Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1. Salah is performed at different times at different places. If this is permitted, why should all perform the Soum and Eid on the same day?
A. Here there are two different aspects, which are being compared. The first is the times of the same day. The other is the days of the week. Owing to the spinning of the earth on its axis various places on earth face the sun at different times. There are clear instructions by the Holy Prophet (saw) how to determine the time of each prayer with reference to the declination of the sun. Every prayer will be completed within a cycle of 24 hourrs and will not creep into the next cycle, or the day. Similarly the Saum, Eid, Hajj etc. that are to be performed on specified dates must be performed all over the world within a span of 24 hours. Please remember that days are known by their names. It cannot encroach on the previous or following day. The actual time of performance will depend upon the hour of the day, which is counted in the same manner as we count the time for prayers. Saum for example, has to commence with dawn and end with dusk of the same day.
From the social point of view also it is necessary that the religious rites be performed on the very day prescribed for that rite and not spread over more than one day. Various groups of people performing the same rite on different days is not correct because this sends the wrong message that in Islam there is no proper sense of time or unity among its followers.
Q.2. There is no specific instruction either in the Holy Qur’aan or in the Hadith that the days of fasting or Eid should be or may be determined by calculation. On the other hand there is clear indication that fasting and Eid must precede the sighting of moon. In that case is it not safe to see the Hilal to determine the required day?
A. Certainly it is necessary to ascertain the Hilal. It may be by observation or by calculation. But the difficulty arises when people want to see the Hilal with the naked eye. The first Hilal is not visible from every point on earth. So it is impracticable to begin every month after seeing the Hilal from the same place. The sun and the moon have been declared in the Holy Qur’aan and confirmed by our experience as being subject to calculation, and that they follow the specific orbits. It follows to a logical mind that their exact position at any given moment can be determined precisely by calculation. In early days of Islam when the people were not mathematical experts or wizards of astronomy, it was ordered that observing the Hilal should be the norm to confirm the beginning of the month. It was also said that if the date is 29 and Hilal could not be confirmed because of clouds or doubts, the month be completed by taking 30 days to avoid doubts in the matter of religion.
It has been measured that a month has 29.53 days. In the olden days when communications between communities was infrequent and messages less reliable in the absence of definite information visual observation was the only alternative for the isolated groups of Muslims living scattered here and there. Today with fast and reliable means the communication of Hilal observed at any part of the world should be acceptable to all intelligent people. Similarly even if Hilal is not seen by anyone its ascertainment by calculation should also be acceptable as our failure to see Hilal is not the fault of the moon.
Q.3. Some people say that the Hilal must be seen by the naked eye. Is it so?
A. In the previous sector we have seen that seeing the Hilal is not essential and that proving of its appearance by any means must be acceptable. Seeing from above the clouds in aeroplanes or helicopters or through powerful telescopes are such means, which are, however, as good as seeing with naked eye. Can you say that a short sighted person should not see the Hilal or that his evidence will not be acceptable because he wore glasses while seeing the Hilal? These instruments or methods are used only to enhance our visual capability and not to create that Hilal which is not present. Only absolute fanatics or veritable Jahils can insist on such foolishness. It is Allah (swt) who gave man the intelligence to invent things, which will assist him serve Him better. Let us use our intelligence for the purpose for which it had been given to us and not use it in the opposite direction.
Q.4. In the polar region for six months in a year there are no days or days are extremely short or long. Similarly for the remaining half-year either there are no nights or nights are too short and days are too long. The sky is rarely clear and almost always visibility is extremely poor. How do they observe the Soum and Eid etc?
A.The major theories of religious observances are revealed to the people living in the tropical and subtropical regions. We have no records to show why Allah (swt) has not given any specific instructions for people living in Poles. He may have his own reasons and designs, which we humans are not competent to question. But given the circumstance, they must be enabled to perform the rites as anybody else. Asking them to fast for 24 hrs during Polar Summer by granting them compensatory off during Polar Winter will be gross injustice to them, and Allah (swt) for sure, does not encourage any kind of injustice nor will He permit any hardship to his devotees. Scholars have therefore opined that they should follow the timings observed by their proximate neighbors who are able to follow the rules of Salah, Saum etc without any problem.
There is a clan of Scholars who insist that they should follow the timings at Makkah. The former solution of following the proximate neighbor appears reasonable. Observing the time of the longitude will be the solution for such problems.
