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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ibnanv" data-source="post: 11284275" data-attributes="member: 218596">"Question: There has been some  dispute in Amritsar etc. regarding sighting of moon for Ramdhan and Eid  ul fitr. So should we the residents of Mandla (CP), which is located  very far off, follow that sighting or not?   Answer: In the maslak of Hanafiyyah,  there is no consideration of Ikhtilaf al Matale' (difference in  sighting); the sighting of the people of east is binding upon the people of the west and vice versa. This is also demanded by the hadith (soomoo li ru iyatihi we aftaroo li ru iyatihi) "Fast when it is sighted and  stop fasting when it is sighted", because the address ‘soomoo' and  ‘aftaroo' is ‘aam (general) and for everyone. In conclusion, when  sighting is confirmed in whichever place, everyone is supposed to start  his fast and break it in accordance with it, i.e when the sighting is  confirmed." [Fatawa Dar ul Uloom Deoband, Vol 6 page 385 & 386, Urdu edition]   "Irrespective of how far the news of  sighting came from, it is to be relied upon. For instance if the people  of Burma did not sight the moon, and a person from Bombay testifies to  them of having sighted the moon; it will be incumbent upon the people of Burma to make up for the (first) fasting i.e. Qada'." [Mufti Kifayat ullah, Ta'leem ul Islam, vol. 4, section sighting of moon: Urdu edition]   "When the moon is sighted in one place it is not just for that region but for the entire world." [Maulana Amjad Ali, Bahar e Sharee'at, Vol 2 page 108, Urdu edition]   The founder of the Barlevi's said: "In the correct and authentic mazhab of our Imams, with regard to the  sighting of moon for Ramdhan and eid, distance of the place of sighting  is of no consideration. The sighting of the east is binding upon west  and vice versa i.e. the sighting of west is similarly binding on east." [Maulana Ahmad Raza Khan, Fatawa Rizwi; Vol 4 page 568, Urdu edition]   Using calculations   It is worth mentioning here that the  astronomical calculations used to determine in advance when the month of Ramadhan starts and ends do not serve as a substitute for the actual  sighting, for the texts mentioned the "sighting"; there is however no  harm in using the calculations to help determine the appropriate time to start monitoring the new moon. As for the governments who use these  calculations instead of the sighting, their actions contradict the clear texts, and therefore their actions are unlawful and the Muslims are  forbidden from relying on their announcements.   All the Ahadith connected to the sighting of the moon contain the word "ru'yatehe" which is derived from the word "ra'a". People who support the idea of calculating the birth of the  moon for Ramadan misuse the word "ra'a". While the word ra'a could mean  knowledge, it is not correct to apply this meaning here because of the  following reasons:   1. Ra'a, when referring to a single  object, means to visualize that object through the eye, i.e. he saw the  moon. However, if ra'a refers to two objects, it could mean to know,  i.e. he knew the correct opinion.   2. If ra'a is used in reference to a  tangible object, it means to visualize the object through the eye.  However, if it is used to present an idea or an abstract thing, then it  could mean knowledge. Thus, since the Ahadith refer to the moon, which  is a tangible object, ra'a here means to visualize sight.   Umar (ra) reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: (in translation): "We are ummiyah (unlettered) people, we neither write nor calculate. The  month is this way and that, sometimes 29 days and sometimes 30."   Those who calculate say that the command  in this Hadith, i.e. to sight the moon, is accompanied by a reason  (illah) which justifies the command. This justification being that the  Ummah was unlettered ("We neither write nor calculate"). The ruling in  terms of its validity goes only as far as its justification. If the  Ummah has emerged from its "unlettered state" and is able to write and  calculate, it becomes essential to rely on calculation alone. However,  this argument is incorrect due to the following:   1. The description of the Ummah in this  Hadith, "Ummiyah", does not imply an illah (legal reason). "Ummiyah"  could mean "Arab". [TMQ 62:2]. "We neither naktub (write) nor nahsib (calculate)..." "Nahsib" in the Hadith carries several meanings such as: we do not use  astronomical calculations to determine the legal Shari'i beginning and  end of the month; nor do we practice astrology, etc. "Nahsib" does not  mean general calculations because Muslims are commanded by the Shar'iah  to follow the laws of Zakah, inheritance etc. which do involve extensive calculations.   The claim that the Hadith describes the  condition of the Ummah at the time of the Prophet (saaw) is false.  Further, the claim that this condition serves as an illah is also  preposterous.   2. Further, even if this "condition" is  considered an illah (reason), Qiyas on this issue is invalid. Firstly,  there can be no Qiyas in Ibadaat (ritual worships). Secondly, it  contradicts the definite meaning in texts of the numerous Ahadith which  clearly illustrate that the "sabab" (cause) for fasting is the sighting  of the moon (like the setting of the sun is the sabab for maghrib  prayers).   Therefore, it is quite clear that the  arguments presented to "justify" the beginning of Ramadan through the  use of calculations are invalid and haram. The only way to determine the arrival of Ramadan is through sighting the moon.   In the Tafseer of Al-Qurtabi, Ibn Nafi'e (ra) reported that Imam Malik bin Anas (ra) said: "If you see an Imam who does not begin and end fasting by way of  sighting, but begins fasting by calculation, he should not be followed  in prayer or emulated." The renowned scholar Ibn Al'Arabi said,  "Some of our people erred when they reported that Imam Shaf'i relied on  calculations." Ibn Al-'Arabi commented, "The report is baseless and falsehood." [Tafseer Al-Qurtabi]   What about the majority?   