Help with moon-sighting Research
Asslamo Allaikum Brothers/Sisters,
Jazakullah Khairun for the reminder from Brothers/Sisters...I have been looking into the matter of the obligation of following Saudia (in terms of moon sighting) and the evidence thereof and looking/asking for a number of years I have found none...Please feel free to come back to me if there is any such thing...
During my stay in Saudia I asked some of the local scholars & they were of the same opinion as illustrated by Shaykh Uthaymeen & Adil Salahi given below in the ruling which is the exact opposite (to follow local sighting); please see the two articles below:
http://www.ummah.net/moonsighting/fatawah/saudalim.htm
Saudi Alim Asks Muslims in N. America NOT to pray Eid on Day after Arafah
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Saudi Alim: Shiakh Mohammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaimeen
(Famous Saudi Alim and Faqih, Shiakh Mohammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaimeen tells Muslims about the correct date of Eid al-Adha in N. America to be on 10th Zul-Hijja of North America, and not the day-after Arafah in Makkah, as the ISNA and others claim.)
From: Abdulrahman bin Abdallah Al-khalidy (Ithaca, NY)
Al Hamdulillah wa salatu wa salamu ala rasulillah,
I was troubled when I read the e-mails regarding the discrepancies in deciding the first day of Dhil-Hijjah which would mean that we will have to accommodate two separate dates for the Day of Arafah and the Eid. I called Sheikh Mohammad bin Uthaymeen and asked him about this particular situation and his position has relieved me; wal Hamdulillah.
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Q: Should we abide by the local sighting in determining the Eid-al-Adha or should we follow the pilgrims' schedule, knowing that North America sighting of crescent may come a day before Saudi Arabia's sighting?
A: "You should abide by the city you're living in."
Q: This means that we will fast the 9th of Zul-Hijja of North America and pray Eid on 10th Zul-Hijja of North America!
A: "Yes, and this is what you should do without any (Haraj) or mental anxiety."
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Any questions regarding this conversation? Contact Omar Afzal
Wish you good luck in fulfilling the Ibadah, fasting on the 9th Zul-hijja based on your area moonsighting and celebrating Eid-al-Adha on 10th Zul-hijja. Those who do it this way, they would have followed the Sunnah of the Prophet. May Allah bless you all.
Wal Hamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen.
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[Ref: CFCO]
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5§ion=0&article=86399&d=11&m=9&y=2006
Beginning of Ramadan: Following the Saudi Moon Sighting
Edited by Adil Salahi
Q. Some people in my home country do not begin the Ramadan fast according to their country; they follow Saudi Arabia. They do the same with the Eid and mark it on the same day as in Saudi Arabia, while people at home may be still fasting. Please comment.
A.S. Al-Jaidy
A. These people are well meaning. They think that Islam is practiced in its best form in Saudi Arabia and they want to follow it. But their practice is wrong because it does not have a solid basis. If we were to extend their practice to its logical conclusion, we should offer prayers according to the timings in Saudi Arabia, rather than our own timings. Thus, we should import Saudi calendars and follow the timings indicated in them. Similarly, we should fast the same number of hours as fasting is indicated in Saudi Arabia. This is easy nowadays, because of satellite television. We can always watch the time in Saudi Arabia and follow it. Needless to say, no one will agree to this although some logical argument could be presented in its support, such as the unity of all Muslims.
Yet the practice of all Muslims is that each locality has its own timings. The difference in prayer time between Jeddah and Dammam, at the two coasts of Saudi Arabia is around an hour. No one suggests that it should not be observed. In fact if it is not observed, we run the risk of having our prayers rendered invalid.
The difference in starting Ramadan has always been known, and the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) companions accepted it. Abdullah ibn Abbas asked someone who had traveled from Damascus to Madinah about the day they started Ramadan.
When he was informed of the day, he mentioned that the people of Madinah sighted the moon on a different day. People asked him whether he would defer to the sighting in Damascus since it was the capital city of the Muslim state at the time, but he said: “Each have their own sighting.” This is a clear answer to those people by one for whom the Prophet prayed to be a scholar. Needless to say, he was a scholar of high distinction.
