Editing Islamic calendar (section)

==Theological considerations==
If the Islamic calendar were prepared using astronomical calculations, Muslims throughout the Muslim world could use it to meet all their needs, the way they use the Gregorian calendar today. But, there are divergent views on whether it is licit to do so.<ref>Allal el Fassi : "Aljawab assahih wannass-hi al-khaliss 'an nazilati fas wama yata’allaqo bimabda-i acchouhouri al-islamiyati al-arabiyah", "[...] and the beginning of Islamic Arab months", report prepared at the request of King Hassan II of Morocco, Rabat, 1965 (36 p.), with no indication of editor.</ref>

A majority of theologians oppose the use of calculations (beyond the constraint that each month must be not less than 29 nor more than 30 days) on the grounds that the latter would not conform with Muhammad's recommendation to observe the new moon of Ramadan and Shawal in order to determine the beginning of these months.<ref>{{cite book|first=Muhammad Mutawalli |last= al-Shaârawi |title=Fiqh al-halal wal haram |editor=Ahmad Azzaâbi |location= Dar al-Qalam, Beyrouth |date=2000 |page=88}}</ref>{{efn|Some theologians also interpret ''Surah al-Baqarah'' 2:185 as requiring direct sighting, but they represent only a minority. The Quranic verse reads as follows : "The month of Ramadân in which was revealed the Qur'ân, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadân i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Saum (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe ''Saum'' (fasts) must be made up] from other days. God intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify God [i.e., to say ''Takbîr'' ("''Allāhu-Akbar''", [i.e.] "God is the Most Great") on seeing the crescent of the months of Ramadân and Shawwâl] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him."- {{Qref|2|185|b=yl|t=nq}}.}}

However, some [[Ulama|Islamic jurists]] see no contradiction between Muhammad's teachings and the use of calculations to determine the beginnings of lunar months.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.islamonline.net/Arabic/contemporary/2003/10/article03.shtml |author=Abderrahman al-Haj |title=لماذا الاختلاف حول الحساب الفلكي؟ |trans-title=Why the difference about the astronomical calculation? |language=ar |date=2003 |access-date=13 June 2008 |archive-date=30 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430021006/http://www.islamonline.net/arabic/contemporary/2003/10/article03.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> They consider that Muhammad's recommendation was adapted to the culture of the times, and should not be confused with the acts of worship.<ref>Allal el Fassi : "Aljawab assahih..." op. cit.</ref>{{efn|The dynasty of Fatimids in Egypt used a tabular pre-calculated calendar over a period of two centuries, between the 10th and 12th centuries, before a change of political regime reactivated the procedure of observation of the new moon.}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/calendar/islamic.html|title=The Islamic Calendar|access-date=13 June 2008|archive-date=26 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526130731/http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/calendar/islamic.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Thus the jurists [[Ahmad Muhammad Shakir]] and [[Yusuf al-Qaradawi]] both endorsed the use of calculations to determine the beginning of all months of the Islamic calendar, in 1939 and 2004 respectively.<ref>{{cite web 
|url=http://ahmadmuhammadshakir.blogspot.com/ 
|title=أوائل الشهور العربية .. هل يجوز شرعاً إثباتها 
|trans-title=The beginning of the Arab months..is it permissible according to Islamic law? 
|access-date=13 June 2008 
|archive-date=8 July 2011 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708022230/http://ahmadmuhammadshakir.blogspot.com/ 
|url-status=live 
}}</ref><ref>For a detailed discussion of Shakir's legal opinion on the subject, see "Issue N° 9" in [http://tabsir.net/?p=633#more-633 Khalid Chraibi: Issues in the Islamic Calendar, Tabsir.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006083025/http://tabsir.net/?p=633#more-633 |date=6 October 2008 }}</ref> So did the [[Fiqh Council of North America]] (FCNA) in 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fiqhcouncil.org/Default.aspx?tabid=55|title=Fiqh Council of North America Islamic lunar calendar|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516105409/http://www.fiqhcouncil.org/Default.aspx?tabid=55|archive-date=16 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icbwayland.org/include/CalculationsFiqhPosition.pdf|title=Zulfikar Ali Shah The astronomical calculations: a fiqhi discussion|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809032701/http://www.icbwayland.org/include/CalculationsFiqhPosition.pdf|archive-date=9 August 2008}}</ref> and the [[European Council for Fatwa and Research]] (ECFR) in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icbwayland.org/include/MoonsightingDecisionWeb.pdf|title=Islamic Center of Boston, Wayland|access-date=11 July 2008|archive-date=9 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809032655/http://www.icbwayland.org/include/MoonsightingDecisionWeb.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>For a detailed discussion of the issues and the FCNA and ECFR positions, see : [http://tabsir.net/?p=621#more-621 Khalid Chraibi: Can the Umm al Qura calendar serve as a global Islamic calendar? Tabsir.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206144650/http://tabsir.net/?p=621#more-621 |date=6 December 2008 }}</ref>

The major Muslim associations of France also announced in 2012 that they would henceforth use a calendar based on astronomical calculations, taking into account the criteria of the possibility of crescent sighting in any place on Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oumma.com/13434/ramadan-moubarak|last=Oumma|title=Le Conseil Français du Culte Musulman (CFCM): Ramadan moubarak!|date=19 July 2012|access-date=15 January 2019|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204916/http://oumma.com/13434/ramadan-moubarak|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://oummatv.tv/13306/sera-premier-jour-mois-de-ramadan|last=Nidhal Guessoum|title=Quel sera le premier jour du mois de Ramadan 2012? (On which date will Ramadan 2012 begin?)|date=5 July 2012|access-date=15 January 2019|archive-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928122502/http://oummatv.tv/13306/sera-premier-jour-mois-de-ramadan|url-status=live}}</ref> But, shortly after the official adoption of this rule by the [[French Council of the Muslim Faith]] (CFCM) in 2013, the new leadership of the association decided, on the eve of Ramadan 2013, to follow the Saudi announcement rather than to apply the rule just adopted. This resulted in a division of the Muslim community of France, with some members following the new rule, and others following the Saudi announcement.

Isma'ili-Taiyebi Bohras having the institution of ''[[Da'i al-Mutlaq|da'i al-mutlaq]]'' follow the tabular Islamic calendar (see section below) prepared on the basis of astronomical calculations from the days of [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid]] [[imam]]s.