Today some people argue that we must follow what the majority are practicing, they attempt to misquote Islamic texts about "Holding on to the Jama'a" and they misinterpret these to mean the ‘Jumhoor' ‘majority'. Islam has obliged sticking to the jama'ah of Muslims under an Imam (Khalifah) not to the majority.   Al-Bukhari narrated about Bisr ibn  Obaydellah al-Hadhrami that he heard Abu Idrees al-Khoolani say that he  heard Huthaifah ibn al-Yaman saying: "The people used to ask the Prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم about the good and I used to ask  him about the bad in fear that it might catch me. So I said: O Prophet  of Allah! We were in times of jahilliyah and mischief then Allah brought us this good, so is there any mischief after this good? He صلى الله  عليه وسلم said: Yes. I said: Will there be any good after that mischief? He said: Yes, and it has smoke. I said: What is its smoke? He said:  (Some) people guide without any guidance, you recognise some (from them) and deny some. I said: Will there be a mischief after that good? He  said: Yes, (some) people who invite at the doors of hell, whoever  accepted their invitation they throw him in it (hell). I said: O Prophet of Allah, describe them to us. He said: They are of our own skin (of  our people) and talk our language. I said: What do you order me to do if that (matter) caught me? He said: Adhere to the jama'ah of Muslims and  their Imam. I said: What if the Muslims have no jama'ah nor an Imam? He  said: Then you abandon all those groups, even if you have to grab with  your teeth the trunk of a tree till death comes to you as such."   This hadith is clear in its expression  that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم orders Muslims to adhere to the  jama'ah of Muslims and to adhere to their Imam, and to leave those who  invite people to the doors of hell. When the questioner asked him that  in case the Muslims have no Imam and no jama'ah what he has to do in  regard with those who call at the doors of hell, the Prophet صلى الله  عليه وسلم ordered him to abandon these groups, not to disassociate  himself from the Muslims nor to abstain from the action for establishing an Imam. So his order is clear, disassociate yourself from all those  groups, and he emphasised the dissociation of those groups even to the  extent that his isolation from them would make him clench to the trunk  of a tree until death comes to him. It means adhere to your deen by  staying away from the misleading callers who are at the doors of hell.  In this hadith there is no excuse or permission (for anybody) to abandon the work for establishing a Khaleefah, it is, rather, confined to the  command of adhering to the deen and abandoning the callers at the doors  of hell, and the sin will remain on him if he does not work to establish a Khaleefah. So he is ordered to abandon the misleading groups in order to save his deen from the callers of the misguidance, even if he had to clench to the trunk of a tree, but not to distance himself from the  Muslim community and abandon the work for establishing the laws of the  deen and establishing an Imam for Muslims.   The concept of following the majority  rather than following Islam is not based on evidence from the Quran and  Sunnah and contradicts many evidences about enjoining the good and  forbidding the evil even in the face of hardship, the Prophet صلى الله  عليه وسلم said: "The master of martyrs (sayyid al-shuhada) is  Hamza, and a man who stands up to a tyrant ruler and gives him nasiha  (advice). And so the ruler kills him"   The disease of Nationalism has affected us   Why is it people follow only the sighting in their nation, who has created the borders between these nations? The Kuffar. Why is it that in Delhi people will follow the sighting in any  other part of India but not of Pakistan when it is geographically closer than many parts within India itself like Kerala or Tamil Nadu. In  Pakistan people will not follow the sighting of Bangladesh but before  1971 when it was East Pakistan they would, why?   The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "He is not one of us who calls for ‘asabiyyah, (nationalism) or who fights for ‘asabiyyah or who dies for ‘asabiyyah." [Abu Dawud]   O Muslims! When you hear that a Muslim  country, any country, no matter how near or how far, declares that it  has been confirmed according to the lawful way that the new moon of  Ramadhan has been sighted, you must begin your fast, and you are  forbidden to wait for the ruler or the Mufti in your part of the world  to give you permission to fast, and when you hear that a Muslim country, no matter how near or how far, has declared that the sighting of the  moon of Shawwal has been confirmed, by relying on the method recognised  by Shari'ah, you must break your fast and celebrate the Eid, you are  forbidden from waiting for the ruler's or the Mufti's permission to  celebrate Eid. You fast and you break fast by the command of Allah  سبحانه وتعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, not by the command  of those disbelieving mischievous rulers, and not by the command of  those Muftis who are more anxious to please the rulers rather than to  please Allah سبحانه وتعالى. . Mu'az narrated: I said: O Messenger of  Allah. What do you think if we had leaders who do not follow your Sunnah and do not adopt your order; in what do you order regarding their  affair? The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: There is no  obedience to the one who does not obey Allah 'azza wa jall.'   Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah: that "The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade fasting on two days, the day of al-Adha and the day of al-Fitr".</blockquote>

Verification: Asuwa dahayen wadi kalama keeyada?

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