Bismihi Ta`ala
EACH COUNTRY FOLLOWS ITS SUN AND MOON PLEASE.
Allah Taala has created the sun and the moon as a means for people of the world to know their respective times and dates. Allah Taala has made the sun as a means to know the time of salaahs. The moon as a means of lunar date. For both yard stick, the eye witness is the basis of the application of the time. For example, the sehri is determined when the eye see the whitish horizontal light of daybreak found at dawn on the dark horizon. The Qur-aan expressly exhort us to look at the horizon with the eyes: ‘’ And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night].’’(2:187)
So the Qur-aan tells us to use the eyes to know the time of Sehri. This is why that someone who do not know the established salaah schedule in a particular place or on a plane, then one should absolutely see for real, with the eyes, when the daybreak happens to start fast and when the sun has set to do iftaar(break the fast)
It is an agreed fact that without difference of opinion that each country has his own sunrise and sunset set as per their geographical locations. The salaah time schedule established in each country should be based on testimony rather than cosmic calculations.
Similarly, as each country has been following their own suns for their salaahs, they have been following their own moons for their Islamic months. And this has been happening from the time of the beloved prophet SAW. In fact the Qur-aan treats the sun and the moon on the same standards: ‘’It is He who made the sun a brilliant light and the moon a nur(light without glaring) and determined for it phases – that you may know the number of years and account [of time].’’(10:5)
One should note that the beloved prophet SAW has left us a sunnah and no one can understand better those sunnah than sahabas r.a. We should see from the sunnah, the practice of sahabas so as to get close to the right conclusion. First of all, we should note that the issue of different moon sightings has always existed throughout the Islamic empire. In fact its proof are found in the Holy Qur-aan and the sunnah of the beloved prophet SAW.
Allah Ta`ala has stated in the holy Qur-aan that there may be differences in moon sighting in the world. ‘’The one who comes to witness the month (of Ramadhaan), then he should fast.’’ (2:185) This verse not only refers to the residents of the region, but also to those who had travelled and returned home and found that Ramadhaan had started, then they should also fast. This is a clear proof that there may differences of moon sighting in the world. That is why a traveller who did not see it and enters in a place that saw it, should fast.
Nowadays, those who proceed for Umrah may have completed 30 days in Saudi Arabia, but if they return to their respective country which has not yet sighted the moon for Eid, then they should obligatorily fast also if ever Ramadhaan is still prevailing in their countries. And if they reach during the day, then they should not eat until sunset and then replace one fast later on(Shami).
The beloved prophet SAW said : “Keep fast when you see the moon and do Eid when you see next moon.”(Bukhari). So bare eyes are the yard stick for moon sighting.
Furthermore, there were also differences in moon sighting between Saudi Arabia and other countries during the times of sahabas (ra). It is reported on the authority of Muslim Shareef that it happened that Koureib was sent by Ummul Fadl, the mother of Abdullah bin Abbaas (r.a.), from Madinah to Syria for some work. There they had sighted the moon on Thursday night. They started fasting then. But when Kureib returned to Madinah at the end of Ramadhaan, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbaas (r.a.) asked him about his trip and the moon sighting. He answered that they had sighted it on Thursday night. Ibn Abbaas (r.a.) told him that in Madinah they had sighted it on Friday night. And they were going to complete 30 days accordingly. Kureib asked him whether they should not follow the moon sighting of Syria and Ameer Muawiyah (Chief of Muslims that time)? Abdullah bin Abbaas (r.a.) answered in the negative and told him that the prophet (SAW) had ordered them to follow their regions moon sighting and not to interfere with other sightings elsewhere in the world(Sahih Muslim).
عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ أَنَّ أُمَّ الْفَضْلِ بِنْتَ الْحَارِثِ بَعَثَتْهُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ بِالشَّامِ قَالَ فَقَدِمْتُ الشَّامَ فَقَضَيْتُ حَاجَتَهَا وَاسْتُهِلَّ عَلَيَّ رَمَضَانُ وَأَنَا بِالشَّامِ فَرَأَيْتُ الْهِلَالَ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ ثُمَّ قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فِي آخِرِ الشَّهْرِ فَسَأَلَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْهِلَالَ فَقَالَ مَتَى رَأَيْتُمْ الْهِلَالَ فَقُلْتُ رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْتَ رَأَيْتَهُ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ وَرَآهُ النَّاسُ وَصَامُوا وَصَامَ مُعَاوِيَةُ فَقَالَ لَكِنَّا رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ السَّبْتِ فَلَا نَزَالُ نَصُومُ حَتَّى نُكْمِلَ ثَلَاثِينَ أَوْ نَرَاهُ فَقُلْتُ أَوَ لَا تَكْتَفِي بِرُؤْيَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَصِيَامِهِ فَقَالَ
لَا هَكَذَا أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
مسلم
This hadith of Muslim Shareef does not represent the view of Ibn Abbaas (r.a.) alone. But it was the view of all sahabas (ra) present at that time. Because the celebration of Eid in Madinah was not the concern of only Ibn Abaas r.a., but rather the whole lot of sahabas present at that time. And no sahaba (ra) stood against the fatwa of Ibn Abbaas (r.a.). Hence there is Ijma` of the sahabas (ra) that our calendar should follow the moon sighting of our region. In that year, Syria had a different date for Eid from that of Madinah, although both countries were informed about their different sightings.
