y Fadia Al-Otaibi - The Islamic Cultural Center at the University of Jordan, under the patronage of the Vice President for Scientific Colleges Affairs, and in cooperation with the Faculties of Sharia and Science, held a dialogue seminar entitled “ Identifying the beginnings of the lunar months between jurisprudence and astronomy", in which the former Minister of Endowments, Affairs and Holy Places spoke on the sharia side Dr. Abdul Nasser Abu Al-Basal, professor of jurisprudence and principles, and Dr. Alaa Al-Azzam, a specialist in atomic and molecular physics for space science applications and a faculty member at the Department of Physics, spoke on the astronomical side, moderated by Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Kilani, Dean of the School of Sharia.
According to the center's director, Prof. Ibrahim Burqan, on behalf of the vice president, this specialized seminar aimed to discuss the issue of proving the lunar month by astronomical calculations, how to deal with astronomy, and to identify the sharia opinion on the possibility of determining the beginning of the lunar months based on astronomical vision, noting that the themes and results of the seminar will be presented in a subsequent seminar in which university students will participate.
For his part, Al-Kilani explained that God Almighty has shown in His wise book that the signs of the sun and the day are great verses that should always be the subject of the Muslim's thinking, and the Muslim's worship, including prayers, fasting and pilgrimage, have been linked to dates that are considered by scholars as reasons for their obligation, pointing out that prayer is linked to the sun, its rise, sunset and man's shadow in it. This makes the beginnings of the lunar months linked to the pillars of Islam and vision, which was previously adopted by jurists in determining the beginnings of the month, noting that the emergence of the science of astronomical calculations was with scientific development, through which the beginning of the lunar month can be determined with great accuracy based on it, taking into account some controls.
During the seminar, Abu Al-Basal emphasized that it is difficult to settle the issue of determining the beginnings of the lunar months astronomically and legally, due to the many disputes received on this subject and the multiplicity of opinions on how to deal with astronomical calculations, noting that this seminar is not the first to deal with this topic and will not be the last.
He called for reconciling the scientific and jurisprudential aspects and using astronomical calculations in addition to vision in order to facilitate people and overcome many of the obstacles that make them different in all their occasions, while keeping the legal order as it is, noting that there is consensus on the adoption of astronomical calculation in proof to reject testimony in case of impossibility, and that the unity of the one country in the issue of fasting and breaking the fast is an established principle.
For her part, Al-Azzam said: Organizing such a seminar, which combines the jurisprudential and astronomical aspects, is an excellent opportunity to explain the high accuracy of astronomical calculations in determining the beginnings of the lunar months, and how to benefit from them in simple and quick ways.
She pointed out that the symposium's discussions by specialists added an important jurisprudential dimension, which contributes to providing an integrated vision about the relationship between science and jurisprudence in this field, noting the importance of such dialogues in promoting a common understanding between astronomy and jurisprudence, in order to serve Islamic societies in general and Jordanian society in particular in determining the beginnings of the lunar months with accuracy and clarity.