About
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuhu,
We would like to welcome you to the official website of the
Chicago Hilal (Moon Sighting) Committee. Over the past decade, there has been
much confusion amongst the Muslim community in regards to the beginning of
Islamic months and Islamic holidays – namely Ramadan and the two Eids – which
directly stems from misunderstandings about the moon sighting procedure. It is
by the immense blessing of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alaa) that He has provided a
solution to this country through the blessed words of His beloved (sallAllahu
alayhi wa salam) as he said, “The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets.”
Understanding the immense responsibility that this statement entails, the
scholars of Chicago have come forward to use their training in order to benefit
the society at large. With that in mind, the Chicago Hilal Committee was formed
under the auspices of renowned scholars as well as representatives from the
various mosques (masajid) to be able to carry out a responsibility
that has been inherited by the Muslim community – especially the scholars – from
the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa salam). This responsibility is to determine
the Islamic calendar through the sighting of the moon.
Wassalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa
Barakaatuhu,
The Chicago Hilal Team
11.08.2004
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alaa)
says in the Glorious Qur’an, “They ask you (O Muhammad [sallAllahu alayhi wa
salam]) about the moon. Say: ‘They are seasons fixed for mankind and for the
pilgrimage.'” The Prophet of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wa salam) has said, “Keep
fast after seeing it (the moon), and break fast after seeing it (the moon).”
The aforementioned verse (ayah) and tradition (hadith) are clear that months on
the Islamic calendar begin with the sighting of the new moon. The discussion
then arises in regards to whether or not a sighting of the moon marks the
beginning of the calendar month for that specific region or if it marks the
beginning of the calendar month for the entire world. According to Mufti
Ebrahim Desai,
“The Jurists (Fuqahaa) have differences of
opinion on whether Ikhtilaaf-e-Mataalih is considered (Mu'tabar) or not.
According to the Zaahir-e-Riwaayat (view considered for Fatwa), it is not
considered which means that one reliable sighting anywhere (not only Saudia
Arabia) in the world is valid. However, the problem in the sighting of the moon,
as [you] correctly stated that there are many errors in the sighting of the moon
in Saudi Arabia. If the errors are rectified and after Shahaadah of an
individual's sighting the moon, decision is taken in consultation with the
officials of the Hilaal Sighting Committee, then it will be valid for the entire
Muslim Ummah. Similar procedures must be put in place in other countries as
well, as the moon may be sighted elsewhere and not necessarily Saudia Arabia.
In view of the present discrepancies in moon sighting, the view that
Ikhtilaaf-e-Mataalih is considered may be adopted and each country should make
their own independent decisions. It is incorrect for the Muslims in North
America (especially the Arab brethren) to follow Saudia Arabia's ruling on
Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha due to the moonsighting being inconsistent with
Shari'ah laws of sighting the moon.”
It is often stated that in
the spirit of unity that there should be an agreement throughout the world on
the days of Ramadan, Hajj, and the two Eids. Mufti Taqi Usmani comments about
this topic in response to an article written about joining with Saudi Arabia in
celebration of our holidays on the same day for the sake of unity. He says:
1. "The
article has laid much emphasis on the concept of unity of the Muslim Ummah,
which no one can deny. At the same time, however, one must appreciate that unity
does not mean that the entire Muslim Ummah throughout the world should perform
their acts of worship at one and the same time, because it is physically not
possible. It is evident that when people in Saudi Arabia are performing their
Fajr prayers, those in North America may still have not completed their Isha
prayers of the previous day. Similarly, when Muslims in Los Angeles offer their
Fajr prayers, those in India and Pakistan are offering their Maghrib or Isha
prayer of the same day.
2. "If
it is made obligatory on all the Muslims in the world to offer their acts of
worship at one and the same time for the sake of unity, such unity can never
materialize (because of the time differences). It is, therefore, obvious that
offering one's acts of worship at different times do not affect the concept of
Muslim Unity.
"What does the Muslim unity mean?
"It means that all Muslims should treat each other with brotherly sympathy and
affection and should not spread disorder and dissention among them. Nor should
they invent new ideas foreign to the teachings of Quran and the Sunnah which may
lead to division and conflict among Muslims.
"It is also astonishing that the article views the celebration of Eid al-Adha on
different days as being against the concept of Ummah while in the matter of
celebration of Eid ai-Fitr, this concept is dispensed with. If the celebration
of Eid al-Fitr on different days does not affect the concept of unity, how can
it be said to harm unity in the case of Eid al-Adha.
3. "It
is true that Eid al-Adha falls immediately after the day of Arafat in Saudi
Arabia, but it is not necessary that the Muslims in every country should follow
the same dates in their respective areas. Hajj, no doubt, is tied with a
particular place but the celebration of Eid al-Adha is not confined to that
place alone. It is celebrated everywhere in the world and cannot be tied to the
Saudi calendar.
