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8. Letters to all brethren dated 25-08-2001 (06-06-1244). Allah (swt) has ordered us to observe months in 29 or 30 days only, according to the phases and the movement of the moon, which is subject to calculation. Any deviation is Shirk or Kufr. Both sun and moon are meant for calculations. What is the logic behind accepting one and rejecting the other? Partial rejection of Qur’aan is also a sin. Qur’aan and Hadeeth command us to fix our programs in advance and discharge our duties properly realizing the correct meanings.
Dear Brethren,
Assalamu Alaikum Warahmathullahi Wabarakathuhu.
Subject: Ramadan 1422H begins on Friday the 16th of November 2001AD and the Eid ul Fitre1422H falls on Saturday on 15th of December 2001AD regarding
All of us know that the last Eidul Adha (1421H) was celebrated on the wrong day in India. Allah (swt) and his Rasool (saw) have ordered all the believers to observe the Eid on the same day just as the Jumua, which is observed on the same day through out the World. Youmul Jumu'a is the celebration day of the week. People gathering in a Jumu’a mosque and offering special prayers with a cermon at the time of Zuhar prayer celebrate it. There is no Zuhar prayer on Friday. All the Muslims in the world observe the Jumu'a in one day (24hours). If we perform the Jumu’a in one date then we must perform the Eid also in one date according to the orders of Allah and His Messenger. We have seven days in a week and an Eid will fall only on anyone of these days. It cannot fall on two or three days. Rasoolullah (saw) has forbidden fasting on the Eid day and if the Eid fell on two or three days, his words would become meaningless. He never talked meaningless words. (53:3)
The Eidul fitre must be observed on the first of Shawwal and the Edul Adha on the 10th of Zulhajj of the Islamic Calendar named by the Sahaba as the Hijra calendar. Please remember that a calendar cannot have two or three versions. If the dates are changed the Halaal and Haraam of Allah (swt) will be violated. This is very serious in the sight of Allah (swt). He is one and His calendar must be one for all.
Allah (swt) orders the Muslims to base His calendar on the phases of the Moon designed (10:5) to mark the dates for the people (2:189). If we do not use what Allah (swt) has provided for us we become ungrateful to him. According to His calendar mentioned in the Qur’aan the Eidul Adha of 1421H should fall on Monday the tenth of Zulhajj 1421H coinciding with 5-3-2001 AD of the Christian calendar. There are many calendars in the world. All calendars have equivalent dates in their counter parts. For example 10-12-1421H is equal to 5-3-2001 AD. It is foolish to say that 10-12-1421H is equal to 6-3-2001 AD and 7-3-2001AD also!
Islam does not entertain such foolish ideas and ignorance. A date in any calendar will denote only one day of the week. Prophet Muhammad (saw) taught the importance of days and dates during the farewell address at the Arafat on the 9th of Zulhajj 10H. This is recorded in the tradition. Islam is perfect and complete. Islamic calendar taught by the Prophet also is perfect and complete without any defect.
People argue foolishly that a date of the Islamic calendar could mark two or three days and they create confusion and split in the Muslim community. Some people celebrated the Eidul Adha of 1421H on Tuesday while the others celebrated it on Monday. Naturally, those who celebrated the Eid on Tuesday would fast on Monday, which was in fact the day of Eidul Adha! There is only one day of Eidul Adha in a year. Therefore, they violated the order of Rasoolullah (saw) that no one should fast on the Eid day. Thus, even the Thouheed groups who got up to call others to Thouheed fell into Shirk (worship of others than Allah). They have disobeyed Allah (swt) by disobeying His Messenger!
The Qur’aan says "Let those who disobey his orders beware that a trial befalls them or a severe chastisement be inflicted on them" (24:63). Disobedience to the Messenger of Allah is a great sin in the sight of Allah. Special repentance is needed for its forgiveness. The argument that a date of the Islamic calendar could denote three days is baseless and wrong. It ridicules Islam and the Prophet. Can anyone prove that two dates could be used to denote one day in the Islamic Shariah?
Another argument put forward by them is that the Islamic dates cannot be determined in advance and the date for a program should not be fixed. Has this any proof in the Qur’aan and the Hadees? Do not the Muslims fix dates for their programs in advance? We must follow the Qur’aan and Hadees and all other views should be rejected.
The Qur’aan informs in clear words that Allah (swt) has appointed Manazil for the Moon (10:5) so that we may calculate the dates (the ages of the moon) the months (the counts of its rotation around the Earth) and the years, which have12 months. Is it not our duty to observe the Moon and study this? Further more the Qur’aan informs us that the Sun and the Moon move with precision under certain calculations (55:5). Man has observed the Sun's angles for many years and invented watches so that he may know his time without seeing the Sun. What prevents us to do the same with the Moon, to know our dates without seeing the Moon? It would be silly and kufur to say that we should not find out our dates in advance by using observations and calculations of the Moon. Qur’aan and Hadees command us to fix our programs in advance and discharge our duties properly. Who forbids what Allah (swt) has allowed?
