Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

[_Lahore_Ka_Cheetah]

*Start fasting when you see the moon and end fasting when you see the moon. If you cannot see the moon because of clouds complete 30 days. *

This Hadeeth has been transmitted in Sahih Bukhari. Moreover, it has been the criterion employed by the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago since its establishment 35 years ago. According to the principle enunciated above, the sighting of the moon anywhere in North America marks the beginning of the lunar month.

In the past, ISNA’s Fiqh Council has repeatedly changed their criteria. This year, they have decided to alter their standards yet again. According to the new standards, if the moon is born before noon Greenwich Time, ISNA will declare the next day to be the beginning of Ramadan; the same will apply to Eid-ul-Fitr. Based on this, they have decided that September 23, 2006 will be the start of Ramadan.

On the 30th of August, the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago, which comprises of learned scholars and jurists of Islam, held a meeting in this regard and concluded that the ISNA Fiqh Council’s decision was incorrect. In the past, the scholars of Fiqh have differed on whether the beginning of the month should start with the actual sighting of the moon or whether it should be based on mathematical calculations.

In all the Islamic libraries of the world, one will find only a handful of scholars in favor of using mathematical calculations to decide the beginning of the Islamic month. Over the last 1400 years of Islamic history, not a single instance exists wherein mathematical calculation (as opposed to the actual sighting of the moon) was used to determine the beginning of the Islamic month.

The Fiqh Council’s proposal to use the calculation method has been justified on the grounds of convenience. Yet earlier generations of Muslims have never considered convenience as sufficient justification for abandoning the Shari’ah, especially with regards to a matter as weighty as the month of Ramadan. Neither the contemporary American Muslim, nor any previous Muslims, have had any valid excuse for departing from the Shari’ah.

With this in mind, the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago declines to accept the decision made by ISNA Fiqh Council and appeals to all Muslims to do likewise, as their decision is clearly in conflict and violation of the Shari’ah,. Fasting (Sawm) is the fourth pillar of Islam, as per the tradition laid down by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S), and thus under the guidance of the Shari’ah, American Muslims should begin and end their worship during Ramadan by sighting the moon. Such is the best way of ensuring that such worship is accepted by Allah.

The dates of Ramadan and Eid must be determined on the basis of conventional moon sighting principles. It is this method which the Hilal Committee of Chicago has held fast to in the past and intends to continue to abide by in the future.

http://iieonline.org/chicagohilal/astronomical_calculations.htm

[SindSagar]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

@_Lahore_Ka_Cheetah

*Start fasting when you see the moon and end fasting when you see the moon. If you cannot see the moon because of clouds complete 30 days. *

This Hadeeth has been transmitted in Sahih Bukhari. Moreover, it has been the criterion employed by the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago since its establishment 35 years ago. According to the principle enunciated above, the sighting of the moon anywhere in North America marks the beginning of the lunar month.

In the past, ISNA’s Fiqh Council has repeatedly changed their criteria. This year, they have decided to alter their standards yet again. According to the new standards, if the moon is born before noon Greenwich Time, ISNA will declare the next day to be the beginning of Ramadan; the same will apply to Eid-ul-Fitr. Based on this, they have decided that September 23, 2006 will be the start of Ramadan.

On the 30th of August, the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago, which comprises of learned scholars and jurists of Islam, held a meeting in this regard and concluded that the ISNA Fiqh Council’s decision was incorrect. In the past, the scholars of Fiqh have differed on whether the beginning of the month should start with the actual sighting of the moon or whether it should be based on mathematical calculations.

In all the Islamic libraries of the world, one will find only a handful of scholars in favor of using mathematical calculations to decide the beginning of the Islamic month. Over the last 1400 years of Islamic history, not a single instance exists wherein mathematical calculation (as opposed to the actual sighting of the moon) was used to determine the beginning of the Islamic month.

The Fiqh Council’s proposal to use the calculation method has been justified on the grounds of convenience. Yet earlier generations of Muslims have never considered convenience as sufficient justification for abandoning the Shari’ah, especially with regards to a matter as weighty as the month of Ramadan. Neither the contemporary American Muslim, nor any previous Muslims, have had any valid excuse for departing from the Shari’ah.

With this in mind, the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago declines to accept the decision made by ISNA Fiqh Council and appeals to all Muslims to do likewise, as their decision is clearly in conflict and violation of the Shari’ah,. Fasting (Sawm) is the fourth pillar of Islam, as per the tradition laid down by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S), and thus under the guidance of the Shari’ah, American Muslims should begin and end their worship during Ramadan by sighting the moon. Such is the best way of ensuring that such worship is accepted by Allah.

The dates of Ramadan and Eid must be determined on the basis of conventional moon sighting principles. It is this method which the Hilal Committee of Chicago has held fast to in the past and intends to continue to abide by in the future.

http://iieonline.org/chicagohilal/astronomical_calculations.htm

***Ma Sha Allah I am glad they stuck to the right principals, and have decided after the Moon crescent was sighted in San Deigo Calif that tomorrow is Eid. Eid Mubarak to all… ***

[Crescent]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

Man that one mufti who passed that fatwa on basing calculations on solar calendars, is really gunna get it.

