The Biggest Group of Bid’atees
Ramadan Alert by Syed B. Soharwardy
Today when I visited Br. Khalid Shaukat’s website, moonsighting.com, I read two very contradicting statements on his website. The first statement was from FCNA and its sister organizations regarding start of Ramadan. Here is the statement;
“ According to Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) and Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), as well as European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), Ramadan 1431, begins on the evening of Tuesday August 10, 2010, so that the first day of fasting would be Wednesday, August 11, 2010.”
The second statement on the same website was purely a scientific perspective on the start of Ramadan. Here is the statement;
“Moonsighting for Ramadan 1431
The Astronomical New Moon is on August 10, 2010 (Tuesday) at 3:08 UT. On this day, this moon may not be seen in any continent. With difficulty it may be visible inSouth America. Only in Polynesian Islands on August 10, it will be easily visible. On August 11, it will be easy to see in New Zealand, Australia, South-East Asia, Africa and Americas, while it will be difficult to see in Northern Asia, Europe, and Canada. See the visibility map below: “
Then I read the Ahadeeth (sayings) of Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) and he commanded the following. I have copied several hadith for your knowledge. Here are some of those Ahadith;
Hazrat AbuHurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon Him) said: Whenever you sight the new moon (of the month of Ramadan) observe fast, and when you sight it (the new moon of Shawwal) break it, and if the sky is cloudy for you, then observe fast for thirty days. (Muslim Sharif, Hadith # 2378).
Hazrat AbuHurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon Him) said: Observe fast on sighting it (the new moon) and break (fast) on sighting it (the new moon), but if the sky is cloudy for you, then complete the number (of thirty) (Muslim Sharif, Hadith #2379)
Hazrat AbuHurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon Him) said: Observe fast on sighting it (the new moon) and break it on sighting it. But if (due to clouds) the actual position of the month is concealed from you, you should then count thirty (days). (Muslim Sharif, Hadith 2380)
Hazrat AbuHurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) made a mention of the new moon and (in this connection) said: Observe fast when you see it (the new moon) and break fast when you see it (the new moon of Shawwal), but when (the actual position of the month is) concealed from you (on account of cloudy sky), then count thirty days. (Muslim Sharif, Hadith # 2381)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
Kurayb said: Umm Fadl, daughter of Harith, sent him (Fadl, i.e. her son) to Mu’awiyah in Syria. I (Fadl) arrived in Syria, and did the needful for her. It was there in Syria that the month of Ramadan commenced. I saw the new moon (of Ramadan) on Friday. I then came back to Medina at the end of the month. Abdullah ibn Abbas asked me (about the new moon of Ramadan) and said: When did you see it? I said: We saw it on Friday night. He said: (Did) you see it yourself? I said: Yes, and the people also saw it so they observed fast and Mu’awiyah also observed fast. Thereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we shall continue to observe the fast until we complete thirty (fasts) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal). I said: Is the sighting of the moon by Mu’awiyah not valid for you? He said: No; this is how the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) has commanded us. (Muslim Sharif, Hadith # 2391)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates; Hakim ibn al-Araj reported: I went to Ibn Abbas and he was reclining using his mantle as a pillow near the fountain of Zamzam. I said to him: Tell me about fasting on Ashura. He said: When you see the new moon of Muharram then count the (days) and observe fast on the 9th. I said to him: Is it how the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) observed the fast? He said: Yes. (Muslim Sharif, Hadith # 2526)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, once mentioned Ramadan and said, “Do not begin the fast until you see the new moon, and do not break the fast (at the end of Ramadan) until you see it. If the new moon is obscured from you, then work out (when it should be).” (Al-Muwatta, Hadith #18.1.1 & 1.2)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, once mentioned Ramadan and said, “Do not start the fast or break it until you see the new moon. If the new moon is obscured from you, then complete a full thirty days.” (Al Muwatta, Hadith # 18.1.3).
