Celebrate eid with Saudi.

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I live in northeast of USA ..city called Scranton in state of PA...Here management consists for egyption and palestiniens ...they celebrate the EID on the same day as SAUDI celebrates....If the moon is sighted in Saudi they celebrate eid here in USA...It doesn't matter when rest of the USA is celebrating it....they just go by SAUDI...


Is this correct ? I tried to talk to them and they say this is to avoid Fitnah and to avoid multiple Eid...

If this is correct then I'll follow them ? If this is not correct then what should I do ? I don't want to be the one who goes out of community and crates Fitnah either... Please advise...


JazakAllah

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Celebrate eid with Saudi

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chatper 10 Surah Yunus verse 5:

5        It is He (Allah) Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty) and measured out stages for her: that ye might know the number of years and the count (of time).  Nowise did Allah create this but in Truth.  (Thus) doth He explain His Signs in detail for those who understand.

 

Sahih Muslim Hadith 2378     Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘Whenever you sight the new moon (of the month of Ramadan) observe fast, and when you sight it (the new moon of Shawwal) break it, and if the sky is cloudy for you, then observe fast for thirty days.’

 

Beloved brother, at the time of the Prophet (saws) and the early generation of believers, if even one amongst the believers bore witness that he saw the new moon….all the believes would start and/or end the count of the month.

 

With the spread of Islam to the other regions of the earth, and without the tools of advancement in communication which we have access to today….it was obviously not possible for the governing authorities to announce the start/end of the months to all the regions of the earth.  Thus the believers of each region started to count the start/end of the months by the respective sighting of the moon in their own regions. 

 

Besides, just as the sun does not rise and set at the exact same time on the different regions of the world, the moon too does not appear at the same time/day all over the earth….and thus the count of the start/end of the lunar months differ from region to region all over the earth.

 

If the muslim Ummah was united, and the authorities amongst the believers were to come to an agreement and arrangement that the witness of one believer anywhere on the earth would be enough for all the believers to start/end of the count of the days of the months, regardless of where they reside on this earth….it would suffice.  But unfortunately the muslim Ummah is divided today and no such agreement and arrangement is in place. 

 

Thus under the current condition of the muslim Ummah, if would be best if, at least, all the believers of a particular region start/end the count of the month on the same days….and if and when Allah Subhanah Wills, and the believers strive to become one United Ummah as it should be….this disparity and confusion of some believers choosing to count the start/end of the month in their own different formats and regions will Insha Allah cease to exist.    

 

Your Question: If this is correct then I'll follow them ? If this is not correct then what should I do ? I don't want to be the one who goes out of community and crates Fitnah either...

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chatper 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verse 103:

103    And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favor on you.

 

Respected and beloved brother in Islam, under the present conditions when our Ummah is already divided, one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day should never ever do something which would further divide or disunite the Ummah; but rather strive one’s utmost, with patience and with wisdom to do everything in one’s power and ability to unite this divided Ummah.

 

As explained, both formats: where one starts the count of the month by visibly sighting the moon in their own region, or where one starts the count of the month by the witness of one believer anywhere on the earth are both acceptable in Shariah….thus instead of striving to prove one of the two claimants right or wrong, one should align oneself and start the count of the month with the absolute majority of the believers in the place/region/nation one happens to reside, absolutely regardless of which of the two lawful formats the believers in authority in that region choose to adopt….that would be piety and righteousness in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan

 

 
Privacy  |  About Wister

Copyright © 2024 Wister All rights reserved