The debates, arguments, and uncertainty of when Ramadan would begin, and when Eid would occur continues. In the present era of scientific and technological advancement, when the man has even landed on the moon 3 decades ago, we are still avoiding the use of scientific knowledge for making an Islamic calendar and get over with the feud and having to wait till mid-night. The most misunderstood question is whether the sighting is a means or a requirement of ascertaining the beginning of an Islamic month. The answer to that question is better understood by the people of Caribbean region (Caribbean Islands, Trinidad, and Guyana), when they rationally think what happens in the rainy season of six months in that region. The sighting is not possible for several months because of clouds and if they count 30 days for 3 or 4 months in a row, the moon is then sighted on the 28th or 27th day. This is a clear indication that the Shari'ah did not intend the sighting as a requirement but only a means that was the only means available to the Muslims when Muslims were illiterate. Now the Muslims have expertise to read, write, and calculate. Calculations of when and where the sighting occurs is very well understood by Muslims in the present era of technology. We present here the recorded data as to how the science of moon sighting compared with the actual observations. The results show that calculations of sighting and observations have matched every month since 1993. Calculations of moon sighting and actual sighting are not two different things for an Islamic Calendar when it was found that they both match. To make the following Table short, we present selected data from all recorded data.
| Islamic Month & Year | Gregorian Date | Calculated Place for Sighting | Actual Location of Sighting | Locations of Non-sighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramadan 1413 | Feb 22, 93 | Iran & westward | E. coast of USA | India, Pakistan |
| Ramadan 1414 | Feb 11, 94 | Iran & westward | Egypt, Most US | India, Pakistan |
| Shawwal 1414 | Mar 12, 94 | None on Globe | No where | Not Applicable |
| Muharram 1415 | Jun 10, 94 | Pakistan & westward | Pak. and USA | India |
| Ramadan 1415 | Jan 31, 95 | USA not eastward | Washington DC | North Africa |
| Shawwal 1415 | Mar 2, 95 | India & westward | Jeddah Arabia | Australia |
| Muharram 1416 | May 30, 95 | Pakistan & westward | Pak. and USA | India |
| Ramadan 1416 | Jan 20, 96 | None on Globe | No where | USA & Hawaii |
| Shawwal 1416 | Feb 19, 96 | USA not eastward | FL, SC, NC, TX | North Africa |
| Jumada-II 1417 | Oct 13, 96 | USA not eastward | Washington DC | North Africa |
| Rajab 1417 | Nov 11, 96 | None on Globe | No where | USA & Hawaii |
| Islamic Month & Year | Gregorian Date | Calculated Place for Sighting | Actual Location of Sighting | Locations of Non-sighting |
| Sha'ban 1417 | Dec 11, 96 | Pakistan & westward | Pak. and USA | India |
| Ramadan 1417 | Jan 9, 97 | TX, AZ, CA | TX, AZ, CA | Miami |
| Shawwal 1417 | Feb 7, 97 | None on Globe | No where | Not Applicable |
| Rabi-I 1418 | Jul 5, 97 | S.Africa but not USA | South Africa | USA |
| Ramadan 1418 | Dec 30, 97 | N.Africa & USA | Most USA | India, Pakistan |
| Shawwal 1418 | Jan 28, 98 | South-mid-west USA | KS, LA, CA | NY, FL, CO |
| Ramadan 1419 | Dec 19, 98 | TX, AZ, CA | TX, AZ, CA | Miami |
| Shawwal 1419 | Jan 18, 99 | USA not eastward | Most USA | N. & S. Africa |
| Ramadan 1420 | Dec 7, 99 | None on Globe | No where | US, Hawaii |
| Shawwal 1420 | Jan 7, 00 | West of Miami | Midwest USA | Washington DC |
| Rajab 1421 | Sep 28, 00 | South India | South India | Pakistan |
| Ramadan 1421 | Nov 26, 00 | Hawaii | Hawaii | All continents |
| Islamic Month & Year | Gregorian Date | Calculated Place for Sighting | Actual Location of Sighting | Locations of Non-sighting |
| Jumada-I 1422 | Jul 21, 01 | Pakistan & Wetward | Pak. Africa, USA | Australia |
| Z-Hijja 1422 | Feb 12, 02 | None on any continent | No where | US, Hawaii |
| Ramadan 1423 | Nov 5, 02 | Southern belt USA | AZ, CA | India, Pakistan |
| Shawwal 1423 | Dec 4, 02 | None on any continent | No where | US, Hawaii |
| Z-Hijja 1423 | Feb 1, 03 | None on any continent | No where | US, Hawaii |
These results show that with today's technology the calculations are far more accurate than the claims of sighting, which we all have experienced that people mistake other objects for the crescent moon. The conclusions are summarized now. Calculations for sighting are surety (haqqul-yaqeen), while claims of sighting may be suspicion (zann) or mistake. Allah (swt) has given us the knowledge about the motions of earth and moon. When sighting was more reliable than calculations, Muslims were asked to follow that. Now calculation is more reliable than sighting, so it should be used. An Islamic calendar based on calculations that has proven to match with actual sighting would enable us to plan ahead of time, while actual sighting will prove to be confirmatory. It meets the intent of Quran and Sunnah and its benefits greatly surpass the consequences faced by false claims of sighting and waiting for a decision till mid-night. Let us pray to Allah (swt) that he may guide us for the right path, forgive our mistakes and make us united in the way he pleases, Ameen!