All praise and thanks are to Allah SWT, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet Muhammad SAW, his family, companions and followers.
Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh
Very soon, we Muslims will be receiving a dear guest who visits us once a year. This guest always comes with goodness, both for this life and the hereafter.
This guest is the month of Ramadan. The Prophet PBUH mentioned: “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Jannah are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This month brings joy and happiness to all the Muslims around the world and we become excited in meeting this holy month.
On behalf of the team at Baseerah, we would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere congratulations to all brothers and sisters in Australia, and the wider Muslim Ummah, for another opportunity to re-live this holy month, asking Allah SWT to let us reap the fruits and gain the benefits from it as blessings in this life and Hassanat in the hereafter. Ameen.
In light of this occasion, I would like to take this opportunity to explain and emphasise a very important issue concerning all Muslims and capture their attention.
This issue is:
The Beginning and End of Ramadan
This very important matter is already explained in the Hadith of the Prophet PBUH where he said: “Start fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ramadan), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha’ban.” [Al-Bukhari]
Regarding this issue, I would like to share with you the scholars’ opinions about this matter, as mentioned in the book of Fiqh-us-Sunnah, authored by Sheikh Syed Sabiq.
Under the title, Different Locations, the book quotes: “According to the majority of scholars, it does not matter if the new moon has been sighted in a different location. In other words, after the new moon is seen anywhere in the world, it becomes obligatory for all Muslims to begin fasting, as the Prophet said: ‘Fast due to its sighting and break the fast due to its sighting’.”
This Hadith is a general address directed to the whole Muslim world – that is: “if any one of you sees the moon in any place, then that will be a sighting for all people of the world.”
However, according to the correct opinion among the Hanafi and the chosen opinion among the Shaf’’i, every ‘country’ (or territory) is to take into consideration its own sighting and not necessarily follow the sighting of others. This is based on the well-known story of the Sahabi Kuraib, who relates:
“While I was in ash-Sham, the new moon of Ramadan appeared on Thursday night. I returned to Madinah at the end of the month. There, Ibn ‘Abbas asked me: ‘When did you people see the new moon?’
I said: ‘We saw it on Thursday night.’ He said: ‘Did you see it yourself?’
I said: ‘Yes, the people saw it, and they and Mu’awiyah fasted.’ He said: ‘But we saw it on Friday night. We will not stop fasting until we complete thirty days or until we see the new moon.’
I said: ‘Isn’t Mu’awiyah’s sighting and fasting sufficient for you?’ He said: ‘No… This is the order of the Messenger of Allah.’” [Ahmad and Imam Muslim]
Scholars act in accordance with this Hadith. Every land has its sighting. 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.”
[Adapted from: Fiqh-us-Sunnah by Sheikh Syed Sabiq]
The Beginning and End of Ramadan in Australia
Regarding this issue, Muslims in Australia are of three groups:
1. The first group base it purely on the calculation of the birth of the new moon. This group follows the lunar calendar, regardless of the sighting of the moon. So, for them, the beginning and the end of Ramadan, as well as each Islamic month, can be known beforehand for maybe the next 10 years, or even longer, because they only follow the calculations.
The disadvantage of this method is the reliance on the calculation only, while possibly disregarding the moon sighting. It also focuses on the moon birth rather than the actual sighting.
2. The second group base it on actual sighting of the moon with their naked eye, regardless of the calculation method. So, for them, the month never starts or ends until the moon is sighted with the naked eye, regardless of any other methods.
The disadvantage of this is they may not be able to sight the moon at the exact and correct time. In addition, particularly for Australia, the location and weather conditions do not always allow for clear moon sighting. As a result, this method may cause errors at the beginning and the end of the month.
3. Amongst other international scholarly organisations, the Board of Imams Victoria follow the third opinion: the method of Imkaniyyatur-Ro’ayah, the “possibilities of moon sighting”.
In this method, the Board of Imams try to combine the above two methods. They use calculations to know the time of the new moon birth, then they look at the sunset and the moonset, and then they calculate the time difference between the sunset and the moonset.
So, on the 29th day of the month of Sha’ban, if the moonset is going to be after the sunset by enough time to allow the moon sighting (that is at least 10 minutes), they decide that this day is the last day of Sha’ban and the following day is the beginning of Ramadan. They do the same with each Islamic month. An example is shown in the following:
The above table shows that the beginning of Ramadan this year is most likely expected to be on the 13th of April 2021, InshaAllah.
The advantages of the method adopted by the Board of Imams are as follows:
· It follows the sunnah of the Prophet PBUH by considering the moon sighting through the “possibility of moon sighting” (Imkaniyyatur-Ro’ayah).
· Its use of the calculation method is based on advanced astronomical knowledge and technology.
· It is a practical method which allows the Muslims in Australia to plan their business beforehand. Thousands of Muslims, who are working in non-Muslim companies and institutes, need to know the exact days of Muslim events beforehand in order to plan their leave of absence, inform their workplace and be able to celebrate these events with their families and friends without negatively affecting their affairs. This practical approach cannot be found easily in the second method, explained above.
The seasons of blessings are only for a few days that soon end. Therefore, do not be negligent during this great month. Endeavour to do many acts of worship, obligatory and supererogatory (optional). Follow the etiquettes of fasting and the sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
May Allah SWT allow us to be of those who listen to the Words and follow the best thereof, those are whom Allah has guided and those who understand. May Allah SWT give us the strength to fast Ramadan’s days, pray its nights and complete the full recitation of the Holy Qur’an (khatm). Ameen.
Wassalamu Alaykum warahmatu Allah.