THE FUTURE SCHOLARS ( TFS Abk) Wrote ~ Adeyanju Jamiu (Abu Nasir). As-Sallam Alaykum, We are heartly displeased whenever the issue that is paramount with to religion is misinformed, not carefully considered,consulted, or subjected to personal desire or politics. We dnt actually know what is going on and who is personalising what, concerning this issue of Moon sighting in Nigeria up to the point that that some News Papers like Premium Times that will soon earn the wrath of God has started to report conflicting News about Muslims with Islamophobia headlines. What we battled with before now was some of groups of Imam & Alfa meeting to pick a date to start our fast regardless of what the Moon of the Months of Islam dictates. After winning this battle recently while we have resolved following a prominent and reputable Islamic body,why creating a seed of doubt in our minds again? When it comes to the matter of our religion,regardless of whoever personality or status,we only want to trust the true guidance from Quran and Sunnah as our sources we prefer back to whenever this is a mix up anywhere. Our Prophet(Saw) has said We should start the fast by sighting the moon (or by hearing from a reliable source) and break the fast by sighting the moon According to the Scholars of Fiqh, ~ Shafii school of though made a stand that it is enough to start the fast with one person (may be one country) confirmation of sighting of the moon and break at the end of Ramadan. The Prophet (saw) accepted the testimony of Abdullah ibn Umar when he alone reported seeing the crescent moon at the beginning of Ramadan.(Graded sound by Nawawi,Ibn al-Mulaqqin,+bn Hazim & others) ~ Majority of the scholars like Hanbali,Hanafi,& Maliki schools of thought said it is may be enough to start the fast based on confirmation of one person sighting the moon but not less than two or more people(or two country) is enough to break the fast at the end of Ramadan. The Prophet(saw) said: And if two witnesses testify (to seeing the crescent), then fast and break your fast (Considered authentic by Albani) ~ Less popular opinion in Hanbali school of thought and Ibn Taymiyyah supported to follow the stand of majority ummah in sighting of the moon to start or break the fast based on the hadith that the prophet(saw) said: Your fasting is when you fast, and the day of breaking your fast is when you all break it, and Eid al-Adha is when you all celebrate Eid al-Adha During the start of Ramadan this year,majority of us started the fast (Saturday) base on the anouncement of the moon to have been sighted in the northern part of the country which signified to have followed the sunnah,despite professor Ishaq Oloyedes (Sec.Gen NSCIA) disagreement,we do not claim he was wrong of such action for their is also bases to have started fast the following day(Sunday). While we tirelessly waited on Saturday whether the moon would be sighted accross the world, the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Saad, who is also the President of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, had, around midnight on Saturday, announced the sighting of the new moon and therefore the end of Ramadan. But when contacted after the Sultans announcement, the Secretary-General of the organisation(NSCIA), Is-haq Oloyede, a professor of Islamic Studies, said he was not aware that the moon had been sighted and therefore did not agree with the announcement. Meanwhile Professor Oloyede did not claimed the moon has not been sighted has announced by his boss (Our Amir) but only disagreed with him about the announcement. We do not know what is going on between the council but we do hope it is not personalised or political but the Secretary General suppose not to have publicly disregard or condemn the pronouncement of the Amir(President). Nonetheless we are not happy with the development so far because this reflected either misinformation,information barrier(for the Sec.Gen not to have been breifed before the anouncement) or a division within the council. This is basically an Islamic council and all matters must be strictly subjected sincerely to Islamic Jurisprudence without a mix from personal desire or politics for this may affect the generality of the Muslims following the council. Most times a little explanation with knowledge from Quran and sunnah will solve whatever misunderstandings and that is why we should not forget these our sources. Muslims are bunch of most sensible person on earth and that is why nobody cant just come from anywhere to dictate anything new to us for our religion is a principle and way of life designed by the Supreme being. We are intellectually too strong to just be deceived or misled unlike followers of other religion. So, what happened on this issue of Moon sighting is a reflection of finding the truth and minding not to go wrong. Although the Moon have not been sighted at any part of the country accross the globe except Nigeria, even if it is enough to start the fast is it also clear to be enough to break the fast? We do not claimed those that have broken fast today to be wrong. For according to Imam Shafi school of thought,a person (a country) alone in seeing sighting of the moon and is not followed by the rest can start his fast and break(at end of Ramadan) based on his sighting. For some of us that are still fasting today,we pray May Allah accept it as an act of Ibadah and Eid Mubarrak in advance to us all and for us that break our fast for Eid,Barakallahu fikum was Eid Mubarrak.... Search Page: The Future Scholars Forum. (Refrences; Al-Mughni,Umdat al-Fiqh,Figh al-Ibadah, Saheeh Muslim & Buhari, Sunnan Tirmidhi etc)
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 11:18:25 +0000
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