Moon Sighting

Local Sighting Verses Global Sighting of the Moon
Is Local Moon Sighting Closer to THE Sunnah?
(Revisiting the Issue)

In March 1999, due to being disgruntled with the local leadership, my wife and I decided to move from following Local (or Regional) Sighting to following Global Sighting. Incidentally, in that year the moon for Ramadhan was sighted in Yemen; we started to fast with Yemen on Wednesday, 8th December, 1999. No other Gulf state, or any other state that I know of, started with Yemen. With Global Sighting I mean following any country or locality that sees the moon first, not necessarily following Saudi Arabia (exclusively) as other people do. Such people are not truly Globalists, rather they are Saudists.

We are all aware of the big change this year that Saudi Arabia made for the Day of Arafah when the whole world was taken by surprise after thinking that Arafah will be on 20th January, 2005. I believe two people came forward a day or two after the 29th day of Dhul-Qaadah and testified that they in fact saw the new moon on the 29th. So Saudi Arabia changed the day of Arafah to 19th January, 2005. When it comes to the Day of Arafah, there is very little that the rest of us can do; this is a day when the rest of us fast while those performing Hajj spend it standing in worship while asking for forgiveness and mercy from Allah, on the plains of Arafah (most likely THE most important act or ritual of Hajj). But even with fasting on the Day of Arafah there is a technicality in that not everybody may be able to fast on that day even if we want to do it, symbolically, in the name of unity. While I bring this example as a hypothetical scenario, it may well have happened in the past, and it may possibly happen in the future. Let’s say, Jordanians see the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah on the 29th of Dhul-Qaadah. The Islamic Council of Jordan announces that the next day is the 1st day of Dhul-Hijjah. Let’s say, Saudi Arabia does not see the moon on that day, and they do not accept the information from Jordan (as what happened with Yemen in 1999 for the beginning of Ramadhan); instead they complete 30 days of Dhul-Qaadah and their 1st day of Dhul-Hijjah is one day AFTER Jordan. On the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah it is the Day of Arafah in Saudi Arabia, while in Jordan it is in fact the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah already. Should Jordanians celebrate Eid-ul-Adha on that day or should they fast for Arafah? Will it not be Haraam for Jordanians to fast on Eid Day?

Anyway, I am not suggesting that there was any wrong doing on the part of Saudi Arabia when they changed the date this year, however, it made me do some soul and theological searching. This brought me back to the same hadeeth which we looked so very closely in 1999, but at the time, due to our biases of wanting to move to Global Sighting we may have ignored what appears to be a very clear message that appears to be contained in this hadeeth:

Kuraib reported that Umm Fadl, daughter of Harith, sent him (Fadl, i. e. her son) to Mu'awiya in Syria [ash-Sham]. 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 b. 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) asked me (about the new moon of Ramadan) and said: When did you see it? I said.: We saw it on the night of Friday. He said: (Did) you see it yourself? -I said: Yes, and the people also saw it and they observed fast and Mu'awiya also observed fast, whereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we would continue to observe fast till we complete thirty (lasts) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal). I said: Is the sighting of the moon by Mu'awiya not valid for you? He said: No; this is how the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) has commanded us. Yahya b. Yahya was in doubt (whether the word used in the narration by Kuraib) was Naktafi or Taktafi. [Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Chapter CDIX, Number 2391]

The hadeeth appears to send a very clear message, i.e., Ibn Abbas (RA) refused to change the date of ending the month of Ramadhan in Madinah, based on information that he received from Damascus. Not only did he refuse, he justified that his refusal was based on the commandment from the Messenger of Allah (SAW). If following “Global” sighting was acceptable, according to Shariah and the teachings of the Prophet (SAW), wasn’t this a great opportunity for Ibn Abbas to put it into practise having received confirmation that they, i.e., the people of Madinah (under his leadership) had in fact started to fast one day late? If there is in fact, a hidden message in this hadeeth which ordinary Muslims are unaware of, then we would be delighted to hear an explanation from a scholar. However, so far the one learned individual (who is a prolific writer of English Islamic books) whom I have read his position on Global Sighting, it is by all accounts based on the general hadeeth which talks about "Fast when you see the crescent. If it is obscured to you, then complete thirty days of Sha'baan. And break your fast when you see the crescent. If it is obscured to you then fast thirty days." Incidentally this particular hadeeth, which appears to be a general command was brought to our attention by Ibn Abbas (RA) too among other companions. Basically, what I am trying to say is that when Ibn Abbas refused the information on the sighting from ash-Sham (Syria), under the leadership of Mu’awiya (RA), it is quite unlikely that he was not aware of this other hadeeth which says:

