Moon sighting in different countries – 2
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Allah, The Most High, said:
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّہُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثۡنَا عَشَرَ شَہۡرً۬ا فِى ڪِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوۡمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ
Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth. [at-Tawbah. 36]
Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
Meaning, well-known months decreed by Allah; [يَوۡمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ – on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth]- Meaning, He established the alternation of its nights and days, decreed their time periods and divided them into these twelve months. (1)
Allah, The Exalted, said: [يَسْأَلونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ – They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to determine fixed time periods for humankind and for the time of the Hajj]. [Al-Baqarah. 189]
Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:
Allah – by His Mercy and kindness – placed it in this manner where it alternates. The crescent appears weak at the beginning of the month, gradually increases by the middle of the month and then it decreases until the end of the month. This is how it is in order that people would know the time periods of their acts of worship, such as fasting, the times for the payment of Zakat, and the time of Hajj. And when it is the case that Hajj takes place during specific months that are well known and takes a long time, Allah stated: [وَالْحَجِّ – and for time of Hajj].
Furthermore, based on the the phases of the moon people become acquainted with the times for the payment of unpaid debts, rental time periods, the time period of Iddah (i.e. the time period a woman has to wait before remarrying after divorce or after the death of a husband), the time period of pregnancy and other matters that are related to people’s needs. Therefore, Allah has made it a means determining time periods that is known to everyone-young and old, knowledgeable and ignorant. If time periods were determined by way of the solar calendar, none would be acquainted with it except a very few amongst the people. (2)
Ibn Umar, Allah be pleased with him and his father] reported Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stated, “The month is thus and thus and thus (i. e. pointing with his fingers thrice), and he held back his thumb at the third time (in order to show that it can also consist of twenty-nine days)”. [Sahih Muslim 1080]
Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked:
Some people say: “We do not use the Gregorian date before the Hijri date due to having loyalty (to other than Islam) and to aid (another religion), but rather the Gregorian date is more accurate than the Hijri calendar in terms of what they see”, and that “Most countries use this calendar.”
Response: Be patient, my brother! The crescent moon is the basis (for determining the monthly time periods) for all human beings. Read the statement of Allah, The Exalted: [ يَسْأَلونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ – They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to determine fixed time periods for humankind and for the time of the Hajj]- Meaning, for all people.
And read the statement of Allah, The Exalted:
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْراً فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ
Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred…] [at-Tawbah. 36]
Therefore, it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred, (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). The months are determined by the crescent moon and this is why the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, explained that the four (sacred ones among the 12) are Rajab Dhul Qidah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram, and this is the basis of the matter. The months used by the people at present – months determined based on conjecture- are not established on a (sound) basis. If they were based on the sighting of the Buruj (a great number of distant big stars), their basis would have been based on the Buruj which is clear in the sky, well known and their times are known, however, they (i.e. the non-Islamic months)are based on conjecture and do not have a basis at all due to the fact that some are twenty-eight days and some of them thirty-one.
However, if we find ourselves in difficult circumstances and it becomes necessary to mention the Gregorian date, why do we have to alternate from the Arabic Hijri date – the one based on the Shariah – to this date that is based on conjecture and has no foundation?! We are very able to use the Arabic date and then say, “Corresponding to such and such date (i.e. in the Gregorian date)” given that when many Islamic countries were colonised by the unbelievers, they changed the date to their own- enslaving and humiliating the society. You understand, so we say, if we find ourselves in difficult circumstances and it becomes necessary to mention the Gregorian date, let it be first that the Arabic Hijri date – the one based on the Shariah – is mentioned, then we say, “Corresponding to such and such”. (3)
[1] An Excerpt from “Tafseer As-Sadi]
[2] An Excerpt from “Tafseer as-Sadi]
[3] https://www.alathar.net/home/esound/index.php?op=codevi&coid=64945. paraphrased]