In his Friday Sermon of 10 May 2019~04 Ramadan 1440 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius spoke on the recurring controversies in the Muslim world surrounding issues of Moon-sighting on the occasions of announcing big events such as starting of Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr, creating confusion among the believers. The existential reality of the Muslims being found everywhere in the world also means that in the absence of unity under a widely-recognized central leadership, Islamic practice is bound to mutate with local communities differing on correct interpretation of theological questions. The 'trouble' now is the deepening sectarianism- that even within small/ provincial Muslim communities, there is lack of consensus- among the believers on issues like Moon-sighting ahead of sacred religious events. The recent round of debates in Pakistan on the issue- the annual controversy over the decisional accuracy of the Clerical committee- even led a Federal Minister in the Imran Khan administration to advocate the establishment of science-based lunar calendar to calculate the start of the Holy Month. 
Read the Friday Sermon Below:
The
month of Ramadan (is the month) in which the Quran was revealed, a
guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the
criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the
crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must fast
(observe the 'Saum' during) that month.
(Al-Baqara, 2: 186).
Alhamdulillah,
Summa Alhamdulillah,
Ramadan has once again greeted us with its arrays of blessings and
invites us to partake it all so that we may accede to the pleasure of
Allah.
In
the aftermath of a question which I received from one of my disciples
in Tamil Nadu, I would like to shed some light – for the entire
Muslim Ummah
– on the issue of moon sighting and fasting in the month of
Ramadan.
The
Qur’an, the blessed words and commandments of Allah, as well as
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) have called our attention to moon sighting for
the beginning of the fast of Ramadan, and the same applies when
breaking the last fast before the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.
Narrated
Ibn ‘Umar: I heard Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) saying, “When
you see the crescent (of the month of Ramadan), start fasting, and
when you see the crescent (of the month of Shawwal), stop fasting;
and if the sky is overcast (and you can’t see it) then regard the
month of Ramadan as of 30 days.”
(Bukhari, Muslim).
From
the Quranic verse and the Hadith which I have mentioned, it is very
clear that moon sighting is very important in Islam, especially as
the Islamic Calendar as approved by Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) is
based entirely on the moon (i.e. the sighting of the moon – the
Lunar Calendar).
And
by the grace of Allah, when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave his
guidance on those important subjects, he had in mind the unity of
Muslims in their individual countries.
Alas,
today we find the Ummah
of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) disunited, with each group making its own
decisions as to moon sighting or whether to follow such and such
country or even taking optical aids – more advanced ones, and the
more accessible ones such as binoculars or even the telescope to see
the moon.
Disunity
in the Ummah
has
brought about such disagreements, and Islam – The Quran and the
Sunnah – at any point of time – have not taught us this. For
everything to go on smoothly, there should be peace, harmony, unity,
consultation and one final decision as decided by a common leader for
all Muslims. That is why Allah sends His guidance and Messenger/
Khalifatullah (non law-bearing prophet) from time to time so that the
Muslim Ummah
keeps being united on all the tenets of Islam and implement them in
their daily lives.
But
the reality which we are living nowadays is different from what the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had bequeath to us – as legacy –
after his demise. Today, even in one same country, there are many
groups, and each group decides according to their own parameters when
to fast and when not to fast,
and thus in one same country, there can be different dates when
Ramadan begins and ends, and consequently there are different dates
when Shawwal and Eid-ul-Fitr begins.
It
is true that the seven continents of the world such as: Asia, Europe,
North America, South America, Australia (or Oceania), Africa and the
Antarctica are really vast territories and moon sighting may vary
from area to area, from one country to another. That is why, during
his lifetime, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) stressed on unity, and whenever
the moon was sighted for Ramadan or for any other month for that
matter, the whole congregation of Muslims in his area used to fast
together and break the fast at the same time.
But if other Muslims were found in another faraway place or in other
countries, they used to rely on moon sighting for their country and
act in unison accordingly.
With
the passage of time, with the world entering new modernized eras and
territories were clearly defined within those continents, therefore,
each state got their own government and freedom to manage the affairs
of the state; especially in respect to Islam and its principles and
application in their lives. But alas, still then, new groups in Islam
found the day, and day
by day the breach between them widened and no consultation were done
as one body of the Muslim Ummah
to take vital decisions for the betterment of the Muslims and
complying with the commandments of the Holy Quran.
That
is why, nowadays, there are many disputes which arise, especially in
a big country, for example, India or even Africa about whom to rely
on for true moon sighting to fast Ramadan and to break the fast of
Ramadan and welcome the first day of Shawwal, which is the
Eid-ul-Fitr.
While
it is true that compared to the era of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh), the findings of science and the study of the moon has become
more precise today, nevertheless what surpass every calculation about
moon phase and moon sighting for Ramadan is the actual sighting of
the moon with the naked eye – an actual sighting which is worth
more than any thousands of calculations. Allah knows the sight and
intention of His every servant, and testimonials
about moon sighting for Ramadan and for Shawwal, as well as the other
Islamic months is of key importance to constitute the Islamic
Calendar for the current year.
That
is why Allah and His Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) had given a
simple guideline for all Muslims so that they may be able to
constitute the Islamic calendar easily according to the sighting of
the new Hilal
(crescent) of every lunar month.
Seeing
all the confusions which has cropped up in Islam, I would like to
give you my dear disciples and the rest of the Ummah
some guidelines on this subject:
COUNTRYWISE
If
a country/ island is small, like Mauritius, and moon sighting is
fairly easy, then it is better that once the moon is sighted by the
naked eye (or, if need be – in major cases – by binoculars or
telescope to sight the Hilal
– i.e. the slight silver and luminous part of the new moon), by any
God-fearing Muslim (irrespective of Jamaat identity – for all are
Muslims) who takes the oath in the name of Allah and brings two
witnesses to confirm his report, therefore, the first of that new
Islamic month (which in Islam begins after sunset) is then confirmed.
