As most of us are aware the Muslim Ummah is split into many groups and it is a great tragedy that Muslims are unable to get together even on the occasion of Eid. In the UK we have seen the most confusion where in the last few years we have seen Ramadhan and Eid being celebrated by different Mosques on different days. So which Mosques and Ulamaa (scholars) are guiding the Muslims correctly and what is the solution?
There are three main groups and opinions; 1.Those who ‘blindly’ follow Saudi Arabia, 2.Those who follow the concept of the birth of the new moon and 3.Those who follow the concept of the sighting/visibility of the new moon.
The correct method is by sighting the moon/crescent i.e. the visible new moon and this is practiced by the mass majority of Muslims all over the world and has been since 1400 years, from when The Prophet (Peace be upon him and his Family) himself established the new month in this way. The reason being is that Allah Ta’la commands the law to us in the Holy Qur’an:
“So he who from amongst you should witness the month should fast it” (Surah al-Baqarah, 185).The term witnessed is used meaning we must sight the moon.
The Islamic Law states if one person (two for Eid) sees the new moon then begin the new month. This is the Sunnah The Prophet left for us and we should not ignorantly jump to other methods.
Following Saudi Arabia
In the UK we have seen that some people follow the Saudi ‘Royal’ family and announce the beginning of Ramadhan and Eid according to them. Islamically this is incorrect for the most important reason that all the evidences clearly state we begin Ramadhan and Eid according to the sighting and visibility of the new moon, not Saudi Arabia. There is not one piece of evidence in the Qur’an or the Hadith or any Islamic book to say we must follow Saudi Arabia, not even in any book published or approved by The Saudi Government. If there is, where is it written?
This problem only exists in the UK and some other countries in Europe. All other Muslim countries do not follow Saudi Arabia but have their own independent moon sighting committees’ who announce Ramadhan and Eid. Are the rest of the World’s Ulamaa wrong and don’t they know how to start the month? Most of the confusion here is caused by those Ulamaa and Mosques who blindly follow Saudi Arabia for political and financial reasons such as Regent’s Park Mosque who some people regard as a central Mosque. There are also other small Mosques who follow Saudi Arabia no matter what the status of the moon, disregarding The Qur’an and The Hadith
We also ask such groups that say not even 1000 years, not even a 100 years, but say 50 years ago how did people all over the world know that Saudi Arabia have announced Eid, What have Muslims all over the world been doing since and have they been wrong for 1400 years?
There can be no greater humiliation for those Ulamaa than the Saudi scholars actually saying themselves not to follow them. When the Permanent Committee for Fataawa were asked that should we begin Ramadhan and Eid when Saudia Arabia do? They stated in their public fatwa (legal verdict) that we should not follow Saudi Arabia and that everyone should begin the new month by sighting the new moon in their country. (Fatawah Islamia, Vol. 2, p113). In the same fatwa they included a reference of their Shaykh-ul-Islam ‘Ibn Thaymiyyah’ stating we should do Eid according to our own country. You should ask those groups why do they follow the Saudi ‘monarchy’. What is the reason?
The Sky is not clear so it is not possible to see the moon with the naked eye.
Particularly in the UK, it is not usually possible to see the moon with the naked eye. The objective and the intention is to start the new month and have the most accurate Islamic calendar possible and the Ulamaa have decided that it is beneficial to use astronomical calculations from The Observatory. It is logic and common sense that Islam allows us to use science and Allah Ta’la says “The Sun and moon follow course exactly”; He also said, “So that you may know the count of years and calculations”. It may be difficult to comprehend today but it was a Muslim scientist named al-Beruni who actually found and started the first observatory. It is not just recently that Ulamaa have acknowledged the Observatory, but leading scholars from the older times such as Imam Sha’fi, Imam As-Subki, Imam Ibn-e-Daqeeq Al’eed and others acknowledged astronomical calculations on this matter. Another important note is that the Ulamaa have personally gone to the observatory’s themselves before making use of them and it is also confirmed that since in use their information has been correct. All Mosques across the UK rely on the observatory for prayer times so for anyone who objects we ask why do they use such calculations for their prayer times? As Muslims we must not remain blind from the knowledge and existence of science, mathematics and other uloom which Allah has given us. Instead we should be using this to prove the truth of our Religion and for the benefit of Muslims to establish the truth and justice, in the way Allah and His Rasool please.
In an authentic Hadith The Prophet (Pbuh) said that the month has either 29 or 30 days and told us this 1400 years ago without the use of any astronomical information or observatory and this is also a challenge to the world’s scientist or anyone who denies The Prophet (Pbuh) had such knowledge to prove even 28 or 31 days in an Islamic month. The Holy Prophet (Pbuh) said:
“And if you see it then fast, and if you see it then break your fast. And if the clouds block then complete the count of 30 days of Sha’baan” (Bukhari Shareef, Muslim Shareef and others)
Islam is a clear and simple religion and a simple method is just to complete 30 days without all the complications. There are those who baselessly argue that at least if the moon cannot be sighted we should follow Saudi Arabia. Why? and even the Saudi Ulemaa said the same in their fatwa; to complete 30 days and they included the same Hadith. (Fataawa Ramadhan - Volume 1, page 56.) Again there is no mention of following Saudi Arabia.
Following the Birth of the New Moon
Another misconception that is important to discuss is the difference between the new moon being born and the new moon being visible. When using astronomical data from the observatory we have seen some groups particularly in Birmingham follow the birth of the new moon, and they have linked with groups who follow Saudi Arabia who find this baseless argument go in their favour as their Eid is usually 1 day earlier. The birth and visibility are two very different factors because the new moon is not visible until its age is at least 20 hours and in many cases even 50 hours after birth (usually when the angle between moon-earth-sun is 12 degrees). When following the observatory we must follow the ‘possibility of visibility’, not the birth.
It is said in The Holy Qur’an “They ask you about the crescent, say these are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage (Surah al-Baqarah, 189) In the verse it does not say ‘Mahaaq’ (new born moon), but it says ‘Hilaal’ meaning that new moon which is visible. According to the Quran and the Hadith The Mosques should announce Ramadhan and Eid according to the possibility of visibility of the new moon. In the time of the Sihaba (RA), it is obvious they followed the moon which was visible and not that which was invisible for the basic reason it can not be seen and its initial birth is only told by observatories.
This year Eid-ul-Fitr should be celebrated on Friday 6th December, Insh’Allah. This is because The moon will not be visible anywhere in the world on Wednesday 4th December, the first moment the moon will be become visible is on Thursday 5th December. Also The Hadith based on completing 30 days, further proves Eid to be on Friday. All evidences show Eid to be on Friday and not on any other day. If the Saudi Government and its followers in The UK announce Eid to be celebrated on Thursday, this is totally unIslamic and is against the teachings of the Qur’an and the Hadith; according to the visibility of the moon and also the completing of 30 days, they have only completed 29 days. We ask such Ulamaa not to sell their Imaan to the Saudi’s and have some fear of Allah. They are supposed to follow the Shariah law and teach it, yet they are speaking totally against it. The Muslim community in the UK is requested to follow the right path, to save and protect their worship, and reject all non-Islamic formulas and decisions. When you ask why do those Ulamaa do all this when they know the law, all we can say is that one day they have to answer to Allah Ta’la.