We should note that during the period of the Islamic empire, there were efficient and quick postal services that developed through horsemen that would relay each other about every 20 kms. They could relay messages for thousands of kilometres during one day. Yet no one came forward to establish the same Eid day as such for all countries of the empire.
Today we are witnessing a great progression in communication technology. We should bear in mind that the prophet (saw) ordered us not to be influenced by technology in moon sightings. Technology should not influence the established injunctions of our deen. The beloved prophet (SAW) said: “We are an illiterate people. We do not write and we do not count. The months are like this: 29 or 30 days (he indicated with his fingers).” (Bukhari)
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ ابْنَ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا
عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّا أُمَّةٌ أُمِّيَّةٌ لَا نَكْتُبُ وَلَا نَحْسُبُ الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا يَعْنِي مَرَّةً تِسْعَةً وَعِشْرِينَ وَمَرَّةً ثَلَاثِينَ
بخاري
We are called upon by the prophet (saw) to become the simplest of all people as regards the sighting of the moon. That is why we should not rely on telescopes or moon birth calculation in our moon sightings. But rather bare eye witnesses would be acceptable. Yes, one may accept the eye witness of someone who was nearby a few kilometres from that region, in the country side.
But the strongest argument on that issue is the hadith of Hazrat Ibn Abbas (r.a.) who told us that it was the order of the prophet that we should follow our own moon sighting and should not be influenced by other moon sightings of other countries. (Muslim). In fact, Ibn Abbaas (ra) did not want to impose Madinah`s sighting on the Syrian people. Neither did the capital of Islamic empire(that time Syria) wanted to impose on other regions. Note that Imaam Nawawi put the title as follows in Muslim Shareef:
بَاب بَيَانِ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ بَلَدٍ رُؤْيَتَهُمْ
The Chapter about that each country should follow his own moon sighting.
Furthermore, communication should not influence our religious injunction. A century ago, Muslims were all following their respective moon sightings. Today also, we should become ‘’the illiterate people’’ and follow the simple moon sighting of our own country. The more important fact is that, after the information of the sighting of the moon had come to the people of Madinah, they did not change their own sighting. We also should not change our local moon sighting.
This is the fatwa of all ulamas of sub Indian continent and arab countries.
In fact the first fatwas issued when Arab and non Arab ulamas got together was that each country should follow their own moon sighting:
هذا وينبغي الانتباه إلى أن اختلاف المطالع من المسائل التي حصل فيها الاختلاف بين أهل العلم، وقد درستها هيئة كبار العلماء في إحدى دوراتها السابقة واتخذت قرارا بالأكثرية مضمونه: أن الأرجح قول من قال: إن لكل بلد رؤيته وعليهم أن يرجعوا إلى علمائهم في ذلك ؛ عملا بما رواه مسلم في صحيحه من حديث كريب عن ابن عباس
مجموع فتاوى ابن باز
Note that even the Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Bin Baaz, has stated that each country should follow its own moon sighting.
وأن يعملوا بالرؤية أو بإكمال العدة كما بين ذلك رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في الأحاديث الصحيحة، وقد ذكر شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية في الفتاوى ج 25 ص 132 – 133 اتفاق العلماء على أنه لا يجوز الاعتماد على الحساب في إثبات الصوم والفطر ونحوهما. ونقل الحافظ في الفتح ج 4 ص 127 عن الباجي : إجماع السلف على عدم الاعتداد بالحساب وأن إجماعهم حجة على من بعدهم .
مجموع فتاوى ابن باز
And the Fatawa of Ibn Taimiyah clearly rejects the calculation theory of the moon. Hazrat Ibn Taimiyah categorises the calculation method as a bid`ah and misleading. It emphasizes the simple viewing of the moon as the original sunnah: “Keep fast (of Ramadhan) when you see the new moon, and celebrate your eid on your next sighting of the new moon.
”: وَلَا رَيْبَ أَنَّهُ ثَبَتَ بِالسُّنَّةِ الصَّحِيحَةِ وَاتِّفَاقِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ الِاعْتِمَادُ عَلَى حِسَابِ النُّجُومِ ، كَمَا ثَبَتَ عَنْهُ فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ : { إنَّا أُمَّةٌ أُمِّيَّةٌ لَا نَكْتُبُ ، وَلَا نَحْسُبُ ، صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ ، وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ } ” . وَالْمُعْتَمِدُ عَلَى الْحِسَابِ فِي الْهِلَالِ ، كَمَا أَنَّهُ ضَالٌّ فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ ، مُبْتَدِعٌ فِي الدِّينِ ، فَهُوَ مُخْطِئٌ فِي الْعَقْلِ وَعِلْمِ الْحِسَابِ
مجموع فتاوى ابن تيمية
So there is Ijma` of ulamas of all times that every country should follow their own moon sightings. As such, throughtout the world, there would be different days for Ramadhaan, Eid, lailatul qadr, 9th day of Zil Hijjah(Arafah), Ashoura(10th day of Muharram),etc. This is the established sunnah from the times of beloved prophet SAW. Technology in communication or travelling will not influence or change this sunnah.
Mufti Mackoojee