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Showing posts with label Fasting/Ramadan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fasting/Ramadan. Show all posts

Friday, March 24, 2017

Breaking an oath and Kaffarah

1). one committed a bad act and then said “wAllahi I will never do that act again”. Then some time later broke the oath by doing the same bad act again.
2). Or one committed a bad act and then did tauba and made a promise to Allah ta`ala to never commit that bad act again by saying “O Allah, I will never … (naming the bad act), no matter how much I get tempted to” and then (being a weak slave of Allah) some time later did the same bad act again, hence breaking the promise with Allah `azza wa jall.
ANSWER
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
If one commits a sinful act and then repents from his sin and promises Allah Almighty never to commit the sin again without actually having taken an oath (yamin), then there will be no expiation (kaffara) for breaking the promise. He should repent once again to Allah, seek His forgiveness and make a firm intention to abstain from that sin.
However, if he took an oath that he will never commit the sin again, then firstly, it will be necessary upon him to keep this oath. Allah Most High states:
“Keep your oaths.” (Sura al-Ma’idah, 89)
Imam al-Mawsili (Allah have mercy on him) states in al-Ikhtiyar:
“Determined (mun’aqida) oaths are of various types:
1) Those that must be safeguarded, such as swearing an oath to carry out a obligatory (fard) act or abstain from a sin, for these acts are already binding upon a person, thus an oath only adds to its importance.
2) Those that must be broken, such as swearing an oath to commit a sin or leave out an obligatory act. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “Whosoever takes an oath to obey Allah, should carry out the oath and obey Him, and whosoever takes an oath to disobey Him, must not disobey Him.”
3) Those in which breaking the oath is better than keeping it (m, although both will be permissible), such as taking an oath to break ties with a fellow Muslim, etc. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give peace) said: “Whosoever takes an oath to do something and later on finds another thing, better than that, then he should do what is better and make expiation for (the dissolution of) the oath.”
4) Those in which keeping the oath and breaking it is both equal. Here, it is better to safeguard and keep the oath, for Allah Most High says: “Keep your oaths” meaning from breaking them.” (al-Ikhtiyar li Ta’lil al-Mukhtar, 2/276)
Therefore, if one swears an oath to abstain from a particular sin, then he must keep to that oath and must not break it. However, if one breaks his oath, expiation (kaffara) will be binding upon him.Allah Most High says:
“Allah will not call you to account for what is futile (lagw) in your oaths, but He will call you to account for your deliberate oaths.” (al-Ma’ida, 89)
The method of the expiation of an oath has been mentioned by Allah Most High in the following verse:
“For expiation, feed ten poor persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation (kaffara) for the oaths you have sworn.” (al-Ma’ida, 89)
In light of the above verse of the Qur’an, the following is the method of expiation (kaffara) for an oath that is broken:
1) If one wishes, then he may free a slave (of no relevance in our times), or, If one wishes, he may feed ten destitute people, morning and evening (or one poor person for ten days), or, if he wishes, he may clothe ten destitute people, (giving) each of them one garment or more, the minimum of (each) being that in which salah is valid. One may also give the equivalent of the above in money.
2) If one is not capable of any of these three things, one must fast three consecutive days. (See: Radd al-Muhtar, 3/62 & al-Ikhtiyar, 2/276)
And Allah Knows Best
[Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Leicester , UK
http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/7801

Qadha and Kaffarah of fasts

Answer 1

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa-birmingham/77162
Saaiduna Abu Huraira Radiallahu Anhu narrates that while we were sitting with the Prophet a man came and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I have been ruined.” Allah’s Apostle asked what was the matter with him. He replied “I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting.” Allah’s Apostle asked him, “Can you afford to free a slave?” He replied in the negative. Allah’s Apostle asked him, “Can you fast for two successive months?” He replied in the negative. The Prophet asked him, “Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?” He replied in the negative. The Prophet kept silent and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet. He asked, “Where is the questioner?” He replied, “I (am here).” The Prophet said (to him), “Take this (basket of dates) and give it in charity.” The man said, “Should I give it to a person poorer than I? By Allah; there is no family between its (i.e. Medina’s) two mountains who are poorer than I.” The Prophet smiled till his pre-molar teeth became visible and then said, ‘Feed your family with it.” (Sahih Bukhari p.259 v.1)
From the aforementioned hadith we can derive that if a person intentionally ate, drank or engaged in sexual intercourse during a fast in the month of Ramadhan, kaffarah will be obligatory. (Kitabul Fiqh p.906 v.1)
With regards to your first question, the ruling is that if the cause of breaking the fast is because of intentionally engaging in sexual intercourse then one is required to do a separate kaffarah for each breaking of the fast. However, if the cause is something else besides intentionally engaging in sexual intercourse then one kaffarah will be sufficient. (Ahsanul Fatawa p.444 v.4)