Hazrat AbuUmayr ibn Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
AbuUmayr reported on the authority of some of his paternal uncles who were Companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon Him): Some men came riding to the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) and testified that they had sighted the new moon the previous day. He (the Holy Prophet), therefore, commanded the people to break the fast and to go out to their place of prayer in the morning. (Abu Dawood, Hadith #1153)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) said: The month consists of twenty-nine days, but do not fast till you sight it (the moon) and do not break your fast till you sight it. If the weather is cloudy, calculate it thirty days. When the twenty-ninth of Sha’ban came, Ibn Umar would send someone (who tried) to sight the moon for him. If it was sighted, then well and good; in case it was not sighted, and there was no cloud and dust before him (on the horizon), he would not keep fast the next day. If there appeared (on the horizon) before him cloud or dust, he would fast the following day. (Abu Dawood, Hadith #2312)
Hazrat Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin (May Allah be pleased with her) narrates;
The Apostle of Allah (Peace be upon Him) used to count the days in Sha’ban in a manner he did not count any other month; then he fasted when he sighted the new moon of Ramadan; but if the weather was cloudy he counted thirty days and then fasted. (Abu Dawood, Hadith # 2318)
Hazrat Hudhayfah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) said: Do not fast (for Ramadan) before the coming of the month until you sight the moon or complete the number (of thirty days); then fast until you sight the moon or complete the number (of thirty days). (Abu Dawood, Hadith # 2319).
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates
The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) said: Do not fast one day or two days just before Ramadan except in the case of a man who has been in the habit or observing a fast (on that day); and do not fast until you sight it (the moon). Then fast until you sight it. If a cloud appears on that day (i.e. 29th of Ramadan) then complete the number thirty (days) and then end the fasting: a month consists of twenty-nine days. (Abu Dawood, Hadith # 2320)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
Husayn ibn al-Harith al-Jadli from the tribe of Jadilah Qays said: The governor of Makkah delivered a speech and said: The Apostle of Allah (Peace be upon him) took a pledge from us that we should perform the rites of hajj after sighting the moon. If we do not sight it and two reliable persons bear witness, we should perform the rites of hajj on the basis of their witness. I then asked al-Husayn ibn al-Harith: Who was the governor of Makkah? He replied: I do not know. He then met me later on and told me: He was al-Harith ibn Hatib, brother of Muhammad ibn Hatib. The governor then said: There is among you a man who is more acquainted with Allah and His Apostle than I. He witnessed this from the Apostle of Allah (Peace be upon Him). He then pointed with his hand to a man. Al- Husayn said: I asked an old man beside me: Who is that man to whom the governor has alluded? He said: “This is Abdullah ibn Umar, and he spoke the truth. He was more acquainted with Allah than he. He (Abdullah ibn Umar) said: For this is what the Apostle of Allah (Peace be upon Him) commanded us (to do) (Abu Dawood, Hadith # 2331).
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
A bedouin came to the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) and said: I have sighted the moon. Al-Hasan added in his version: that is, of Ramadan. He asked: Do you testify that there is no god but Allah? He replied: Yes. He again asked: Do you testify that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah? He replied: Yes. and he testified that he had sighted the moon. He said: Bilal, announce to the people that they must fast tomorrow. (Abu Dawood, Hadith # 2333)
Hazrat Ikrimah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
Once the people doubted the appearance of the moon of Ramadan, and intended neither to offer the tarawih prayer nor to keep fast. A bedouin came from al-Harrah and testified that he had sighted the moon. He was brought to the Prophet (Peace be upon Him). He asked: Do you testify that there is no god but Allah, and that I am the Apostle of Allah? He said: Yes; and he testified that he had sighted the moon. He commanded Bilal who announced to the people to offer the tarawih prayer and to keep fast. (Abu Dawood, Hadith # 2334).
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
The people sighted the moon, so I informed the Apostle of Allah (Peace be upon Him) that I had sighted it. He fasted and commanded the people to fast. (Abu Dawood, Hadith # 2335)
Hazrat Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates;
When the Prophet of Allah (Peace be upon Him) saw the new moon, he said: “a new moon of good and right guidance; a new moon of good and right guidance; a new moon of good and right guidance. I believe in Him Who created you” three times. He would then say: “Praise be to Allah Who has made such and such a month to pass and has brought such and such a month.” (Abu Dawood, Hadith # 5073)
There are several other similar Ahadith from other books of Hadith clearly, consistently and emphatically describing the criteria of new moon in Islam for the start of a month. From the above mentioned Ahadith, it is very clear that the criterion is that the new moon MUST be mature enough to be visible.
