Ending the Moon Wars – A Case for Calculations
Date:
Channel: Yasir Qadhi
File Size: 68.29MB
Episode Notes
Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi divulges in immense detail , a powerful fiqh discussion on eliminating moon sighting deviance and paving the way for a start to Ramadan and Eid based on the good old calculations.
The basis of all the assumptions should not supersede to maintain unity amongst the Muslim Ummah and avoid disputes of any sort , thus, deviating from the Sunnah.
AI Generated Transcript ©
swindler hamdulillah salat wa salam ala rasulillah who Allah Allah, He will be here woman what I'm about. So today inshallah Tada, I will be very explicitly arguing for a fifth a position that is, in our times, somewhat unpopular. But my prediction will be that within a decade it will be the default position of this land and this and overall than the minorities of the Muslim world. And my argument today is that that is something that we should embrace and accept. And I will not shout out to explain why, as a beginning, obviously, we're talking about the considerations for adopting the astronomical birth of the new moon as the sign of Ramadan. And we'll begin by obviously, the
standard preludes that Allah subhana wa tada has mentioned in the Quran, that the sun and the moon and the night and the day or of his miracles, Allah says in the Quran, woman it he laid one how to worship soil armor of his ayat. And an ayah is an indication of the majesty of a law of the grandeur of a law, an ayah here means it is a sign what is a sine, a sine is a symbol of something else, a flag symbolizes the country. So when you see the flag, you know the country. So Allah subhanaw taala, saying, there are certain things that show you my power, my foodora there are certain things that manifest to you how much power and wisdom and hikma I have. So this is called ayah. In the
Quran, so of the Ayat of Allah that show how powerful is a lot, how much poorer Allah has, is a sham soil Kama is a lady one out. And if you think about it, it is amazing how perfect Allah has created this creation, as Allah says, If Allah had wanted, he would have made you in perpetual light, you would never have had darkness to sleep in. If Allah had wanted, he would have immersed you in a perpetual darkness, you would never have had a day to walk around. And Allah azzawajal mentions in the Quran, the sort of the ramen, or shampoo or amaru that span the sun and the moon or his van, what does respond mean? Here they are in perfect harmony, they have a sub they are down to a
science. And the beauty of this is that we do not time the sun and the moon. Rather, our time comes from the sun and the moon, the sun and the moon are so precise that our units of time come from the movement of the sun and the moon. We know our months, our weeks, our days, our years, our hours, we derive them from the movements of these massive bodies, that we cannot even comprehend how large they are. And of course, as you know, all of us have gone through, you know, high school Middle School, as you know, every one of these celestial objects is itself orbiting it is not that the sun is stationary and things go around it the sun itself is moving, and the earth is moving along with
the sun. And the moon is then going around the earth that is going around the sun. If you actually see the 3d of how this solar system takes place, your mind boggles. And Allah says in the Quran, that shampoo young Bella had to drink alcohol, what a lady said you're gonna have, neither will the sun come crashing into the moon, nor will the day come before the night. Everyone is in perfect harmony. If you look at how fast these objects are moving, and how much speed and how large they are, and yet still the precision is down to a millisecond. We know exactly as I said in our modern times we derive timing from the motion of those celestial bodies, not the other way around. And that
is something that really demonstrates a sham soil amaru the who span the sun and the moon are in precise order. Allah says in the Quran, while Amara darna hamanasi We are the ones that have made minassian for the farmer, what are managing every single night of the moon is one menzi so there are many nozzle of the moon and there are 28 minuses of the moon. Because for two days or one or two days, we don't see the moon there are 28 monazite and Allah says I am the one who has made the Hummer go in these men as it otherwise it would never have happened. So all of this is something that is very clear in the Quran, that the sun and the moon is something that Allah has created as a
sign as a miracle. And with regards to the crescent, the halal, Allah says it was a Luna cannon a healer they asked you about the halal, the crescent, the new moon hole here, our key tool in us. The Crescent is supposed to be the sign to mark the periods of time. Milwaukee to me God is the time place. So Allah is saying the halal is meant to indicate the beginning of times your months old he yamawaki to leanness. The New Moon is the beginning of the macaques. The main part is not the Roman army apart because mill art can be both time method can also be placed for hedge the main part is place. And for the moon here right now the main part is time. So Allah is