Answer 2

It is not necessary to keep the qadha fasts in order. One can keep it whenever he wishes. It is obligatory to keep a qadha fast for every single broken fast. (Ilmul Fiqh p.29 v.3)

Answer 3

Saaiduna Abu Hurairah Radiallahu Anhu narrates that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam forbade fasting on two days, the day of Fitr and the day of Adha.  (Muwatta Malik p.241)
Saaiduna Nubaisha al-Hudhali Radiallahu Anhu reports that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam saying, “The days of Tashriq are the days of eating and drinking.” (Sahih Muslim p.360 v.1)
It is not permissible to fast or to keep a qadha or kaffarah fast during these five days. They are the two days of Eid and the three days of Tashriq, which are the 11th, 12th and 13th of Zul Hijjah.
Only Allah Knows Best
Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa-birmingham/19351

Allah (SWA) says “…And for him who is unable to do so, he should feed sixty of destitute.” (Surah Mujadalah v.4)
The upshot of the verse is that a person who is unable to fast due to ill health or is too old to fast; he or she will be allowed to feed sixty destitute instead of fasting for sixty days consecutively.
Therefore, the conclusion we can come to is that it is not permissible for a healthy person to forgo the kaffarah of fasting and feed sixty destitute instead. (Fatawa Darul Uloom Deoband p.456 v.6)
Only Allah Knows Best
Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham.


http://islamqa.org/hanafi/seekersguidance-hanafi/32179
Answer: Bismi Llahir Rahmanir Rahimi
Only one expiation (kaffara) is owed for all the fasts vitiated in 2009 and 2010. If one purposely breaks a fast again in the future after performing the expiation, a new expiation is owed.  [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
The expiation is to fast sixty consecutive days in the year without any interruption. One must choose a time where one can fast these sixty days without the days of Eid or the three days after Eid al-Adha (al-Ayyam al-Tashriq) interrupting the fasts because of the prohibition of fasting on these days. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah] If one does not fast them consecutively, then one must restart the 60 day period each time the continuity of the fasts is broken. [Tahtawi, Hashiyya al-Tahtawi]
It is important to note that one does not have a choice between fasting sixty days and feeding sixty poor people. Rather, one is obliged to fast sixty days, unless one is genuinely unable to perform all of these fasts based on reasonable surety. Reasonable surety is known by: 1) manifest signs, 2) a relevant past experience, or 3) the notification of an upright, Muslim doctor/expert.
If one is genuinely unable to perform the sixty consecutive fasts based on reasonable surety, then one must either:
a) feed the same sixty, poor people to their fill for two meals, or
b) feed one poor person to his fill for two meals a day for sixty days, or
c) give sixty poor people half a sa’* of wheat (or similar food grains) or its monetary value, or
d) give sixty poor people a sa’* of dates (or similar food grains) or its monetary value, or
e) give one poor person either c or d for sixty days.
[Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah; Ala al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-Alaiyya; Shurunbulali Imdad al-Fattah]
*Half a sa’ is approximately 2 kilos (4.5 pounds). A full sa’ is approximately 4 kilos (9 pounds).
Barak Allah fikum
Naielah Ackbarali
Dhul Qa’dah 1 1431
October 9 2010
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani



http://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/80212
What if someone when he was young, but has reached puberty, did not take his deen seriously and broke around thirty fasts intentionally over the years or did not keep some fast intentionally?
Does that mean sixty days of consecutive fast for each broken or missed fast?
Answer



