Ramadan Kareem
On July 8th, 2013, the new moon was born at 7:14 UT. However, as of this writing, the hilal has not been observed anywhere in the world. According the both CrescentWatch.com and Moonsighting.com, it was not visible anywhere other than part of the Polynesian Islands. No one located in any of these islands has reported sighting the hilal. However, the new crescent will be visible widely on July 9th, 2013. Therefore, it is my humble opinion that fasting should begin on July 10th, 2013.
Sighting the New Moon for Beginning and Ending the Fast of Ramadan
1 Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that 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 calculate (when it should be)."
[cf Bukhari 1807]
2 Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Dinar from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The month has twenty-nine days in it. Do not start the fast or break it until you see the new moon. If the new moon is obscured from you, then calculate when it should be)."
[cf Bukhari 1807-1808]
3 Yahya related to me from Malik from Thawr ibn Zayd ad-Dili from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas that 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."
[In Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]
4 Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that once in the time of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan the new moon was seen in the afternoon but 'Uthman did not break his fast until evening had come and the sun had set.
Yahya said that he had heard Malik say that someone who sees the new moon of Ramadan when he is on his own should start the fast and not break it if he knows that that day is part of Ramadan.
The Translation of al-Muwatta' is by Ustadha Aisha Bewley (May Allah SWT reward her for her efforts).
These hadith make is clear that we are commanded by Rasulallah SAW to attempt to observe the hilal on the night of the 29th of the month, and if we do not observe it, then we are to assume that that month consists of 30 days. This is the manner for determining ALL Islamic months, not just Ramadan, Shawwal and Dhul-Hijjah.
Today, many argue we should adopt calculation as the method for determining the Islamic months. They state that sighting the hilal is not an act of ibadah, and that therefore, it is not necessary. They also state that sighting was initial required because the Arabs were an "unlettered" people and had no other way to tell the months. They also argue that the hadith above supports calculation because if the moon is not sighted then we should calculate 30 days for that month. Finally, they argue that sighting the moon is not a sabab for the fast of Ramadan. The sabab for the fast is the coming of the month. Sighting the hilal is only a means to tell if the month has come and is not a hukm at-taklifi (it is not a fard). Calculation could also be used to tell if the month of Ramadan is upon us.
Let us take a look at these arguments.
Many argue that the negative clause in the Ahadith “do not fast until you see the new Moon” is categorical in demanding that sighting and only sighting is the mean to ascertain the beginning of the month. According to Shaikh Maghraoui, “Most significantly, the text, “Do not fast until you sight the crescent…,” uses the strongest, most unequivocal language that sighting and only sighting is the means of ascertaining the beginning of the month.” (Fiqh Council of North America, http://www.fiqhcouncil.org/node/21).
The proponents of calculation counter by asking "why the Prophet (PBUH) would insist upon requiring the actual Moon sighting (as the condition for fasting) only on the 29th day’s evening and not on the 30th day’s evening? ... Had the physical moon sighting been intrinsically obligatory to start or end the month of Ramadan, it would have been required both on the 29th as well as 30th day of the month. A binding legal cause (sabab) of any act of worship cannot be established as a prerequisite exclusively for one day of the month and not for the other days. The cause and effect go hand in hand in all situations, as the encyclopedic jurist Imam Abu Isha’q al-Sha’tibi has stated.
ما أثبت سبباً، فهو سبب أبداً لا يرتفع...
“The established (legal) cause always remains the cause and never changes”." (Fiqh Council of North America, http://www.fiqhcouncil.org/node/21).
First of all, we agree that the sabab or cause of fasting during the month of Ramadan, is the coming of the month. Physical moon sighting is not the sabab. The hukm al-wadai is entering the month of Ramadan.
Therefore whoever of you who witnesses this month, should fast. (Al-Baqara 2:185)
The important word here is "witnesses" or "shahida." In this context, it means 'who ever from among you witnesses the month." However the following sentence gives more clarification.
But who is ill or on a journey shall fast to make up number of days later on. God intends your well-being, not your discomfort. He desires you to fast the whole month to glorify God and render thanks to Him for giving you His guidance. (Al-Baqara 2:185)
Because this sentence speaks of those traveling, we understand that "shahida" also refers to those who are present, at home, not traveling. So, the sentence is often translated as, "Therefore, whoever of you is present in this month, should fast."
At any rate, it is clear, that hukm al-wadai is the coming in of the month of Ramadan. So what is the significance of commanding us to look for the moon on the 29th? Clearly, Allah SWT is instructing us how to tell when Ramadan comes, and how to do so with certainty. And the wording of the hadith is such that one could reasonably assume that sighting the hilal is fard - not as a sabab of Ramadan, but as a means to determine that Ramadan has begun.
The Fiqh Council of North America has noted in its discussion of the hukm al-wadai that the sabab of dhur prayer is the coming in of its time - the specific time after noon. In the past, this time would have been determined by using sun dials and other such instruments. Some of these ancient sun dials are still as accurate as a quartz watch. (Just check the one at the Jantar Mantar Observatory Delhi). Today we use clocks; however, the sabab of dhur is not the big hand and little hand touching, but the actual position in the sky of the sun. The clock may give us a reasonable degree of certainty, but the most certain way of determining dhur is by going out and looking up. Only if the day is cloudy would the clock become a more certain means.
Same is true of telling if it is Ramadan. Calculations might lead to reasonable certainty on a cloudy day, but, if its not, then sighting would be far more certain.