Q.5. Scholars have differed on the issue of accepting the Hilal seen at distant places because either the news reached them too late or was not capable of independent verification through reliable witnesses in prescribed numbers. With both these conditions not present today, why the difference continues?
A.The difference continues due to mere ignorance. All the Imams have said that the Eid of one place must be applicable to all. Day and date throughout the world must be same. So if the first of Shawwal is a Friday at some place the same must be acceptable to all if this date is in accordance with the Manazil of the moon. There are various reasons for the continuance of the difference. The conformists believe that no innovation is permitted in religion, whether physical, moral or otherwise. In Islam blind pursuit of anything is not permitted.
The Holy Qur’aan does not want one to believe the existence of Allah blindly. It describes numerous events and phenomena and asks one to meditate over them and thereby reach a logical conclusion as to the existence of Allah (swt). It is very clearly stated that one must think and apply one’s reason even to prove His existence. Can one believe that such being the case; one will be barred from applying his mind and benefiting by the genuine products of such application? Not realizing this fact, some scholars with closed or narrow minds insist that communication and observing with modern implements are beyond religious sanction and must not be brought into religious routines. They even argue that all these innovations may be used for better or easier worldly life though. Unfortunately they forget that Islam does not impose any burden on people, rather encourages lightening the same.
Another reason is the ignorance of scientific facts. There are people who still believe that earth is flat and that the sun rises at one end of it and set at the other end traversing over the surface of the flat earth. They believe that Hilal exists as a scratch and grows in size day by day fed on unknown celestial nourishment. They do not realize that the Moon does not undergo any change. It is only that our visibility is limited to a minute area of the Moon’s surface and that this area grows as the Moon gains greater distance from the Sun day after day. For these people advent of the Hilal is similar to an object coming before the viewer at its own will or driven by somebody else’s will at random. It is hard for them to comprehend otherwise. Yet another fallacy that leads to controversy is that of the distance between the location where moon is seen and the other location where the occurance of a sight takes place. In the olden days it was relevant to define a measure for this distance because a messenger leaving his place after seeing the crescent may not be able to reach the destination before it is time, say to begin fasting by any available means. This concept is still held by some who do not recognize the real reason behind such norms in those days. The last, perhaps not the least, unfortunate reason is the factional rivalry that has risen among brethren and the refusal to accept each other’s views and testimony.
The Prophet (saw) has never asked the people to begin the fasting only after seeing the Hilal. What happens when 30 days are completed for the out going month? Is the Hilal visible by then? No, the month begins without seeing the Hilal. Hilal is an invisible object like the new moon. It can only be known by observing the waxing and waning phases of the moon. Somehow people have been lead to believe that seeing of the Hilal is the criterion for fixing the month of the Islamic calendar.
Q.6. When the Hilal occurs in one place it may be daytime in some other part of the world. How could some start fasting during day time?
A. The rule about fasting is that it should start at dawn and end at dusk the same day. Even though Hilal occurs during daytime day for that locality does not start until the dawn immediately following it. There should be no difficulty to observe fasting from the dawn to the dusk. If the news of the confirmation reached very late one must compensate for the lost fast.
Q.7. Sun is referred in calculating time of the day. But it is moon that is made the basis of reckoning the dates, months, the years and the age. Why the sun cannot be used for this purpose as well?
A. Allah (swt) has ordered to use the moon so there is no choice in it. Long before the scientific discovery of errors i.e. estimations of time with reference to the sun, the Holy Qur’aan had declared the infallible nature of the moon’s measurement and its phases. Within a period of 24 hours the sun’s rising and setting is predictable with fair accuracy. There is sufficient margin allowed for performing prayers, which will absorb miner variations. Greater accuracy is needed in predicting the first and last date of a month because any error would lead to a gain or loss of a full day. The moon by its rhythmic growing and waning is capable of making us predict the exact dates.
The first day of a lunar month occurs only when the equilibrium at an eclipse or conjunction is disturbed and this occurs momentarily and systematically which can be calculated correctly and verified visually. This was not possible with reference to the equinoxial movement of the sun. It took centuries even for scientists to find out that there were errors in the calculation of the exact number of days which made a solar year; and the solar year based on numerous estimates based on the position of stars or the divisions into months is arbitrary. Solar calendars have undergone frequent revisions and adjustments while the lunar calendar did not call for any such modification. Hence it is only proper that for the religious and other observances where dates are important, the lunar calendar is used.