In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh. 
If a Muslim deliberately breaks his fast during Ramadan with no justifiable reason in Sharī῾āh, then he has to compensate by paying Kaffārah (expiation) for the sin.
The Kaffārah (expiation) for a broken fast, which is in addition to making up the fast for the missed day is sixty consecutive days. If the sixty days is interrupted without a legitimate Shar῾ī reason, then one has to recommence the sixty days.[1]
If one is unable to fast the sixty days for a legitimate Shar῾ī reason e.g., old age or a chronic illness that makes fasting very hard then the person can do one of the following:
  • Feed sixty poor people two full meals a day
  • Feed one poor person two meals a day for sixty days
  • Give sixty poor people 3.5lbs, or 1.6kgs of wheat, flour, fine flour or its value in cash or feed one poor person for sixty days.
  • Give sixty poor people 7.5lbs or 3.5kgs of dry dates, barley or its value in cash or feed one poor person for sixty days.[2]
All of this is based on one’s average consumption. The food should not be beyond one’s normal amount of consumed food, neither should it be extravagant or inferior.[3]
If a Muslim deliberately misses a fast during Ramadan, this results in compensating for the missed fast by fasting one day ONLY, no Kaffārah (expiation) will occur in this situation.
If more then one fast of Ramadan is broken by eating or drinking or copulating with the spouse, one will be required to compensate with one Kaffārah (expiation) by observing sixty consecutive fast and one qadhā῾.[4]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Zaid Mohammed Shelia,
Student Darul Iftaa
USA

Checked and Approved by,
MuftiEbrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/seekersguidance-hanafi/32491
Also since his wife was also fasting does the same ruling applies to her, even though she was tempted into it by her husband? What is the ruling for the husband for tempting her ?
Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health states.
The first step for both spouses is to make sincere repentance (tawba) and ask Allah for forgiveness, as that act was sinful. Yet the doors of forgiveness are always open, by His unending grace, particularly in this blessed month.
Repentance entails:
(a) Immediately ceasing the act,
(b) Feeling sincere remorse and regret,
(c) Making the firm resolution to never repeat the act. [Nawawi, Riyad al-Salihin]
For this particular sin, expiation must also be performed by both spouses, even if the act was initiated and insisted upon by the husband. He would have a greater sin, but both are responsible for the act itself, as each did so willingly. Expiation is to fast 60 consecutive days, without missing a single day. This must be done in a time without any of the days of Id/Tashriq (Shawwal 1, Dhul Hijja 10-13), since it is sinful to fast on any of those five days.
If one does not fast the 60 days consecutively, one would have to restart the 60 days.
The only exception to this ruling is for a woman in menstruation or post-natal bleeding. She would abstain from fasting on the days of menstruation/lochia, and then resume immediately upon becoming pure. If she delayed the fast after becoming pure, she would have to restart the 60 days.
Lastly, aside from the expiation, the day on which this happened would need to be made up, as the fast for that day was broken. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Tahtawi ala Maraqi al-Falah]
Please see this related answer:
And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani


http://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/12291
1. A person broke his fast intentionally by eating, or drinking or intercourse on one day or many days in one Ramadhaan, then only one Kaffaarah is Waajib.
2. If he broke his fast intentionally by eating or drinking in different Ramadhans, then too only one Kaffaarah is Waajib
3. If he broke his fast intentionally by sexual intercourse in different Ramadhaan, then for each Ramadhan, a separate Kaffaarah has to be made. ()Aalamgiri)
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai


http://seekershub.org/ans-blog/2011/12/21/the-expiation-kaffara-for-having-sex-while-fasting/
Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

