Eid date confirmed after long confusion
EID ON JUNE 16 Confusion began with onset of Ramzan when statements of Shia Chand Committee and Markazi Chand Committee differed over sighting of moon for holy month
LUCKNOW: When is Eid-ul-Fitr, is a common query among the faithful. But the answer to this came after a long confusion during Ramzan this year.
With the crescent of the moon being sighted elsewhere and not in the city, Lucknow will celebrate Eid on June 16.
The confusion began with the onset of Ramzan when the statements of Shia Chand Committee and Markazi Chand Committee differed over the sighting of moon for the holy month.
People said a sizeable chunk of Muslim population in Lucknow had missed their ‘tarabi’ prayers and even the fast due to the confusion over sighting of moon for Ramzan.
The confusion over moon sighting began when the versions of Markazi Chand Committee differed from that of Shia Chand Committee that announced sighting of moon beforehand.
The Markazi Chand Committee, which initially denied moon sighting, too announced its sighting almost an hour later that led to all the confusion.
“Initially, it was said that the moon was not sighted. But late at night it was said that the moon was sighted, which led to the confusion,” said Imtiyaz Ali, a resident of Old City.
The confusion was more among the Sunnis. They said since the Shia Chand Committee first made the announcement, they thought that the announcement was meant for Shias and not for them.
“Unlike the Shia Chand Committee that officially announced sighting of the moon, there was no official announcement from the Markazi Chand Committee. It was only through newspapers people came to know that the moon has been sighted,” said Mohammed Asraf, another local from Hussainabad.
Similar queries flooded the helpline that was launched during Ramzan by Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, president of the Markazi Chand Committee.
Many people enquired what they could do if they failed to keep the first roza. There were other queries as well.
There was also confusion over Alvida Namaz as a good majority of Muslims offered the Alvida Namaaz on June 8 while a few mosques didn’t offer Alvida prayers, saying namaz will be offered on the last Friday of Ramzan – on June 15.
Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, Imam, Eidgah said: “The moon was sighted in the Gulf countries that will observe Eid on Friday. As it was not sighted here on Thursday, Eid in India will be on Saturday.”
“The confusion over the dates prevailed due to a bunch of people who were spreading rumours,” he added.
He said this Ramzan was historic as it was for the first time when Muslims across the world observed fast together in the holy month of Ramzan.
When the chand committees in Lucknow were trying to sight the moon, Darul Ifta Barelvi said the moon for Eidul-Fitr was not sighted on Thursday, hence the namaaz for Alvida would be offered on Friday.