process in the country combines several elements, including Shariah and scientific committees, astronomical computerised resources, observation decks, individual testimonies, as well as the newly introduced drones by the International Astronomical Center, sponsored by the UAE Fatwa Council. The drones were flown over Al Khatim area to locate the moon by drawing a square perimeter around it for the observers to focus on, while an additional specifically equipped drone was used to capture a direct image of the crescent.
'This was the first time drones were used for moonsighting in the UAE, and we believe it may have been the first globally, as we have not heard of any other country doing that,' added Al Jarwan.
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Another traditional method in Islamic countries is witness testimonies. 'Individuals who observe the crescent (in the UAE) report to the closest Ministry of Justice office, and testimonies are compared based on details of the crescent's positioning and the direction it is pointing,' explained Al Jarwan. 'If four witnesses provide matching statements, their testimonies are considered by the committee; however, if they give contradicting descriptions, they are dismissed.'
The committee also follows the Islamic jurisprudential (Fiqh) principle of moonsighting unification in geographically close countries and adhere to Saudi Arabia's sighting. The majority of Gulf countries follow this principle. Al Jarwan said the committee is in contact with other neighbouring countries such as Saudi, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Most of them abide by the unification principle to avoid discrepancies among Muslims and to unify Islamic rituals and celebrations.
The crescent moon sighting to indicate the start of the holy month is conducted under the supervision of the UAE Council for Fatwa and with the support of the International Astronomical Center. Observations were carried out from four locations: Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the UAE, located in Ras Al Khaimah; Jebel Hafeet, the highest peak in Abu Dhabi; Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory; and Dubai Astronomical Observatory, as part of a team from the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai.
The crescent was also observed from the Sharjah Observatory, affiliated with the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology. Representatives were present at the official committee meeting at Qasr Al Hosn, and the crescent was photographed through a telescope after sunset from both the Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory and the Dubai Astronomical Observatory. The same locations and parties were designated for the Eid moonsighting.
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