If the prophet pbuh himself abolished the lunar calendars (which were used before his time, in the times of the "jahilliyah", by thea rabs) then I dunno what drove him to write that fatwa.

Numerous however, have written against it.

[armughal]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

^ i thought the same months and calendar were used in jahiliya as we use now....

please tell us more about this....

[Crescent]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

The Arabs in the pre-Islamic period, during the prophetic epoch, and thereafter made both lunar and solar calendars. The Arabs were using a sometimes calculated and intercalated lunar calendar in the pre-Islamic period, until its abolition by the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who replaced it with a calendar based on actual sighting. Hence, I argue that, far from being an advancement, moving to a calculated lunar calendar is a reversion to pre-Islamic (jahili) custom. Similarly, I will show how the Jews also used a lunar calendar based on actual sighting until political developments forced its abandonment.

http://www.zaytuna.org/articleDetails.asp?articleID=100](http://www.zaytuna.org/articleDetails.asp?articleID=100)

Perhaps I misworded it, I meant to say the ‘method’ of developing the calendar.

[Y2K_Zaid]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

Moon was not sighted at all in North America on Sunday evening/night. Did any witness received about this? Except ISNA who is celebrating Eid on Monday (10/23/06)?

[shweetdreamz]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

I have a question. Why dont they get lunar cycle forecasts (for each region) from an Organization such as NASA (which is more likely to be accurate than a bunch of people standing on a rooftop trying to catch a glimpse of the moon)
Surely Organizations such as NASA can give you forecasts for the next 5 yrs of what day will Eid fall?

[ravage]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

for Gods sake atleast let people use a freaking telescope.

[ravage]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

this is an interesting perspective, combining logic and the sighting criterion

http://english.bayynat.org.lb/news/fitr23102006.htm

according to him it was on Monday for certain parts of the world because certain parts of Chile sighted the moon and if your in the part of the world which would share the night with chile (like lebanon) then its eid, because you’d have the same moon behind the cloud cover as visible in south america.

makes sense i think.

[ahmadjee]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

Ahh, its good to have a central leadership!

[ravage]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

heheh. so when is it for you?

[Captain1]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

From today I am throwing away my wrist-watch and will put a stick on ground to measure time for dhuhr, asr and take a peek outside every 5 minutes for maghrib, ishaa and fajr.

[_Lahore_Ka_Cheetah]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

@shweetdreamz

I have a question. Why dont they get lunar cycle forecasts (for each region) from an Organization such as NASA (which is more likely to be accurate than a bunch of people standing on a rooftop trying to catch a glimpse of the moon) Surely Organizations such as NASA can give you forecasts for the next 5 yrs of what day will Eid fall?

Why make it so hard upon yourself?

The hadith is very simple. If you see the moon physically, eid is next day. If you don't see it (i.e. if clouds are in the way), then Eid is not the next day.

[shweetdreamz]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

how is getting a 5 yr forecast from NASA making things hard upon ourselves? I think its better than sitting home waiting for your local maulana to declare the moon has been seen while confusion scattered everywhere because the maulana in the other village has not seen it.
plus there is the issue of fasting on eid being haraam. alot of people are celebrating eid today and alot of people are fasting.
^^ thats called confusion and it makes life hard.

[Captain1]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

@_Lahore_Ka_Cheetah

Why make it so hard upon yourself?

The hadith is very simple. If you see the moon physically, eid is next day. If you don't see it (i.e. if clouds are in the way), then Eid is not the next day.

Really? Is that so simple? I didn't know. For all I know, our local masjid declared that they will start Ramadan by moon-sighting and I checked with them till late night and the next morning I came to know that I missed my first fasting... very convenient, nay?

[Dushwari]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

[FONT=&quot]http://www.jas.org.jo/hilaal/

[cricketplaya]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

@Captain1

Really? Is that so simple? I didn't know. For all I know, our local masjid declared that they will start Ramadan by moon-sighting and I checked with them till late night and the next morning I came to know that I missed my first fasting... very convenient, nay?

Islam is simple. It's the people who make it complicated. Rather then complaining, why didn't you sacrifice your precious time and stay in the masjid?

[Captain1]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

^ how long do you stay in masjid? 1hr? 2 hr? 3hr? or until fajr? Moon does not stay visible for very long time on first day, so it should've been very easy to announce close to Ishaa time but people wait, wait and wait until someone comes with news they want to hear?

Islam is simple, we are not.

Its not complicated, but people make it. We were born when watches were adopted all over the world, and then our prayers schedules were prepared based on observed times later.

[ahmadjee]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

@ravage

heheh. so when is it for you?

Ravi Bhai, kal yani kay mangal ko hay.

[cricketplaya]

Re: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

@Captain1

^ how long do you stay in masjid? 1hr? 2 hr? 3hr? or until fajr? Moon does not stay visible for very long time on first day, so it should've been very easy to announce close to Ishaa time but people wait, wait and wait until someone comes with news they want to hear?

Islam is simple, we are not.

Its not complicated, but people make it. We were born when watches were adopted all over the world, and then our prayers schedules were prepared based on observed times later.

We found out about the moonsighting just before 12am. But it shouldn't be that late.. still we should try to follow our local masjids and not complain, afterall the people in the masjids sacrifice their sleep too.