STATEWISE/
DISTRICTWISE
In
vast territories and countries such as India, with the separation of
districts and states having been made, moon sighting can be done
within that distinctive state/ district.
For example, in Kerala when the moon has been sighted – and after
testifying to its sighting – to fast Ramadan, all Muslims in Kerala
should fast Ramadan. But the reality nowadays, I know, is far from
the ideal and from the wishes of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). For
the time being, if the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in
Kerala hears about the confirmed actual sighting of the moon and
people bearing witness to it in the name of Allah, then they should
fast Ramadan. The same applies for Tamil Nadu and for the rest of the
Indian states.
If
an extensive area (coastal region) which falls under a certain state,
for example, Tamil Nadu, but that place
is nearer
to Kerala than Tamil Nadu (for e.g. Kottar), or is found on the
border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu – i.e. two states (for e.g.
Kaliyakkavilai), then the Muslims, especially the members of the
Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam of that area/ place should fast Ramadan as
soon as they hear the first claim of moon sighting.
If
Kerala sighted the moon first, then they fast, or if Tamil Nadu
sighted the moon first, then they fast. But in respect to the members
of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, there
should be co-ordination so that everyone (in that locality) fast at
the same time and prays the Salat-ul-Eid
at the same time.
From
my personal experience, when I used to work on Rodrigues Island as a
missionary for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, as Rodrigues is a
dependency and district of Mauritius, despite being an entirely
separate island, but when I used to hear that the moon of Ramadan
and/ or Shawwal has been sighted in Mauritius, I used to fast and
break the fast accordingly. This is because Rodrigues belongs to
Mauritius. But when I used to work in Reunion Island, despite this
island being nearer to Mauritius than Rodrigues, but it did (and
still does) not rely on Mauritius to fast or break the fast of
Ramadan. Therefore my Eid celebrations in Reunion Island differed
from that of Mauritius.
It
is my humble prayer and wish that Insha-Allah,
in the future, Allah shall give the proper knowledge and enable our
Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam to have its own Hilal
Committee (in every country and/or state), and thus:
Moon
sighting by our members (at least three God-fearing persons – two
acting as witnesses to the one taking the oath for moon sighting) for
a State/ District or Country is to apply to all Sahih al Islam
members to begin the new Islamic month.
For
e.g., if a Sahih al Islam member of Tamil Nadu has sighted the moon
for Ramadan and brings two witnesses also to confirm the report and
bears witness to this in the name of Allah, then the WHOLE
Tamil Nadu State (all members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in
Tamil Nadu) should fast Ramadan and break the fast together and
celebrate Eid together (in their different areas). Those who live on
the border of two states should follow either one of the two states
which begins Ramadan first because, like I have pointed out many
times, an Islamic month CANNOT
be more than 30 days. Either 29 days or 30 days. Ramadan and any
other Islamic month cannot be 28 days or 31 days.
THE
IDEAL ISLAMIC SITUATION
In
my personal view, I wish and see it as necessary that the time dawns
when united, the Muslims as a whole and per country (whether a big or
small country) – for e.g. India, everybody in one country,
irrespective of boundaries/ states/ districts can follow one same
Islamic Calendar. Because it is one same country. Once the new moon
has been sighted by a God-fearing Muslim, and with the cooperation of
the Government of India, it can be then announced that a person or a
state has seen the new moon for the new Islamic month first, and thus
ALL
INDIA
(all states within India – Kerala, Tamil Nadu etc.) shall celebrate
Eid-ul-Fitr
and Eid-ul-Adha
at the same time. This is the IDEAL,
because it is not beautiful to see Muslims of one same country having
different moments when fasting or celebrating the two Eids,
because everything is based on the Islamic Calendar which is a Lunar
Calendar. And it is not beautiful to see that if a married couple do
not form part of one same Jamaat, that each has his/ her own days for
Ramadan fasting and Eid
celebrations. If united, India as a whole fast at the same time, this
would be ideal, and thus India will have its own unique Islamic
Calendar. Insha-Allah.
Therefore
there should be unity among the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al
Islam concerning fasting Ramadan and celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr.
That is why at the head of each state, there is an Amir so that he,
along with the members under his responsibility decide after moon
sighting to begin and to end a month according to the Sunnah.
EXCEPTIONS
If
in countries when it is virtually impossible to find the moon, in
those EXCEPTIONAL
CASES,
advanced optical aids can be used to determine the actual birth of
the moon, the probability of moon sighting, and its actual sighting
or if such countries do not want to make use of optical aids, they
can in this case rely on the valid reports of moon sighting (crescent
of the new moon of the new month of the Islamic calendar) of their
nearest neighbour state or country.
And
like I have said, all should be coordinated as one body of Islam,
Sahih al Islam to fast and break the fast and pray the Eid
Salat
in congregation. Insha-Allah,
it is my humble wish and prayer to see the whole Muslim Ummah
as one united Ummah
and that you acquire such a Taqwa
that remain in your hearts and those of your generations until the
Day of Judgement in the most righteous way, and that decisions be
taken without defying the laws of the Quran and Sunnah, but instead
taking the Quran and Sunnah as reference and to go according to them
with the blessings of Allah. Insha-Allah,
Ameen.
May
Allah bless all my disciples of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the
whole Ummah
of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and make us all unite as one true body of
Islam for the sake and pleasure of Allah. Insha-Allah.
RAMADAN
MUBARAK!