Two Eids Again in North America

TUMS · January 6, 2006, 9:53pm

Re: Two Eids Again in North America

I find it entirely stupid to say that following Saudi Arabia makes sense and that "it is not a big deal" that we celebrate separate Eids. Do you realize that this means that in a city like Chicago, for example, two brothers, living in the same home, may celebrate different Eids. This doesn't bother you at all? How pathetic is this?

Kaka_MaNNa · January 6, 2006, 10:00pm

Re: Two Eids Again in North America

TUMS, stop acting like a Brailvi moulvi. No body is asking you to FOLLOW Saudi Arabia but their moon sighting. As faisal said, either you can go by their moon sighting or watch for moon in your own locality. If it makes people celebrate eid together by just following one standard and say "entirely" relying on concept of "ummah" than we can internationalize the eid celebration as well as moon sighting. If you go by sighting moon locally, then everyone will be celebrating their own eids and there will be no standard, no consistency and people like you will still be complaining because they fail to follow a standard or unified way because it involves Saudis, the bad baad baaad wahabis. Now, that is pathetic.

Faisal · January 6, 2006, 11:44pm

Re: Two Eids Again in North America

I am not sure who is addressed in this post, and whom are you calling "stupid" or "pathetic". As a rule, when a discussion falls into name-calling, its time to move on.

Just to clarify again, as I said before, it doesn't matter which country sights the moon first. If its Libya or Fiji or Japan or Hawa'ii, or whatever, once you get evidence from credible muslims that moon is sighted, there is a reasonable argument that you should follow it whereever you are in the world (time differences notwithstanding). Fact of the matter is that usually, not always, Saudis are the first ones to sight the moon. But thats besides the point. Any muslim in any part of the world can sight the moon and spread the word through internet etc.

Will it give rise to a universal muslim calendar? Not really. There are plenty of muslims, with a reasoned argument that moon should be sighted locally and thus muslim calendar can be varied between location to location.

Whichever way you follow, there will be instances that people in Demascus will celebrate Eid a day before those in Lahore or Makkah or New York... so be it. Why insist that they should be same or different. People follow the ruling that makes sense to them. Not necessarily what makes sense to TUMS. :)

TUMS · January 9, 2006, 2:38pm

Re: Two Eids Again in North America

Your approach really makes no sense. Just wait for a moon sighting anywhere in the world? Do you understand how the earth rotates and that the horizon is different for each area? Why not celebrate Friday at 1.30 Australian time, since it occurs there first? Since I’ve had a hard time understanding your position after three attempts (because your explanations further confound the issue and reveal more inconsistencies), I suggest you swallow your pride and not honor us with another response.

Faisal:

I am not sure who is addressed in this post, and whom are you calling “stupid” or “pathetic”. As a rule, when a discussion falls into name-calling, its time to move on.

Just to clarify again, as I said before, it doesn’t matter which country sights the moon first. If its Libya or Fiji or Japan or Hawa’ii, or whatever, once you get evidence from credible muslims that moon is sighted, there is a reasonable argument that you should follow it whereever you are in the world (time differences notwithstanding). Fact of the matter is that usually, not always, Saudis are the first ones to sight the moon. But thats besides the point. Any muslim in any part of the world can sight the moon and spread the word through internet etc.

Will it give rise to a universal muslim calendar? Not really. There are plenty of muslims, with a reasoned argument that moon should be sighted locally and thus muslim calendar can be varied between location to location.

Whichever way you follow, there will be instances that people in Demascus will celebrate Eid a day before those in Lahore or Makkah or New York… so be it. Why insist that they should be same or different. People follow the ruling that makes sense to them. Not necessarily what makes sense to TUMS.