Question: 1. I was involved in a sexual activity while fasting during ramadhan with a woman. After having sex i discontinued my fast. At that time i was not married. Please suggest me kaffara.
2. During one Ramadhan i had sex with my wife while fasting. This happened several times in that month. That time we were newly married. Sometimes i use to fast and some times i was not but my wife continued her fasting whole month. We use to sleep together after offering fajr prayer. It was me who initiated that act and we use to continue our fast even after having sex. Can you please let me know the kaffara for in the light of Quran and Sunnah for both of us.
Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health and states. May Allah reward you for your desire to repent and make amends, and grant you ease in doing so.
Tawba: Repentance
Regarding the first question, this was a very grave sin in Sharia. You must make sincere repentance for it: seek Allah’s forgiveness while feeling real remorse, cease doing this act (if you still do it), and resolve never to do it again.
Regarding the second question, again both you and your wife must make sincere repentance for these acts.
[Nawawi, Riyad al-Salihin]
Kaffara: Expiation
In terms of kaffara, you and your wife each owe one kaffara, which is to fast for 60 consecutive days, without missing a single day. This must be done in a time without any of the days of Id/Tashriq (Shawwal 1, Dhul Hijja 10-13), since it is sinful to fast on any of those five days.
If one does not fast the 60 days consecutively, one would have to restart the 60 days.
The only exception to this ruling is for a woman in menstruation or post-natal bleeding. She would abstain from fasting on the days of menstruation/lochia, and then resume immediately upon becoming pure. If she delayed the fast after becoming pure, she would have to restart the 60 days.
Makeups
In addition to the kaffara, each of you must calculate the number of days on which this occurred, and then make up that number. This is because intercourse while fasting does break the fast, so those days did not count even if you both continued to abstain from food/drink the rest of the day.
As opposed to the kaffara however, these makeups do not have to be made up consecutively.
Both of these rulings — kaffara and makeups — pertain to both you and your wife, even if it was you who initiated the act.
[Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Tahtawi ala Maraqi al-Falah]
And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/15789
Asalaamualaikum. I became Muslim just under 3 years ago (and just before ramadhan). I was told by a brother whom I believed to be reliable, that it did not matter if I broke my fast and that I simply had to make up the fast after ramadhan finished. On several occasions during my first ramadhan I weakened and deliberately broke my fast. I have already observed the qada fasts. Do I need to observe kaffarah?
Answer
In principle, one will be excused to break one?s fast if he/she suffers from such a sickness that he/she fears if he/she fasts, his/her illness will increase or he/she fears that he might get sick or will lose his/her life or a limb or suffer such hunger and thirst that he/she fears his/her life or losing his/her mind. (Aalamgiri vol.1 pg.207)
Hence, if your fast was not of the above nature, then Kaffaarah and Qadhaa will be necessary. However, we should bear in mind that the Kaffaarah is, a) Freeing a slave, b) Fasting for 2 consecutive months, and if one is unable to do so, then, c) Feeding 60 orphans 2 meals.
You should also remember that for all the fasts that have been broken by eating or drinking, only one Kaffaarah will be sufficient. You will not have to keep separate Kaffaarah for each broken fast.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai 
FATWA DEP


Please go through the following details about Kaffarah for multiple broken fasts
http://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/15789
http://www.askimam.org/public/question_detail/26655
http://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/12291
http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa-birmingham/77162
 According to these fatwas: 
If fast was broken due to intercourse, then a separate kaffarah will be required if this happened in separate Ramadans i.e. One kaffara for each Ramadan
If fast was broken due to eating/drinking, then one Kaffarah would be sufficient for all previous broken fasts, even in different Ramadans

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Moon sighting for Ramadan or Eid

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa-birmingham/19976
Moon sighting
The moon is the natural satellite orbiting the Earth. It revolves around the planet from west to east at a distance of 239,900 miles per hour. The moon is less than one-third the size of the earth. The moon rotates on its own axis and takes around 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes to orbit the earth. (Encyclopaedia Britannica p.299 v.8)
The moon has 8 phases. It begins with the new moon and progresses through to the crescent.
The Islamic calendar is based on lunar months, which begin when the thin crescent moon is actually sighted after sunset within a day or so after the New Moon.
The visibility of the lunar crescent is a great importance to Muslims as from this the Islamic calendar is based. The sighting of the moon depends on many factors. In the first two days after the new moon it appears very low in the sky, which makes it difficult to see it. Sometimes, due to the condition i.e. if it is not cloudy it becomes visible.
Normally it takes between 18-22 hours to see the moon with the naked eye. (Source Internet)
As I mentioned above, in Islam to sight the moon with the naked eye is important as this determines the Islamic months. This is even more important during the month of Ramadhan and Shawwal as this will determine when we start fasting and celebrate Eid respectively.
Therefore, I have written the procedure of sighting the moon for Ramadhan and Eid, according to the Hanafi school of thought.