4. "The
article admits that the celebration of Eid al-Adha in other countries was never
linked with its celebration in Saudi Arabia throughout the past 14 centuries.
This, the author's claim was because of a lack of communication facilities. With
vastly improved communication today, they argued that everyone almost anywhere
can find out the day of Hajj, and should celebrate Eid al-Adha based on Saudi
calendar.
"There is a clear admission in this argument that it is not obligatory according
to Quran or the Sunnah to celebrate Eid al-Adha according to Saudi calendar. Had
this been so, Muslims would have tried their best to find the exact date of Hajj
in Saudi Arabia. It is not correct to say that it was not possible in those days
for people living outside Saudi Arabia to know the exact date of Hajj, because
this date is normally determined on the first night of Zul-Hijjah. There is a
nine day period until Eid, which is more than sufficient to acquire this
information. However, no jurists has ever stressed that such information be
collected in order to celebrate Eid al-Adha according to Saudi dates.
"Further, if the argument of the article is accepted and it is held that the
real intention of Quran and Sunnah was to link the celebration of Eid al-Adha
with the Saudi dates, as a mandatory provision for all Muslims in the world, it
means that the Shari'ah has stressed a principle which was not practical for
1300 years. It is not against the Quranic declaration that Allah does not make a
thing mandatory unless it is practical for the human beings.
"If the authors argue that the celebration of Eid al-Adha was not linked with
the dates in Makkah in the past but it has become a mandatory requirement of the
Shari'ah now, then the question arises, who has abrogated the previous principle
and on what basis? There is no provision in Quran or the Sunnah which orders the
Muslims to celebrate Eid al-Adha according to their local dates up to a
particular time and to link it with the dates in Makkah thereafter. Whoever
considers this and similar questions arising out of this unprecedented theory
advanced in the article can appreciate its fallacy."
Mufti Shah Muhammad
Nawal ur Rahman has stated that the hadith of which the Prophet (sallAllahu
alayhi wa salam) has mentioned about starting and stopping the fast upon
sighting of the moon is actually for the individual in a specific region and not
for the entire world. The dear Mufti has said that there have been instances
throughout our history where the pious predecessors in Mecca and Medina have
fasted on different days. Furthermore, he clears up a common misconception in
which he states that the new month comes with the sighting of the moon and not
the birth of the moon – which has often been claimed by those who are advocates
for the lunar month starting at the calculated timing of its birth – as the
scientific birth of the moon could not be calculated fourteen centuries ago.
Finally, Maulana Mohammed Abdullah
Saleem has also mentioned – specifically in regards to Eid ul Adha being based
upon a regional sighting, but in a manner which can be understood for all
Islamic calendar dates:
“Allamah Shaami writes that as far as the view that there are multiple horizons
for the world, this is a matter wherein there is no dispute; this is a matter
that cannot be denied. Allamah Shaami further writes that the only case where
there is room for dispute in regards to whether there are multiple horizons or a
universal horizon is in the case of Eid-ul-Fitr and the initiation of Ramadan.
Notice, that Eid-ul-Adha is not mentioned. Let us for the sake of future
discussion look at the different points of views regarding the horizon and
Ramadan/Eid-ul-Fitr.
"Shafite scholars and the Hanafite scholars Zay’li’ and Saahibul Faidh, are in
agreement that there is only one universal horizon for the world in the matter
of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr. However, the according to the more accepted Hanafite
view, in addition to Malaki and Hanabalite scholars, this is not a valid
conclusion i.e., there are multiple horizons in the matter of Ramadan and
Eid-ul-Fitr. This is based on a broader interpretation of the hadith-- begin
fast with the sighting of the moon and terminate the fast with the sighting of
the moon-- than that of the Shafite scholars, Imam Zayli’, and Saahibul Faidh,
all of whom take a more restrictive interpretation of the same hadith to support
their view. Allamah Shaami then writes in regards to Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha the
following: It is understood from the discussion in Kitab-ul-Hajj that the view
of multiple horizons is correct in the matter of Hajj. If it is known that the
crescent (of Dhul-Hijjah) was seen a day earlier in another town it will not
make anything obligatory on them (the people of the town who saw the moon a day
later) . Can this be said about the sacrifice of those not performing Hajj as
well? The reasoning is clear. Multiple horizons is adopted in the rulings of
fasting because of its being related to ‘sighting’; ‘sacrifice’ is contrary to
it. Apparently, the sacrifice is like the timings of the prayers. Every two has
to go by its own time. Therefore, it is valid for those who are sacrificing on
the third day according to their sighting even though it may be the fourth day
according to the sighting somewhere else.”