Abu'l-Bakhtari reported: We saw the new moon of Ramadan as we were at Dhit-i-'Irq. We sent a man to Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them) to ask him (whether the sighting of a small moon had something of the nature of defect in it). Upon this Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them) said that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: Verily Allah deferred its sight, but if (the new moon) is hidden from you, then, complete its number (thirty). [Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Chapter CDX, Number 2393]

On the other hand, we cannot use Astronomical calculations as are being used by some individuals (like an uncle of mine who has now passed away; may Allah rest him in peace), or organizations like the Islamic Society of North America (who sometimes consult Muslim Astronomers to get approximate dates). This is something that the Prophet (SAW) addressed in no uncertain terms. The subject of Astronomy is a very old one that pre-dates the advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is said, Astronomy is the most ancient of the sciences. So I am almost certain that during the Prophet's time we had some Astronomers. But here is what he said regarding astronomy or calculating the dates using such knowledge:

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The Prophet said, "We are an illiterate nation; we neither write, nor know accounts. The month is like this and this, i.e. sometimes of 29 days and sometimes of thirty days." [sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Chapter 13, Number 137]

By all accounts, it appears that the Prophet (SAW) was talking specifically about moon sighting when he referred to this Ummah as "illiterate." Most likely, meaning, do not get into complications of astronomy, accounting, calculation, or other sciences in this matter - it is so simple - you see the moon on the 29th, then start a new month; if you don't then complete 30 days and start the new month. It is a very simple but yet great advice and command. While majority of people agree with not using the Science of Astronomy, unfortunately the same people probably get into other forms of science and technology – for example, while living in Canada, one tries so hard to find out from a Live Satellite television whether Saudi Arabia has begun fasting or not; or logging to the Internet and checking to see if there is any information if the people of Australia have begun Ramadhan or not; or sending an SMS text message to a cousin in South Africa to know if they have seen the new moon there; or telephoning your aunt in Abu Dhabi, etc. It seems that all the advice that the Prophet (SAW) gave us on this issue when he said that we are an “Illiterate Ummah,” is thrown out of the window! Instead, we are almost saying, “well, we are a Literate Ummah and we can prove that by finding out whether the other part of the world has seen the moon or not, instantaneously, using modern day communication gadgets!” What are we really trying to prove, and whom are we trying to prove to?

As I was discussing with other friends, if we see no harm in using “modern day communication gadgets” in determining if we can also start fasting or not based on information from the opposite side of the world, what will we say if others say, “well, because the DNA and Forensic Science is quite a reliable science nowadays (in fact it has been used to exonerate hundreds of wrongfully convicted “murderers” and “rapists”), we should consider using it for suspected adulterers instead of the difficulty of having to find four witnesses!” And some have started discussing following a “Jamaah or congregational prayer in Makkah on Live Satellite television provided there is no time difference involved!” Or are we saying that it is okay to use modern technology in one act of worship but we can absolutely not do so in another? Isn’t it ironic that the one act of worship that we are using the “scientific know-how” is the very one that the Prophet (SAW) explicitly warned us against!?

In conclusion, Sheikh Sayyid Sabiq in Fiqh-us-Sunnah says,

“According to 'Ikrimah, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, Salim, Ishaq, the correct opinion among the Hanafiyyah, and the chosen opinion among the Shaf'iyyah, every "country" (or territory) is to take into consideration its own sighting and not necessarily to follow the sighting of others.” [Fiqh us-Sunnah Vol. 3; Page 112]

He also adds that,

“In Fath al-‘Alam Sharh Bulugh al-Maram, it is stated: The [opinion] closest [to the truth] is that each land follows its sighting, as well as the areas that are connected to it.” [Fiqh us-Sunnah Vol. 3; Page 112]

Mind you he also says,

“According to the majority of scholars, it does not matter if the new moon has been sighted in a different location.” [Fiqh us-Sunnah Vol. 3; Page 112]

However, he does not mention a name of any of these “majority of the scholars”, and does not specifically say what daleel or evidence they are using in reaching this conclusion, and what these scholars have said about the hadeeth of Ibn Abbas and Kuraib.

But when all is said and done, contemporary scholars will do us great justice if they really share with us the reasons why the hadeeth of Ibn Abbas and Kuraib, and that of Ibn Umar, are not sufficient in determining that Local Sighting is closer to the Sunnah or in fact it is THE Sunnah? Secondly, is the following of Global Sighting in fact a Bid’a (i.e., an innovation), at least linguistically if not theologically?

[2005]