Sighting the moon for Ramadhan

  1. If the sky is not clear, then the testimony of a righteous Muslim (Aadil) whether it is a man or a woman, free or a slave, will be sufficient to start the month of Ramadhan. (Hidayah P.215 v.1)
The reason why one testimony will be sufficient is that the testimony is not like any other Shariah rulings (known as shahadah), but it is a Khabar (an information). Therefore, to give Khaber of something does not require a fixed number of witnesses. (Badaai-Sanaai p.576 v.2)                                                                                                                                                           Also, it is stated in a hadith “Verily a man came to Rasullullah (saw) and said, I have seen the Hillal (new crescent moon). Rasullullah (saw) said, do you bear testimony that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammed (saw) is the messenger of Allah? He replied yes. Rasullullah (saw) said, O Billal give the news amongst the people so that they fast tomorrow.”
(Abu Dawud Shareef p.320 v.1)
  1. If the sky is clear and he alone sees the moon of Ramadhan, than he will begin the fast, even if the imam does not accept his testimony. (Hidayah p.256 v.1)
This ruling can be derived from the following hadith; “fast when you see the moon and do iftaar when you see the moon.” (Bukhari p.256 v.1)
3.If there is no such obstruction in seeing the moon, then a group (three or more) will have to witness it to establish the beginning of Ramadhan. (Hidayah p.215 v.1)
4. The people should look for the moon on the 29th of shabaan. If they see it then they should fast the following day. However, if they cannot see it then they should complete the thirty days of shabaan and fast the day after. (Hindayah p.216 v.1)

Sighting the moon for Eid

1.      If a person has seen the moon for Eid-Ul-Fitr i.e. Shawwal, then the person will not celebrate Eid by himself.
  1. If the sky is clear i.e. there is no such obstruction then the testimony of a group is necessary to celebrate the Eid the following day.
  2. If there is an ob struction in the sky, which limits the viewing of the moon, then only the testimony of two men or one man and to women will be accepted. (Hindayah p.216 v.1) (Bukhari p.256 v.1)
In the UK where the moon is difficult to see we therefore, take the news of sighting of the moon from another country, which is closest to us. This known as “Ikhtilaafi-Mataali”
Apart from Imam Shafee (ra) other schools of thought agree that if the moon cannot be sighted in one country due to some valid reasons, then it is permissible to follow information gained from another country. (Raddul-muhtar p.363 v.3)
Therefore when  “Ikhtilaafi-Mataali” is permissible, we have to follow the closest Islamic country to the UK.
Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham



There are several moonsighting committees here in .  Some have restricted their horizon (matla) only North America including Chicago hilal committee. Some have extended their horizon to South America including Hilal Committee of Toronto and vicinity.
Because of this different horizon principle, sometimes even the hilal committee’s decision differ from each other for the start of Islamic months, including start of Ramadan and 2 eids.
These moonsighting committees announce their decision on internet on their website.

In light of fatwa # 16178 under the title (Ruling for the people of other Communities or Countries),

·
         Can the trustees of a masjid make a decision on the announcement of these hilal committees via the internet as it is very difficult to contact these committees on phone or any other source.
In light of fatwa #16976
·         Can the trustees of a masjid follow the decision of any moonsighting committee if there is difference in their decision as all are reliable and all are trying to follow the sunnah way of moonsighting.




http://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/4263
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh 

1. As mentioned in the fatwās referred to in your query, ru’yat al-hilāl (moon-sighting) in one country is acceptable in another country if the sighting is relayed in one of the following four ways:
  1. Testimony of sighting
    1. If the sky is cloudy and/or not clear, then
                                                              i.      For Ramadān
1.      One righteous Muslim male or female testifies that he/she has sighted the moon
                                                            ii.      For ‘Īd
1.      Two male or one male and two female righteous Muslims testify that they have sighted the moon
    1. If the sky is clear, then a large group of people testify that they have all sighted the moon
  1. Testimony on [someone else’s] testimony
    1. For Ramadān
                                                              i.      One righteous person testifies that one righteous person testified to him that he/she has sighted the moon
    1. For ‘Īd
                                                              i.      Two male or one male and two female righteous persons testify that two male or one male and two female righteous Muslims have testified sighting the moon
  1. Testimony on the authority’s decision
    1. Two righteous persons testify that the Muslim authority in charge of moon-sighting has declared the start of the new month
  2. Widespread news
    1. Large groups of people coming from the country where the moon has been sighted inform that the people of that country have started the new month

The above four ways are the methods of actually declaring a moon-sighting.  A moon-sighting cannot be declared by just reading it on a website.  However, when the country’s hilāl committee declares a sighting based on the above four methods, then it is permissible to announce that decision through the use of the internet and other resources.  

