Re: Ramadhan, Eid and Moon-sighting
A misguided group calling themselves Muslim and people influenced by them again started two Eids problem in Pakistan (NWFP) as they wanted to observe Eid with Saudi Arabia on Friday … even when moon-sighting was not possible anywhere in Pakistan on Thursday and Pakistan Ruet-e-Hilal committee correctly decided that Eid is going to happen on Saturday. Same is happening in UK where Eid is impossible on Friday but these people have forced Muslims to observe Eid on Friday … hence I am writing to tell what Hadith says regarding this issue.
Q: Is it allowed in Islam that Muslims should follow Moon-Sighting that was observed at far away places (like Saudi Arabia)?
A: No, it is not allowed.
Reason … Why?
According to Hadith … Chapter 5 ‘Sahi Muslim’ … well, read the hadith yourself:
http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/en…t.html#006.2391
Chapter 5: THERE IS A SIGHTING OF THE MOON FOR EVERY TOWN; THE SIGHTING AT ONE TOWN CANNOT BE HELD VALID FOR THE OTHER TOWN SITUATED AT A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE FROM IT
Sahi Muslim: Book 006, Number 2391:
Kuraib reported that Umm Fadl, daughter of Harith, sent him (Fadl, i. e. her son) to Mu’awiya in Syria. I (Fadl) arrived in Syria, and did the needful for her. It was there in Syria that the month of Ramadan commenced. I saw the new moon (of Ramadan) on Friday. I then came back to Medina at the end of the month. Abdullah b. 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) asked me (about the new moon of Ramadan) and said: When did you see it? I said.: We saw it on the night of Friday. He said: (Did) you see it yourself? -I said: Yes, and the people also saw it and they observed fast and Mu’awiya also observed fast, whereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we would continue to observe fast till we complete thirty (lasts) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal). I said: Is the sightidg of the moon by Mu’awiya not valid for you? He said: No; this is how the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) has commanded us. Yahya b. Yahya was in doubt (whether the word used in the narration by Kuraib) was Naktafi or Taktafi.
Above hadith shows that for Abdullah b Abbas, moon-sighting in Syria was not acceptable as Moon-sighting in Madina. Now do not think that moon-sighting in Syria was not acceptable to Abdullah b Abbas (RA) because Abdullah b Abbas thought that moon-sighted by Mu’awiya was not valid for him (as questioner asked him and mentioned in Hadith) … but it was because that is the right thing according to the teaching of Prophet (SAW) as mentioned by Abdullah b Abbas, that sighting has to be local. Various other hadith confirms that one should start and end fast either after sighting of the moon or after 30 days. There is no Hadith that says that moon-sighting should be after hearing of the news that moon is sighted at far away place.
Here are hadith from Bukhari and Muslim that clearly says that fast should start either after sighting of the moon or after 30 days of Shaban. Same is true for Ramadhan that it should end after sighting of moon or after 30 days. No where it says that to start and end fast after hearing the news of sighting from far-away place … validating hadith of Sahi Muslim: Book 006, Number 2391 … that moon-sighting to be followed for start of ‘Ramadhan’ or observing ‘Eids’ should be local sighting and not far away sightings.
Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 31, Number 131:
Narrated Abdullah bin Umar:
Allah’s Apostle said, “The month (can be) 29 nights (i.e. days), and do not fast till you see the moon, and if the sky is overcast, then complete Sha’ban as thirty days.”
Sahi Muslim: Book 006, Number 2380:
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Observe fast on sighting it (the new moon) and break it on sighting it. But if (due to clouds) the actual position of the month is concealed from you, you should then count thirty (days).
There is no excuse for those who ended Shaban earlier (one wrong), started Ramadhan fasting earlier (second wrong … that is started fasting from 29th or 30th of Shaban considering that as Ramadhan fast), then claiming that they have completed 30 days fasting of Ramadhan ending fast earlier before end of Ramadhan (third wrong), thus observing Eid earlier (fourth wrong).
Reason: If Muslims observe moon-sighting properly according to instructions in hadiths than they could end a month either on time or later but never earlier. That means, Muslims may start Ramadhan on time or later but no Muslim could start Ramadhan earlier. Same is true with Shawal, that is, if moon-sighting is observed according to instructions in hadith than Muslims may start Shawal on time or later but never earlier (hence observing Eid on time or later is possible but never earlier).
[Note: According to hadith, fasting on last days of Shaban is not allowed unless one is fasting on certain days and last days of Shaban fall on those days … for instance … one is fasting every Thursday and Friday … then if last days of Shaban falls on Thursday and Friday than fasting is allowed else not allowed. Thus, according to hadith, those who start fasting early, before Ramadhan started, disobeyed Prophet (SAW) on two accounts, that is started Ramadhan earlier and also fasted on last days of Shaban.
Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 31, Number 138:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, “None of you should fast a day or two before the month of Ramadan unless he has the habit of fasting (Nawafil) (and if his fasting coincides with that day) then he can fast that day.”]
How misguided group of people and those obsessed with them misguide Muslims?
This misguided group and people influenced by this group wrongly claim that this is present phenomenon that Muslims are starting Ramadhan and observing Eids on different days and that Muslims used to start Ramadhan and observe Eid on same day all over the world few hundred years ago … when fact is that Muslims never started Ramadhan nor observed Eids on same day in Muslim history … neither it was possible, as even hundred year ago communication was not even advanced enough to do what these people claim, as in those days people were usually unaware of what is happening even few hundred miles from where they were living, leave places located far away.
[Note … during the time or Prophet (SAW) and even later, news from places located far away was impossible anyhow … and that is confirmed from hadith Sahi Muslim: Book 006, Number 2391 too. For instance, Abdullah b Umar in Madina was told that Ramadhan started a day earlier in Syria and thus if one takes that day into account as valid starting day of Ramadhan in Madina too then even though moon was not sighted in Madina on 29th day of fasting in Madina, still Ramadhan had its 30 days so Madina could observe Eid next day … but Abdullah b Umar said that starting day of Ramadhan in Syria, however confirmed it maybe, was not starting day of Ramadhan in Madina, hence people in Madina have to complete fast for 30 days as Moon was not sighted in Madina on 29th of Ramadhan … thus in effect rejecting moon-sighting in Syria as valid moon-sighting for Madina.]
To justify their beliefs, these people quote hadith from Sunan Abu-Dawud (ignoring clear hadith mentioned in Sahi Muslim: Book 006, Number 2391), interpret hadith mentioned in Abu Dawud the way they like, and rely on that hadith exclusively … even though hadith in ‘Sahi Muslim’ is not only specific to this issue but crystal clear and conclusive … [Sahi Muslim is also considered more reliable than Sunan Abu-Dawud].
Many hadith from all hadith books are clear that moon should be sighted or 30 days to get completed … though this misguided group misinterpret ‘sighting’ with ‘sighting anywhere’ even though there is no hadith that says that one should rely on news about moon-sighting at anywhere (rather, hadith in Sahi Muslim rejects moon-sighting anywhere as acceptable).
Anyhow, the hadith these people quote from Abu Dawud is so inconclusive that one could not even use that hadith to reject hadith of Sahi Muslim … rather if one reads that hadith and interpret it properly, it becomes clear that the hadith does not reject or contradict anything regarding sighting of the moon locally (as mentioned in Sahi Muslim: Book 006, Number 2391). The hadith these people quote is:
Sunan abu Dawud: Book 3, Number 1153:
Narrated AbuUmayr ibn Anas:
AbuUmayr reported on the authority of some of his paternal uncles who were Companions of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him): Some men came riding to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and testified that they had sighted the new moon the previous day. He (the Holy Prophet), therefore, commanded the people to break the fast and to go out to their place of prayer in the morning.
Now read the hadith carefully … and think. Hadith does not say that people came from far away riding to Prophet (SAW) testifying that they sighted the moon previous day (meaning that next day after sighting is Eid). Hadith also does not say that people who came were from areas considered as local. Thus from hadith one can conclude anything … but concluding that they came from far away contradicts hadith mentioned in Sahi Muslim … though concluding that they came from local areas does not contradict hadith mentioned in Sahi Muslim … so, logical thing is that to conclude that they came from local area.
Since, evidence of moon-sighting by reliable people is acceptable, Prophet (SAW) accepted their evidence. Now, since they were from local area fast was declared invalid and Eid was observed. Only thing this hadith confirms is that, if valid acceptable evidence of moon sighting is found even on Eid day than people should break the fast and observe Eid … as that is obvious, because fast on Eid day is not allowed.
[Example: Consider city is Karachi. Communication is of Prophet (SAW) time. Due to lack of communication, people are following Eid using moon-sighting confirmation from immediate locality. People at Defence did not sighted Moon and thus started fasting. Next day, people from Clifton came riding to defence and told that they sighted Moon. Since Defence and Clifton is in close vicinity to each other, people of Defence are told that they should stop fasting and should celebrate Eid. Acceptable … and fulfils story what hadith in Sunan of Abu Dawud mentions … also fulfils conditions mentioned in Sahi Muslim: Book 006, Number 2391]