The Shariah that allows us to calculate our time, which depends on the angles of the Sun, must allow us to calculate our dates, which depend on the angles of the Moon. If we calculated our time and did not calculate our date we would deny the Ayahs of the Qur’aan, which says that the Sun and the Moon are with calculations. The Qur’aan says those who accept some Ayahs and reject some Ayahs will face humiliation in this world and will be turned to most severe punishment in the Day of Resurrection (Q 2:85)
Some Islamic newspapers publish false Hijra dates with the correct Christian dates. They do injustice to Islam and cheat the Muslims! But they do not know. The Muslims should not use Christian dates without Islamic dates because they contradict the orders of Allah (swt). He orders us to use the months having 29 or 30 dates basing on the Moon's phases. The Christian calendar avoids the Moon and uses months of 28,29,30 or 31 dates. The Messenger of Allah has not accepted this and Qur’aan says, "accept what the Messenger has brought and reject what he has forbidden" (59:7)
In the Islamic calendar the date 29-06-1421H is Wednesday corresponding to 27-09-2000 AD. Unarvu, a Tamil paper puts it as 28-06-1421=27-09-2000 AD. Wednesday, Chandrika, a Malayalam newspaper of Kerala puts it as 27-06-1421=27-09-2000 AD Wednesday, Thus we see three versions for the Hijra calendars while the Christian calendars have only one version. Is this the condition of the Islamic calendar mentioned in the book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Messenger? The Muslims are responsible for this pathetic condition, which has rendered the Islamic calendar useless and ridiculous while the Christian calendar has gained acceptance and circulation in the world. Are we not responsible for this? Do the enemies of Islam take us away? Why do we not understand?
The belief that the Islamic calendar is imperfect and impracticable is tantamount to Kufur. Those who entertain such beliefs and treat the Islamic calendar as out of mode disbelieve Allah (swt). They are ungrateful to Him and the Qur’aan warns us, "If you are grateful we will increase you and if you are ungrateful, our punishment will certainly be severe". (14:7)
The Qur’aan and Hadees allow us to fix our programs in advance and order us to discharge our duties correctly. According to this, the next compulsory fasting begins on Friday the first of Ramadan 1422H coinciding with 16th of November 2001 AD of the Christian calendar. This is because the Hilal of Ramadan 1422H appears at 06: 40 hrs UT on Thursday the 15th of November 2001 AD. The first of Shawwal falls on Saturday the 15th of December 2001AD because the Moon completes her cycle around the Earth at 20:47 hrs UT on Friday coinciding with the 14th of December 2001AD and the Hilal of Shawwal appears on the same day. Since the Sun and the Moon travel punctually according to the laws appointed for them (36: 37), we know their calculations and we have checked it for many years, we have no doubts about this. Allah (swt) has made the Sun, the Moon, and all other things subservient to us (31:20) He keeps His promise and the Sun and the Moon do not take leave. He has ordered us to begin the fasting on the first of Ramadan, not on the second or third. The Prophet (saw) has not ordered us to begin every month after seeing the Hilal with the naked eyes. What he wanted us to do is to count the months according to the Manzils of the Moon as commanded in the Qur’aan.
Insha Allah all of us will begin the fasting on the first of Ramadan which falls on Friday the 16th of November 2001AD. The Ramadan of 1422H has only 29 dates according to the Ahillah of the Moon. The Eid ul Fitre falls on Saturday the First of Shawwal coinciding with the 15th of December 2001AD. Ramadan in last 4years (1418, 1419, 1420 and 1421) had 30 days and this Ramadan has only 29 days. If Ramadan of 1422 got 30 dates all calculations will go wrong. No one has the authority to make it 30. Allah (swt) has ordered us in the Qur'aan to fast on the fixed number of days of Ramadan. Some people may try to propagate and impose the false Hijra calendars published by non-Muslims without any knowledge in the Islamic Shariah. They blindly follow the whims of the people. Fabricating lies on Allah and His Rasool is very dangerous. The Qur'aan says: "who is greater in injustice than he who fabricates a lie on Allah when he is invited to Islam? And Allah does not guide the unjust". (61.7)
We must shun all bidh'ah and superstitions and come to Islam the correct and perfect way of life. Many letters sent to the leaders and the authorities concerning the matter remain unanswered. It is hoped that they will take proper action and study the Islamic calendar. The Qur’aan says that we should not stand on what we have no knowledge. (17.36). He orders us to learn from those who possess knowledge. Knowledge is vast and our life is short. We are aware of the incident of Moosa (AS) when he was ordered to go to a servant of Allah and learn from him. Let us turn to Allah (swt) and repent for our wrong doings. Let us come to the Qur’aan and Hadees and give them proper meaning. Let us not take the views of others.
May Allah guide us to the right path and shower his blessings upon us!
Wassalam,
Your Brother in Islam,
Ali manikfan,
Advisor to the Hijra Committee of India,
E-mail:manikfan@gmail.com
Pavaratti: 25-08-2001/05-06-1422 |