It is not valid for a Masjid to visit the site of a hilāl committee of another country and announce the decision.  Instead, it should refer to the website of the local/national hilāl committee and announce its decision.

2. The trustees of the Masjid should follow only one moon-sighting committee in all of their decisions.  It is not correct to pick and choose decisions of different committees, in cases of disagreements between the committees, as this will lack consistency and could lead to problems, such as some months being shorter than twenty-nine (29) days or longer than thirty (30).  

Regardless of which moon-sighting committee or ruling (in terms of matla’) the Masjid follows, it should maintain consistency and follow that committee for the starting and ending of each month.  

(رد المحتار، كتاب الصوم: 2/385-391؛ سعيد)

(فتاوى رحيمية، كتاب الصوم: 7/215-218؛ الإشاعت)

(البحر الرائق، كتاب الصوم: 2/287؛ المعرفة)
And Allah knows best
Wassalamu Alaikum
Ml. Abrar Mirza,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah



http://seekershub.org/blog/2016/06/moon-sighting-wars/


“Local!” “Global!” “Sighting!” “Calculations” “Saudi!” “Pakistan!” Shaykh Sohail Hanif makes sense of the annual moon-sighting debates.

The blessed month of Ramadan is almost upon us. It is a month of contemplation, fasting, prayer and tranquility. But just as the tranquility of Paradise is “surrounded by disliked matters,”[1] Ramadan can only be arrived at after crossing the uncomfortable terrain of moonsighting debates. In this run up to the sacred month, otherwise ordinary words can acquire great rhetorical force: “Local!” “Global!” “Sighting!” “Calculations” “Saudi!” “Pakistan!” Each word is backed up by arguments, documents and video clips. But must these exchanges be inevitable, and is there a way out of this impasse? I believe there is if we read our classical heritage with some care.

It’s All Backed By Classical Scholarship

It is true that since the earliest times, scholars of Islamic law have disagreed over the correct method of declaring the beginning of the blessed month. There is a classical precedent for local sighting, global sighting, and even astronomical calculations. Thus, the disagreements that beset us at the beginning of the blessed month do have a basis in classical scholarship. However, there is something that we are missing as we churn out these classical positions: the missing point is process.

Process, Process, Process

Classical works of Islamic law provide details on how the new moon is to be established.
  • We are told by some classical jurists that if the sky is clear, a large number of people are required to have seen the moon. This is because the sighting of only a few people on a clear night is inherently suspicious since most onlookers did not see it.[2]
  • If the sky is overcast, then some jurists stipulated two witnesses for a valid sighting,[3] treating it as akin to establishing a fact in court, whilst others accepted a single witness,[4] treating it as a religious report.
In either case, they required that the individuals be morally upright. The question here is, who is it that will determine whether a group sighting is large enough on a clear night? Who is it that will decide whether a witness is upright or not? Who will determine the number of witnesses required on an overcast night? Each of these points has its own conditions that need to be verified by one who is both suitably trained and is vested with the authority to do so. This is the Muslim judge who has been placed in a position to declare the beginning of the month. Thus, the entry of Ramadan is established through a judicial process.

Waiting For Official Judgement

The commencement of Ramadan is not a private matter for individuals to declare. Individuals are only to raise their possible sightings to the appropriate authority who will then consider whether to accept or reject the sighting, and will consider which conditions to consider to declare the beginning of the month. This is why books of Islamic law discuss the case where an individual is sure that he/she saw the new moon, but was unable to convince the judge of this; should such a person fast? The commonly stated answer is that such a person does fast. However, this only applies to the person in question; everyone else is to await the official judgement on the matter.[5]
This is why, in Muslim countries, one rarely finds households divided over when they start fasting or celebrate Eid. In these countries, there is typically a governmentally appointed council that is vested with the authority to declare the beginning of the month. The man on the street need only turn on the radio or the television to know if the appointed council has declared the beginning of Ramadan. This is the process that works of sacred law attest to. The reason for this is clear. The communal purpose of Ramadan and Eid cannot be realised if a society is divided over when it starts and finishes the month. This process prevents that from happening.

What About Muslims Living As Minorities?