Lets see the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) and its sister organizations’ criteria of starting Ramadan. Their criterion is the birth of the moon not the visibility of the new moon which is obviously goes against the criteria that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has given to Muslims. Moreover, it is not a question of using science in calculating the new moon. The biggest DECEPTION that Fiqh Council of North America and its sister organizations are giving to Muslims is that they are making the issue of moon sighting as the issue of science and technology. It is not the issue of science. We can and should use science and the technology in calculating the dates of new moon but we MUST not make our own criteria. We must use the criteria defined by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Science & technology can help in calculating a calendar for Islamic events and occasions. The FCNA calendar is scientific but very un-Islamic.
As you can see that the scientific statement posted on moonsighting.com reads;
The Astronomical New Moon is on August 10, 2010 (Tuesday) at 3:08 UT. On this day, this moon may not be seen in any continent. With difficulty it may be visible inSouth America. Only in Polynesian Islands on August 10, it will be easily visible. On August 11, it will be easy to see in New Zealand, Australia, South-East Asia, Africa and Americas, while it will be difficult to see in Northern Asia, Europe, and Canada. See the visibility map below: “
Why Fiqh Council of North America and its sister organizations do not take August 11 as the new moon evening, which science tells us will have a visible new moon? Science clearly says that on August 10, moon will be born but will not be visible but on August 11, moon will be visible.
The answer to above question is that Fiqh Council and its sister organizations have a very clear agenda, destroy Islam within. These organizations and their leaders are misguiding Muslims. They are infiltrating their own ideas and beliefs (called Bid’a) in Islam. They are the biggest Bidatee group in the world. We must know that Fiqh Council of North America and its sister organizations are pure sectarian organizations based upon WAHABEE / SALAFEE Beliefs.
Muslims Wake up. These Salafees and Wahabees have hijacked our religion. They are changing Islam as they wish. They have made Islam and Qur’an their personal property.
THEY ARE TRYING TO REPLACE OUR BELOVED PROPHET OF ALLAH, HAZRAT MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM) FROM ISLAM AND TAKE OVER HIS PLACE. (Aoozo-billah).
They want to change Islam just like the other people have changed their religions. These Wahabees and Salafees are undermining the honours of Rasool-ullah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam). Their agenda is exactly the same as Qadyanees. They do not like Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his progeny (May Allah be pleased with them) but they won’t say it clearly and openly. They create Bid’a and they propagate practices, which contradict with the basic honours and the status of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Islam.
Insha Allah, we will not let these hypocrites (Munafeqoon) succeed. They will be separated from the Ummah just like Qadyanees. They always ask proofs from Qur’an and Hadith about Mawlid al Sharif, Me’raj Sharif, Salutation on Prophet (peace be upon him) but when you present them the proofs from Qur’an and Hadith, they are the first who reject those proofs. I have quoted eighteen Hadith but the self-appointed scholars of FCNA and other Wahabee / Salafee organizations do not accept these Ahadith. If they accept, how could they practice and spread their Bid’a?
Ramadan Alert
The Muslims in N. America should start Ramadan on August 12, 12010, if they wish to follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
In the USA and Canada Ramadan Hilal will NOT be SEEN on Tuesday, August 10. Its age, lag between the sunset and the moonset, as well as its altitude on the western horizon is too low.
In the evening of August 11, the moon will be easily seen almost everywhere except northern regions of Canada.
ISNA date of August 11 for N. America follows Saudi/Egyptian date. They do not decide by the Hilal of Ramadan in North America or Saudi Arabia but because the moon sets 11 minutes after the sunset in Makkah on August 10.
A Hilal CANNOT BE SEEN in Makkah or Cairo on August 10.
http://www.islamicmoon.com/ and http://www.hilalsighting.org/
