AsthemonthofRamadancommencessodoesthethornyissueofmoonsighting.

Althoughthe
Prophet(saaw)hasexplicitlymentionedthatweshouldstartandendthefastinginRamadanby

MoonSighting
physicallysightingthemoon,someMuslimorganizationswillcommenceandendtheirfastthrough
astronomicalcalculations.
Tosupporttheclaimofcalculationsthefollowingjustificationsaremade:
1.Themostimportantthingistheobjectiveandnotthemeans.Anillustrationisgivenwhenthe
Prophet(saaw)dugaditchtodefendMedinah,theobjectivewastodefendMedinahandnottodig
aditch.Inthecaseoffasting,theobjectiveisdeterminingthebeginningandendingofthelunar
month;whichcanbedeterminedbysightingthemoonorcalculations.Thusbothoptionsmaybe
usedtodeterminethelunarmonth.
2. Islam is flexible enough to use the benefit of modern technologies. The new environment
requiresanewfiqhorrules.Thispracticeofnewrulesisduetothechangeinenvironmentwhich
wasinitiatedbyImamShafii(ra)whenhemovedfromIraqtoEgypt.
3.Ifweadheretotheoldfatwas,especiallythosewhichpertaintothesightingofthemoon,wewill
becomestaticorancient.ThiswillleadtoregressionintheUmmah.Forexample,adoctorofthe
presentdayandageshouldnotuseIbnSina'sbookofmedicine.Byusingtheoldinformationthe
doctormayharmorkillthepatient.
Thesejustificationsareinvalidduetothefollowingreasons:
Argument#1
Regardingthefirstargument,thereisadifferencebetweenusingtechnologyandtheapplicationof
Shariah (Islamic law). The Shariah covers the relationship of Man with Allah (swt), Man to
Himself,andMantoMan,andstructurestherelationshipbetweentheMuslimUmmahandother
nations.Withthisdefinedframework,Islamhasallowedtheuseofnewtechnology.Inthecaseof
theditchitwasatechnicalissueandnotonerelatedtotheshariah.
However, in the case of Ibadat (worship) such as salah (praying), sawm (fasting), or hajj
(pilgrimage)theenvironmentdoesnotaffectthewayweperformtheseactsofIbadat.Islamhasnot
onlyorderedustofastorpray,buthasexplicitlyoutlinedthemethodologyofperformingthese
acts.Inthecaseoffasting,Islamhasshownushowtofast,whentofast,andalsohowtodetermine
the beginning andthe endingofRamadan. There is noroom foranymodification orchanges
whatsoeverintheserules.
Regardingthesightingofthemoon,UsulalFiqh(methodologyforextractingFiqh(rulings))must
beconsideredbecausetheissueofsightingthemoonisanissuerelatedtoFiqh(rulings).InUsulal
Fiqh,atermSababisapplied,whichisan"ifthen"clause.AnapplicationofSababisinSalatal
Maghrib.IftheissunsetoccursthenwearetopraytheSalatalMaghrib.Thus,theSababforSalat
alMaghribisthesunset.AccordinglythebeginningandtheendingofRamadanisdeterminedby
thesightingofthemoon.TheSababissightingthemoontoestablishthebeginningandendingof
Ramadan.Wecannotreplacethemoonsightingwithanothertechnique,becausetheSababfor
fastingisnotthebirthofthemoon,whichcanbedeterminedbyeithersightingorcalculation.The
Sababisthesightingofthemoonwithhumaneyeonly.
CalculationswereknownatthetimeoftheProphet(saaw)andhe(saaw)instructedushowtouseit
inrelationtofasting.Ifthemooncannotbesighted,thenwehavetocalculateitbycompleting

Shabanfor30daysandnotchooseanyotherdayasthebeginningofRamadan.TheProphet(saaw)
didnotleavethissubjectopen.
TheProphet(saaw)deliveredtheMessagecompletelyfromAllah(swt)theCreatorwhoisAll
Knowing.IfAllah(swt)wantedustouseastronomicalcalculations,He(swt)wouldhaveclearly
orderedittotheProphet(saaw).While,thisdidnothappen,thosewhoclaimotherwiseshould
bringaDaleel(evidence)fromtheQuranandSunnah.
Argument#2
TheflexibilityofIslamdoesnotimplythattheIslamicrulescanbechangedoraltered.Islamis
flexibleinthemeaningofproducinganysolutiontoanyproblem.Ifthereisaconflictbetween
Islamandtheenvironment;thentheenvironmenthastobechangednottheIslamicrules.
Imam Shafii (ra) did not change his Fiqh (rulings) to suit the environment. Conversely, the
environmentalchangedidnotinfluencehisFiqh.WhatImamShafii(ra)didwasthathechanged
hisUsulalFiqh(methodologyforextractingrulings)andthisresultedinadifferentFiqh.However,
hechangedhisUsulalFiqhbecausehelaterrealizedthathisoldUsulalFiqhwaswrong.This
reasonisvalidduetoImamShafii(ra)havingwrittenhisbookonUsulalFiqhtwice.Thefirstone
waswritten inIraqandthe secondoneinEgypt.Thischangewas notinfluenced bythenew
environmentbutbecauseherealizedthathisearlierUsulalFiqhwaserroneous.
Argument#3
Muslims are not bound by any book or understanding. What we are bound by is the Wah'y
(RevelationQuranandSunnah).IfwebelievethatAllah(swt)comprehendseverything,thenwe
cannotclaimthatsightingofthemoonisrigid.ToplaceIbnSina'sbooktotheQuranandSunnah
meansplacingIbnSinaonthesameplaneasAllah(swt)orQuranandSunnahonthesameplaneas
IbnSina'sbookofmedicine.SuchaclaimisamanifestcommissionofKufr.
Untilnow,humanitysupportsthemathematicalexpression1+1=2despitetherulebeingaveryold
one.Shouldwechangetheruleinordertobeflexible?Thecriteriaisnotwhethertheruleorideais
oldornewbutwhetheritisrightorwrong.
Inthepast,Muslimswerepioneersinastronomyandthisscienceisnotanewendeavorforthe
Muslims.Theyneverutilizedcalculationsasameansforsightingthemoon.Thereasonwasnot
ignorance, but rather the wahi'y (revelation) instructed us to use another method. All of these
argumentsareinvalidandcannotbepresentedexceptbythosewhoareoverwhelmedbyideas
whicharealientoIslam.Theonlywaytodeterminethebeginningandendingofeachlunarmonth
isbysightingthemoon.
IbnAbbas(ra)reportedthattheMuslimsdidnotbeginfastingbecausetheyhadnotseenthemoon.
UntilamancamefromoutsideofMedinaandtoldtheProphet(saaw)thathehasseenthemoon.
TheProphet(saaw)askedifhewasaMuslim?Themanansweredintheaffirmative.TheProphet
(saaw)thensaid,"AllahuAkbar"oneisenoughforMuslims.TheProphet(saaw)fastedandasked
thepeopletoquiteatingandstartfasting.(AlMabsutbyImamSarkhasi352)
TheProphet(saaw)statesregardingthefitanthat"theknotsofIslamwillbebrokenoneafter
another.Thisfirstknottobebrokenistheknotofruling;thelastistheknotofprayer."Theknotof
rulingwasbrokenin1924whentheKhilafahwasdemolished.Letusworkratherthanallowingthe
knotoffastingtobebrokenbythesepractices.
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