Q.8. Why lunar date line is not suitable?
A. Day or Date change occurs due to the spinning of earth. A date incorporates the phenomena of sunrise and sunset. Moonrise and Moonset as indicators of date beginning and date ending are of no practical use because the moon is constantly moving around the earth, so the spinning of the earth cannot be calculated taking moon as a reference point. The International Date Line is important as a line which when crossed by the sun on its apparent movement from East to West marks the change into next date or day.
Some scholars have suggested that lunar matla’a i.e. the point of the advent of the crescent can be fixed by astronomic calculations and these points could be treated as the commencement of the respective months. The curve, which connects these matla’a could be an irregular loop and would only complicate for the worse at the same time not servicing any useful purpose, for the month will anyway begin with the dawn of the day following. Furthermore the advent of the crescent does not take place at the same locality every month, so a shifting line will not serve the purpose of a date line which should be permanently fixed.
Q.9.How can one use the phases (Manazil) of the moon to find out the date of the month and predict the Hilal?
A. Month has either 29 or 30 days. By one week it waxes from a scratch like thin shape to the shape of a semi circle. In a fortnight it grows to a full moon. When it is three weeks old it would have waned into a similar but laterally reversed shape of semi circle. On the 29th or 30th day it would be invisible. By regularly observing the shape of the moon in between these 4 land marks we can easily learn to say which day is the first of the next month. Minor variation occurs in the size and shape. Also time of appearance may vary from late night or early morning during the last fortnight compared to the period immediately after sunset during the first fortnight. These can however be learnt by observation and may be with very little guidance. An experienced viewer can also predict whether the month will have 29 or 30 days. Looking at the Manazil or phases as stated above and taking into account the slight variation in the angular heights and view of the crescents, one can predict accurately the onset of the next month, of course without mathematical calculations.
Q.10.What is the religious implication of an error in the date?
A. Allah (swt) has appointed certain dates to be observed by us. Disobeying His commands either by not observing them or observing them on the dates other than the prescribed ones is a sin. This sin He may pardon or refuse to pardon is His own discretion as to whether it was committed willfully and knowing that an error is being committed; whether it was committed carelessly failing or refusing to verify its correctness; or whether it was being committed inadvertently and failing to verify by some means within one’s reach and capability.
One who leads another into a sin is also a sinner. It is ordained that we shall observe fast on knowing that the Hilal of Ramadan has occurred and stop fasting when the Hilal of shawwal has appeared. Fasting on the last day of Shaban is a sin by omitting the last day of Ramadan from fast - if that becomes the 31st day because of beginning of the fast one day earlier - is certainly a sin. Similarly the first day of Shawwal is meant for rejoicing of all Muslims of the world. Fasting on that day is prohibited. The remedy for errors lies in fasting on a day after the Eid to compensate the day of fasting missed. Erroneous fasting on the Eid day has to be compensated by giving prescribed quantum of alms and does not entitle one to feast on another day instead.
Q.11.What is the historical importance of a date?
A. Dates are important in history as indicators of the time certain events occur. An event can occur on one particular day. The same event cannot occur on more than one day, except where the event continues or repeats itself. The date, which denotes the event, must be unique. The solar calendar suffered from preciseness of dates because it was revised many times to accommodate the correction of errors or whims of the rulers of different times and also, more importantly, because after the corrections the earlier dates were not readjusted. Another reason was that the revised calendars were not implemented simultaneously or universally. Thus we have a basic example of one set of Christians observing the Christmas on January 7 while others observe it on December 25.
Calendar is the only devise to reckon the age of an event. Irregular or modified calendars also suffer from the same kinds of errors as mentioned earlier. Imagine what will happen if one group of people reckoned a date on Friday and another on Thursday and yet another on Saturday. Which date will be the birthday for a child born on Friday? Lunar calendar is more stable and reliable than the solar calendar despite the fact that many lunar calendars were used in the past and some were modified time to time, but the Hijra calendar has remained static for more than 1400 years.
|
Q12. On
the Earth there is
difference in day and night.
When it is night in America
it is daytime here. When the
Hilal is seen at some place
it may be mid-day elsewhere.
How can one commence fasting
then?
