There seemed to be only confusion that took over the first day of the holy month of Ramzan in Kashmir. Little joy, lot of haze. And hours later, the confllicting statements, and theories, regarding the moon sighting continue to float in Kashmir.
The Kashmir Walla spoke to several religious scholars in the valley, from varied schools of thoughts, on the validity of today’s fast in the valley.
The ulema majorly believed that tonight’s crescent appearance would clear the confusion on the matter.
Dr. A Latif Alkindi Al Madani, vice-president Jamiat Ahle Hadees, J-K, said that tonight’s appearance of the crescent would make things clear about the first day of Ramzan in J-K.
“Tonight the crescent moon will be visible to the naked eye, and it will be clear whether it is the one-day old moon or the first appearance of the crescent,” Madani told The Kashmir Walla.
Madani said in case the crescent appears the one-day-old then people who haven’t fasted today, Thursday, have to fill in the day at the end of the Ramzan.
“And if Friday will be the first day of the Ramzan, then people who have kept the fast today will be considered as nafil,” Madani added.
People in Kashmir were left in a dilemma on Wednesday night after the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan announced that the Ramzan moon was sighted while New Delhi’s Jama Masjid said otherwise.
The decision taken by the Jammu and Kashmir Ulemas led by Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam maintained that crescent was nowhere to be sighted.
Late night, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, who had earlier announced that Ramzan would begin on Friday, reiterated his stand because the crescent wasn’t sighted anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir.
“What do we have with Pakistan? They are far away from us. We didn’t receive any confirmation about moon sighting in Jammu and Kashmir, thus after a deliberation with all the other Ulema, it was unanimously decided that Ist day of Ramzan is on Friday,” Mufti Islam said.
Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi, a Deobandi scholar, said that keeping in view the persistent cloudy weather in Kashmir, the valley has always depended on the neighboring countries to take a decision on the matters of deciding Eid day or the start of Ramzan.
“People who are fasting today are not wrong. And the people who haven’t kept the fast can keep it later if this day would be indeed counted as the first day of Ramzan,” Mufti Nazir said.
Meanwhile, various religious bodies including Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, Srinagar and Kishtwar, and Anjuman-e-Shari Shiayan also begin the first day of Ramzan from Thursday.