[Sabertooth]

We'll see reports like this, perhaps even a bin Laden death announcement (unconfirmed by autopsy), all the way until Ramadan later this year. Then something unusual happens...

 
Eclipses during Ramadan
by David L. McNaughton
In "Hamdard Islamicus" (Karachi, Pakistan), vol. XIX no. 1 (Spring 1996): pp. 81-86.

Double Eclipses during Ramadan

Sometimes a Ramadan will contain a solar and a lunar eclipse. That inevitably provokes comment, because of traditions that such a "double-eclipse" is a portent for some unusual event. Ithna'asheri Shi'ites, for example, believe that their Twelfth Imam will reappear after a Ramadan double-eclipse (although those two phenomena will supposedly take place in reverse order, with the solar one occurring in mid-month (5); that will require the moon to suddenly double its speed of movement after the onset of the Holy Month!)

In March/April 1894 (Ramadan 1311), Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (founder of the Ahmadiyya or Qadiani movement in Pakistan) interpreted a double-eclipse as a sign that he was a genuine modern-day prophet (6). The lunar eclipse during that particular month was only partial, although the solar one two weeks later was total in a few places in eastern Asia (7). However, there was nothing at all extraordinary about those two eclipses: every 22 or 23 Islamic years there is at least one Ramadan featuring a pair of eclipses two weeks apart (8) - one of which is usually partial; see Table 1.

Very much rarer is a Ramadan containing two total eclipses.

Table 2 lists all such occasions since AH 1, as well as during the next 200 years (9); (its solar eclipses are all central, with annular ones also included).

It will be interesting to see whether the two total eclipses scheduled to occur during Ramadan 1424 (AD November 2003) - are cited to support a claim similar to that made by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, or as proof of thesignificance of some extraordinary event.

< -snip- >

Table 2

Ramadans with two central eclipses

LUNAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLAR

AH . . AD . . . . . . . . . . Date . . . Where visible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date . . .Where visible

.283 . .896 . . . . . . . ..29 Oct . . .Pacific & adjacent . . . . . . . . . . 12 Nov . Canada; Alaska;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(25 Oct) . . landmasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(8 Nov) . NE Pacific

.305 . .918 . . . . . . . . .5 Mar . . Eurasia; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mar . .Antarctic; south
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (28 Feb) .NE Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (15 Mar) . .Indian Ocean

.462 . 1070 . . . . . . . . .2 Jul . . .Pacific & adjacent . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Jul . . .Arctic; Siberia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(26 Jun) . .landmasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(10 Jul)

.529 . 1135 . . . . . . . . . 4 Jul . . .America; Pacific; . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Jul . . .Antarctic; far
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (27 Jun) . New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(12 Jul) . . .south Pacific

.596 . 1200 . . . . . . . . . 5 Jul . . . Pacific & adjacent . . . . . . . . . . *19 Jul . Siberia; Arctic;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (28 Jun) . .landmasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (12 Jul) . . NW Atlantic

1200 . 1786 . . . . . . . . .11 Jul . . . Pacific & adjacent . . . . . . . . . . 25 Jul . . South Africa &
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . landmasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . adjacent oceans

1424 .2003. . . . . . . . .9 Nov. . .Europe; SW Asia; . . . . . . . . . .23 Nov . Antarctic; south
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Africa; America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indian Ocean

1580 . 2155 . . . . . . . . .9 Mar . . Europe; Africa; . . . . . . . . . . . . .*2 Apr . .China; Russia;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kashmir; Mongolia;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .Afghanistan

Notes for Table 2

Central lunar eclipses are always total.

*The central solar eclipses listed above are total unless asterisked - in which case they are annular.

Dates apply to the instant of maximum eclipse.

Extrapolated Gregorian dates are given even on occasions when the old Julian calendar was in operation;
the corresponding Julian date is then shown below in brackets.

A Google search on ramadan mahdi eclipse yielded 133 results.

A Google search on ramadan mehdi eclipse (alternate "mahdi" spelling) yielded 58 results.

Related FR threads…

Imam Al-Mahdi... The Extension of the Imamate
			Posted by Sabertooth On 11/16/2001 1:13 PM PST with 40 comments Shianews.com ^ | October 31, 2001 | Walhamdo Lillahe Rabbil Aalameen In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful. Peace and Blessings be on our Master Muhammad, his progeny, and his chosen companions and all of Allah’s messengers. Allah says in His Glorious Book: "Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O Members of the Household, and cleanse you with a through cleansing". One of those Members and one of the Infallible Imams is Imam Al-Mahdi whom Allah has prepared to fill the earth with justice, by means of Islam, having been filled with oppression, falsehood and unbelief. We celebrate the birth of this Imam who ...
BLACK FLAGS of Islam -- Portents of the Imam al-Mahdi?
			Posted by Sabertooth On 10/28/2001 3:58 PM PST with 137 comments Various | 10/28/2001 | Sabertooth, others      Black Flags of Islam   Portents of the Imam al-Mahdi, the Moslems' prophesied deliverer of Jerusalem? from Diane Alden… Afghanistan has special significance to the world of militant Islam. It was once called Khurasan, along with parts of Iran and Pakistan. Muhammad said: "If you see the black flags coming from Khurasan, join that army, even if you have to crawl over ice, for that is the army of the Imam al-Mahdi and no one can stop that army until it reaches Jerusalem." That is one reason Osama bin Laden chose it as his base, or al-Qaida. Mohammed's ...
Mohammed's Prophecies of the Imam Mahdi
			Posted by Sabertooth On 10/25/2001 10:49 AM PDT with 67 comments 10 - 25 - 2001 | Sabertooth I'm looking for information concerning Mohammed's Prophecies of the Imam Mahdi. Particularly where they might shed light on Osama bin Laden's strategies behind the Terror attacks of 9/11. Specific quotes and sources appreciated.

[Grampa Dave]

Look in the Sky!

Its a double OBL!

No, it is just a double eclipse!

[harpseal]

With Osama supposedly dead(no autopsy or body found then his reappearing after a double total eclipse some I am certain would presume he was raised from the dead to lead the Jihad.

[Once-Ler]

It is possible Al-Quada might try to orchestrate an attack because of the celestial signs. I see evidence that the date 9-11 was chosen for symbolic reasons and not just practical reasons of strategic timing.

There are so many significant dates in history...so many possible permutations of numbers...and so many strange coincidences in life that the astrological signifigance of Ramadan leaves me underwhelmed.

I found myself getting caught up in the Y2K scare, and I remember promises of Armegedon because 1999 contains the number 666 upsidedown. Right now I don't think America is very vulnerable to Al-Quada attack. Al-Quada is very weak and disorganized, no more powerful than the PLO. The stars may say the time is right for action, but the followers are not filled with the spirit.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks for your post. I'll be happy when Osama is dead and I can see the evidence, hehehe.