Explanation:
This is a question raised to
establish that the problem
is complex. No one argues
that fasting should start as
soon as the Hilal is seen at
some place on the Earth. We
do not start fasting or
celebration of Eid as soon
as we see the Hilal! We
start only the next morning
after the expiry of that
night. Fasting is to be
observed from dawn to dusk.
Thus based on the appearance
of the Hilal on the Earth,
people at all places should
commence fasting or
celebrating from the next
morning when the Day begins.
They should not wait
expecting the announcement
of their Qadi, who would see
the Hilal once again and
decide. The Qadi has no
right to decide
independently. He should use
the common sense and base on
the first appearance of the
Hilal in the world. If the
information is delayed, that
Day should be regarded, as
the first of Ramadan and the
lost fast should be
compensated by fasting one
day after the Eid ul Fitre.
This is the clear law of the
Shariah.There are places on
the Earth where days and
nights are experienced for
almost six months. Muslims
live there also. For them
seeing the Hilal is
impossible. Those who raise
such questions should not
think that Islam is not
practicable everywhere in
the world. Does it mean that
the Muslims living there
need not fast or celebrate
Eid because they do not see
the Sun or the Moon? The Sun
and the Moon are for
calculating time. The Sun
indicates the Day and the
Moon indicates the Date.
Even if we do not see them
both we can know our Day and
Date by other means that
Allah (swt) has provided for
us. The people who live at
such places should calculate
and observe the rituals.
They should use the common
sense and calculate time and
dates taking Makkah as the
center, and Makkah should
base the Date on the first
appearing of the Hilal on
the Earth, or on the Ahillah
of the Moon |
|
Q13. Should we not unify the
prayer of Zuhar and Asar
etc. also? Should we not
say the Zuhar prayer when
Zuhar prayer is said in
Makkah?
Explanation:
This is a childish question.
The Prophet has never said
that the Zuhar prayer is
when they say Zuhar prayer
or that the Asar prayer is
when the people say Asar
prayer. Islam does not
decree uniformity in this
regard even among the people
of a given locality. The
people who raise such
questions do not understand
that the Earth is a globe
and the small units of time
must differ everywhere on
the Earth. Islam is the
right religion and a right
religion cannot order the
people to do foolish and
impossible things. Zuhar
prayer may be performed from
the time of the sun's
decline till the time of
Asar prayer. For the other
prayers also there is
allowance. Can we say that
the same duration can be
permitted for the Eid
prayers, two different Days?
Is it the same difference
when we perform Eid prayers
on two different Days? In
daily time-bound prayer
remembering Allah (swt) is
more important and so
declares the Qur'an. In Eid
prayer the unity of the
Muslims is more important.
Sayings of the Prophet (SAW)
make it clear.Imams of the
four Madhabs and Salafi
scholars like Ibn Taimiyya
say that it is essential to
observe fasting and the Eid
on the basis of the first
occurrence of the Hilal on
the Earth without
considering the different
appearing of the Hilal at
different places. Those who
find it difficult to say
that it is obligatory, as
suggested by these scholars,
should at least show
tolerance to say that it is
not prohibited or Haram. In
fact it is Haram to oppose
the unity and fast when
their brothers are feasting.
The Prophet (SAW) has
forbidden the fast on the
Day of Eid of the Muslim
Community. An Eid cannot be
on both Monday and Tuesday.
The Eid can fall only on one
week-day.When we examine the
Qur'aan, the Sunnah, the
Hadith and the works of the
Imams and Scholars we can
see that the unity in the
Days of fasting and Eid is a
must. The disunity that
prevails today is absurd and
illegal according to the
laws of Shariah because
there is no evidence what so
ever to allow two or three
Days of Eid in the world.
The Prophet (saw) has not
allowed it.Unification of
the Eid Day is only an
indicator towards the goal
of unity of the Muslim
Community. The only way to
bring about this unity is by
reviving the practice of the
Islamic calendar, which has
almost disappeared from the
world. If we educate the
Muslims about the Islamic
calendar they will Insha
Allah understand that there
cannot be two dates for one
day in the Islamic calendar
and everyone will agree that
the Eid must be performed on
a single day in the world.
We have to do more work to
bring the quarrelling
factions of the Muslims to
hold fast on the rope of
Allah (SWT). All praise is
to Allah. May Allah help us
in the venture! He is our
savior.
Oh Allah!
If we have erred or if we
have forgotten in our duty
forgive us our shortcomings. |
|