Moreover, Allah SWT has already provided us a way to deal with cloudy days - count one more day and end the month on the 30th. Some seem to feel this justifies calculation. Does it really? It simply says, if you do see the hilal on the 29th, then fast the next day. If you do not, for what ever reason, then do not fast the next day, fast the day after instead. It is a big step to go from this simple logical process to using the kind of complex mathematical calculation necessary to determine the hilal in astronomical terms.
As for the argument that if moon sighting on the 29th is required for fasting the next day, then it should be required on the 30th for fasting on its next day, it is not necessary that this is so. First, we agree that the sabab of fasting is NOT sighting the moon, but the coming of the month. Second, all we need to know is when the month starts. All lunar months are either 29 or 30 days. So logic dictates that if you do not see the moon on the 29th, then the month must be of 30 days. Therefore, it is not necessary to sight the moon on the 30th.
Finally, the argument that the Arabs were "unlettered," so now that we are not, we can use calculation. This is not a strong argument. In fact, it is a dangerous Islamically. It opens the door to undermining any act of ibadah by saying we are not like the ones for whom that injunction was originally intended, so we do not have to do it that way. Some who call themselves Sufis do this when they say they have gnostic knowledge so they do not have to pray like those who do not.
Moreover, the Arabs were not that "unlettered" about astronomy. They were well aware of the time it takes for the moon to go around the earth. In the hadith from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Dinar from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, the Prophet SAW mentioned that the month is 29 days.
"The Moon appears to move completely around the celestial sphere once in about 27.3 days as observed from the Earth. This is called a sidereal month, and reflects the corresponding orbital period of 27.3 days The moon takes 29.5 days to return to the same point on the celestial sphere as referenced to the Sun because of the motion of the Earth around the Sun; this is called a synodic month." (Orbit and Phases of the Moon, http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time/moonorbit.html)
Therefore, in my opinion, the evidence from the sources supports the position that in order to determine if the month of Ramadan has arrived, it is fard to observe the hilal moon on the night of the 29th, and if for any reason, we do not see it, we should assume that the month of Sha'ban is of 30 days, and fast the day after the next day. This is in accordance with the position that the sabab of fasting during Ramadan is the beginning of the month of Ramadan, and that the beginning of the month is known by the fard means of determining it, which is observation of the hilal or lack thereof on the 29th of Sha'ban.
It is my opinion that calculation can be used to help us determine when the hilal might be observable, but it is not a valid means to determine if the month has arrived. No other means of determining the month is valid because the means, namely attempting to observe the hilal, is fard. It is a fard kifayyah, obligatory on the community, and if one person in a community attempts to observe the moon, then this fard will be fulfilled. (Here it is preferred to have one person in each region of the earth observe in order to fulfill this fard).
It is my opinion that observation of the hilal may be global, and this is preferred or mustahabb in order to inculcate unity. The month will begin the next day if the hilal is observed anywhere on the earth prior to midnight in the given location, otherwise, the month will begin the day after, if the hilal is not observed anywhere on earth prior to midnight in the given location. The reason for the cut off time of midnight, is that it is the end of the Ishaa period, and the beginning of the time for tahajjud. By using that as a cut off point, the people are sure to have sufficient time to pray tarawih, and to eat suhur, and to prepare for fasting the next day, if the hilal is sighted.
However, it is equally acceptable to observe locally within a matlaa' if every community in the matlaa' agrees to that method. A matlaa' is defined as an area or region wherein the people are reasonably expected to pray Eid prayers together. Either way, every community in a matlaa' should agree to minhaj, either global or local.
It should be noted that in determining the entrance of the month of Dhul Hijjah, it is preferred or mustahabb to use a global observation over Makkah. This is primarily because the timing of the Hajj depends on the coming in of the month over Makkah. In fact, it may be viewed as fard considering that the Qur'an states that Hajj is on the known days. (2:197) Since the Hajj occurs in and around Makkah, the timing must be determined there, and no where else.
Allah Ta'ala Alim
Benefits of Attempting to Observe the Hilal
Islamic days begin at maghrib, so the night of the 29th is the night BEFORE the day of the 29th - what in the West we would refer to as the night of the 28th. This fact points us to one of the most important benefits of Ruyyah or Attempting of Observe the Hilal. In an era when we are so disconnected from nature, the nature that Allah SWT created, we are in dire need of reminders of His ayaat. He has told us that the sun, moon and stars are among His ayaat in the universe, and that they enable us to be aware of His presence. They provide "proof" of His existence. So it is critical that we remember Him by observing His signs.
Observing the Hilal is one of the best ways for us to remember Allah and His creative power and dominion. We should make it an event for the whole family. Taking our children, going to a high place, telling them about the moon and stars and sky and reciting to them the ayaat of Surah al-Baqara regarding fasting (2:-183 et al), is a wonderful way to prepare for the blessed month, and for the happy day of Eid al-Fitr as well. In an age when they spend so much time interacting with man-made things, it is essential to remind them of their connection to Allah SWT and the greater universe He created.
I understand that we all of us would love to have unity and have all Muslims fasting and breaking the fast at the same time. Inshaa allah, if Allah SWT give us life, we will discuss the issue of unity in fasting in another post.
For now, the most important factor in a successful fast is our intention. If our intention is the Pleasure of Allah, then know that Allah SWT has said that fasting is for Him alone, and He alone rewards it. We hope that Allah SWT will reward us all for a successful fast of Ramadan.
Ramadan Mubarak!!!!
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