Whose moon is Islamic?

Even today many Muslims scholars insist that we have to physically see the moon with our moon eyes to determine the beginning and end of Ramadan.

They derive this from a misinterpretation of the following verse: "Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed, providing guidance for the people, clear teachings and the statute book. Those of you who Witness This Month (sheh'r) shall fast therein ......". Sura 2:185

The word used is "sheh'r" or month and not moon. God refers to witnessing "the month (sheh'r) of Ramadan" and not "the moon of Ramadan". In other words if you are present in the month of Ramadan, then you should fast.

This year especially is quite unique. The beginning of Ramadan is coinciding with the Chinese New Year. The Chinese throughout the world celebrated their New Year on 3lst January this year. By their calculations, the new moon indicating the first day of the first month in their New Year would already have been in place by the evening of the previous day i.e. 30th January 1995.

In contrast, the scholars in Muslim communities go out to the hilltops and the seaside to "sight" the new moon for the beginning of the month of Ramadan. If they "sight" the moon, the new month (Ramadan) will begin only on the next day. If the moon is not "sighted" then Ramadan might begin on the following day. The "Muslim" moon then (like some muslimoon) will be at least two days behind the Chinese moon.

If we were living on the planet Jupiter this could be acceptable because Jupiter has more than one moon. But here on Earth we have only the one moon.

But it is strange that while the scholars insist on sighting the moon for the beginning and end of Ramadan, they still go ahead and print their calendars for the whole 12 months of a year. Since the insistence on "sighting" the moon hastens or delays the advent of Ramadan by one or two days, it is a neat trick indeed how the scholars' calendar gets away without having to make adjustments of one or two days for every subsequent month!

Besides its many other achievements, the Chinese civilization has indeed developed a very accurate lunar and solar calendar. For centuries the Chinese have made careful observations and records of the sun, the moon and the stars. Even modern astronomers of today refer to Chinese texts for information on solar eclipses, comets and other heavenly phenomena.

Perhaps this is also why the ancient Arabs came up with the saying "seek knowledge even if you have to travel to China".

The Chinese have been able to make accurate predictions of the movements of the sun, moon and the stars because God says,

"God is the one who raised the heavens without pillars that you can see, then assumed all authority. He committed the sun and the moon each running (in its own orbit) for a predetermined period. He controls all things, and explains the revelations, that you may attain certainty about meeting your Lord".- Sura 13:2.

He also says,
"'The sun is never to catch up with the moon, the night and the day never deviate, each of them is floating in its own orbit". Sura 36:40.

"'They ask you about the phases of the moon. Say, "'They provide a timing device for the people..." Sura 2:89.

The sun and the moon run a fixed course. 'Their movement is not random. They are completely predictable. Otherwise they CANNOT be timing devices. Hence the Chinese are able to CALCULATE accurately when the new month and when their New Year starts and ends.

This is also how the Americans and the Russians shoot rockets and space probes into the sky to arrive exactly at the moon, the planet Mars and so on. The heavenly bodies do not waver in their movements.

The Chinese, American and Russian moon is exactly predictable. The Islamic scholar's moon is not. So whose moon is Islamic?