So When Exactly Is Hari Raya Plus A Soalan Cepu Mas

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A file picture of an employee of the Sarawak Mufti's office observing the sky at Telok Banding, Santubong, ahead of the fasting month last year

In Malaysia the Hari Raya is going to be tomorrow Wednesday June 5th, 2019. 

For more than 10 years now we have been observing the Hari Raya Puasa as it is published by the Government in the official calendars which are published even BEFORE the beginning of every year.

So as the commenter NNH asked recently - what is the purpose of going through the motions of 'melihat anak bulan' and the Penyimpan Mohor Besar making a formal announcement about the sighting of the moon?

Hari Raya is tomorrow - Wednesday June 5th 2019. Sudah confirm lah.

Isnt it all a waste of time and money to still pretend to 'melihat anak bulan' and the Penyimpan Mohor making his announcement when the Hari Raya has already been decided? 

Anyway here is a video of some moon observer who says that it is impossible for the moon to be seen anywhere in the world for Hari Raya to fall on Tuesday 4th of June 2019.  

From what he is saying the Hari Raya must be tomorrow ie Wednesday on the 5th June 2019.

Lets listen to the guy:




And here is a moon chart for June 2019 that someone sent to me:





On the 4th June (today) the crescent of the new moon is just appearing. 
So the next day the 5th June can be Hari Raya.

On this chart there is absolutely no new crescent on the 3rd June (yesterday).
Meaning today (4th June) cannot be Hari Raya.

But the Saudis are already celebrating Hari Raya today Tuesday 4th June, 2019. 





So are the Naqsyabandis. 
Now here is the soalan cepu mas.

So today is already the new month of Syawal in Saudi Arabia ie 1st Syawal has begun on Wednesday 4th June, 2019 (in Saudi Arabia).

In Malaysia and elsewhere in the Islamic countries, the 1st of Syawal will start tomorrow Wednesday 5th June 2019.

Does this mean that FOR THE NEXT ONE YEAR all letters and documents written and dated according to the arab calendar will differ by one day between (the Hari Raya on the 4th folks" like) Saudi Arabia, the Naqsyabandi people and the Hari Raya on the 5th folks like Malaysia and other muslims around the world?

Because if the 1st of Syawwal differs by one day between Country A and Country B, then the entire calendar will also differ for that whole year. 

But in reality it does not. After Hari Raya, all the islamic calendars seem to magically fall in line. 

So can someone try to explain this?  

As a postcript the Chinese people have gone one up on this moon sighting. 
The Chinese calendar does not go out looking for the new crescent. 
The Chinese do not sight the new moon.

What the Chinese do is they calculate the last "night" of every month.  
Last "night" meaning the complete darkness when there is absolutely no moon visible in the sky.  

It then follows automatically that the next day is the 1st day of the new month. 

The Tamil calendar has the same calculation as well.  
The last night of the month (when it is completely dark without any moon) is called Amavasai in Tamil. 

It then follows that once you have determined the 'complete darkness of the last day of the month' the next day is automatically the 1st day of the new month.

No need to sight the new crescent.
Posted by Syed Akbar Ali 

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