So what should people do in a minority context such as Britain? The answer is clear; the community must strive to appoint a representative council to declare the entry of the blessed month, which the community must then follow. This is not a new idea; there are many chapters of the law that attest to this. The Friday prayer is one example. Classical works of law imply that towns should, ideally, have only one Friday prayer service, so that the entire town comes together for a single congregation every week. This led to the question of who was to appoint the one imam to deliver the sermon and lead the town in prayer. If left to the people, each group and sect would vie endlessly to have its own group represented.
The answer, at least according to scholars of the Hanafi legal school, was that only the ruler, or the one appointed by the ruler, could choose the imam of this congregation.[6] The public had no authority to start their own Friday prayer. They could only choose to pray behind the appointed imam, or stay at home. In the minority context, scholars of the Hanafi school stated that where there is no Muslim ruler to make such a decision, the community itself must come together and appoint the imam.[7] In this case, no one individual can choose to lead the Friday prayer, only the one appointed by the community. This is effectively what happens in Mosques all over Britain. Mosques represent communities; members from the community run these mosques as representatives of the community, and they determine who leads the Friday prayer.
Shariah courts in Britain attempt to apply the same logic. Where there is no Muslim ruler to appoint judges to annul marriages in which women are abused, the Muslim community can come together to appoint a body to represent them in performing such a function. There is precedent to all of this in the works of Islamic law. The matter of Ramadan must be treated likewise.

Avoiding Sectarianism

Now, one might hear a voice stubbornly declare, “Okay, I’ll follow this appointed body as long as they follow local sightings!” Unfortunately, this is not how the process works. If the authority is vested in a judge, or a body acting as the judge, the prerogative is theirs to decide which method to use. The insistence of only observing the “correct” Ramadan is akin to insisting that only the “correct” Muslim enters one’s mosque; it is a thought process that is sectarian in nature and destructive in consequence. Unless the appointed judicial body totally violates and steps outside of what is considered acceptable opinion, it has to be followed. So where do we find this pool of acceptable opinion?
The world of Sunni Islam, the Muslim majority, ultimately settled on limiting the pool of acceptable opinion to the four established schools of law: the Hanafi, Shafi‘i, Maliki and Hanbali. This is not to say that great scholarship cannot exist outside of these schools. However, when it came to process, it was impossible to run a society with its need for clearly identifiable rules and procedures, if there was no clear way to limit and define acceptable legal opinion.[8] And as these four schools had matured to such a degree that it became increasingly hard to be recognised as one trained in law outside of the domain of these four schools, with their clearly defined hierarchy of rules, and great tradition of legal literature to draw upon, it made sense to only accept them as representing the law of God in the society of man. This Sunni paradigm ran Muslim societies for centuries, and it is of great use to us. It relieves us of having to force our own correct answer onto others. It is enough for an answer to be acceptable, after which we must strive for the right process in order to establish the will of God on earth.

Every Method Has A Basis In Sacred Law

If we look at the large corpus of legal works authored under the aegis of these four schools of law, we will find that every method currently followed, in Britain or elsewhere, has a basis in sacred law.
  • Relying on astronomical calculations, for example, is an opinion that a number of reputable scholars across legal schools have championed, with the strongest voices belonging to the Shafi‘i school.[9]
  • Global sighting, meaning following a sighting from a faraway land, has been upheld as the strongest opinion of the Hanafi and Hanbali schools, and, according to some, the Maliki school.[10]
  • Local sighting, meaning each locality following its own sightings, has been seen as the strongest opinion of the Shafi‘i school, and, according to some, the Maliki school.[11]
In truth, if a person looks through the corpus of legal works, he/she will see that the methods that were deemed acceptable were vast. As long as the judicial council vested with the authority to declare Ramadan follows any of these, then it must be followed. It is that simple.
So what to make of the long articles defending local sighting as the correct way to declare Ramadan, or global sighting, or other methods? These should all be seen as academic papers. These would be presented to such a judicial body to advise of the best method to follow. Otherwise, they are of little practical consequence because an individual cannot declare their own month.

The issue of moonsighting illustrates the wider purpose of the central devotional acts of Islam that make up its five pillars. Each of these upholds not only the faith of individuals, but the very community of faith to which these individuals belong. The detailed rules of the ritual prayer, fasting and zakat provide much guidance and clarity onhow a community of faith is to be formed, strengthened and spiritually nourished. If the community finds itself in discord and disarray, its members can only blame themselves for not having established these pillars as they were instructed.