The computation of the Muslim lunar calendar has been a subject of controversy for centuries. In the twentieth century, the debate surfaced again in different parts of the Muslim world. In Egypt, the distinguished jurist Aḥmad Shākir added his voice to the debate by writing a short treatise or risāla in which he argued that a calendar based on crescent sighting should be abandoned in favour of one based on scientific and astronomical computation. After providing some background information on Shākir and the lunar debate in Egypt and elsewhere in the Muslim world, I present an annotated translation of Shākir's treatise.
Islamic Law and Society provides a forum for research in the field of classical and modern Islamic law, in Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Celebrating its sixth birthday in 2000, Islamic Law and Society has already established itself as an invaluable resource for the subject both in the private collections of scholars and practitioners as well as in the major research libraries of the world. Islamic Law and Society encourages discussion on all branches of Islamic law, with a view to promoting an understanding of Islamic law, in both theory and practice, from its emergence until modern times and from juridical, historical and social-scientific perspectives.
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