Saying that they are Milwaukee tool in us. The halal is the time demarcation for mankind while in hedge and also for hedge to tell you when hedge is so you know when the ledger is. And of course by demarcating the ledger. The point is, you have to calculate all the months till you get to the final month, you better know when is Mohammed himself on a bit, you will all know so that you know exactly when Hajj will take place. And a brief summary of a little bit of science, I was thinking, should I actually bring objects and whatnot. And I thought, I'm not going to embarrass myself, I'm not the science teacher, you've all gone through middle school, high school, there are many good YouTube
videos, we have the the president of the PVS as well, who's going to be very embarrassed if I attempt to show with objects, various signs and whatnot. So I'm not going to do that. But I'll explain to
with words, what we're talking about. The fact of course, is that the moon has phases, because it orbits the Earth and the earth, as you know, orbits the Sun. And which portion of the moon reflects which portion of the sun on the earth is how we see the how we see the actual hiline. Okay, so there's three objects, we all understand the sun giving its light, you have the Earth and the Moon. And depending on the angle of all three, depending on the angle of all three, obviously, when we were little children, we literally think the moon grows big and become shorter. When you're three, four or five years old, you may you might actually think the moon grows and whatnot. Okay, but when
we all understand that, of course, this is simply the play of lights and shadows, it's simply how much light is coming on the moon, and how much is being reflected back onto earth. And the moon takes exactly 27.3 days to orbit the Earth. And the lunar phase cycle, which is from New Moon to New Moon is 29.53 days. So this is the exact 29.53 and the new moon phase, the moon is so close to the sun in the sky, that none of the side facing the earth is illuminated. Okay, so essentially, the moon is between the Earth and the Sun, we cannot see it, there's no illuminate, there's no shadow for us to see, there's no illumination coming, that is reflecting from the moon onto the earth. So
we see nothing, it is blank for us, then the moon continues until the first slither of the moon catches the sun's rays, and then reflects back to Earth. That's the beginning angle. And it keeps on going until in the middle of the month, the moon is now behind the earth compared to the sun. Okay, so the moon is on the other side. So the sun shows its light on the moon and the moon appears to be full, then it goes the as we know around the earth. And as we said 29.53 days exactly, until finally, from our perspective, it seems to disappear because there's no reflection, because now the moon becomes in the middle between the sun and between the Earth. Now very rarely, the moon actually
coincides with the sun. And then what happens in terms of our vision, Eclipse, right? Very rarely the moon and the sun becoming from our perspective, the exact same angle, then we see the eclipse. But otherwise, if it's not at the same angle, there's no shadow, there's no light being reflected. So we don't see anything for a day and a half, two days or one day, we don't see anything. And that is when there is no more than we are looking when we will see the actual healer. So the crescent is essentially the first sliver of the moon that can catch the rays of the sun and are visible to us on Earth. Okay, that's the triangle here. Okay, we can see the rays of the sun reflected from the moon
onto Earth. Now, modern science for many, many, many years, many centuries, knows exactly when that Crescent can catch the first race, ie the astronomical birth, that's called the astronomical birth, that can be predicted to a millisecond. And this is something that nobody who knows anything of astronomy can deny, what cannot be predicted, is when you on earth will see the astronomical new moon that cannot be predicted that will occur after 17 1819 2025 hours, right? And if it's after 25 hours, then you won't see it because it'll be daytime. So we'll see the next day okay. So, science can calculate the theoretical birth of the moon, when the first sliver of light will be reflected.
And theoretically, when it is potentially possible to see. But science cannot calculate if somebody will actually see why. Because there are factors that are relative of them is the dust cloud above the atmosphere that nobody can predict or known of them is the density of the atmosphere itself between you and outer space. There are elements there are there's dust, there are clouds.
There might be wisps of clouds, you can't predict this. No scientist, it's too much the distance between you and the moon and what's going to be in between of them is eyesight, people's eyesight is very 2020 1520 3020 is going to vary. You cannot predict when the person on earth will see the astronomical New Moon, but you can predict when the new moon will be born. So the whole discussion is about the birth of the astronomical moon. And in the Arabic language, the healer.
The healer is the name given to the moon for the first two days of the month, and the last two days of the month. In between 24 days, the moon is called calmer. And for the first two and the last two days, you say Hillel, so that Crescent or Hill added is only for one or two days, some low horween say three days, but majority say two days. So the first two days you say Say hello, on the third day. Technically, it's not a bit our how long technically, when you see the moon on the third day, you shouldn't call it a healer. You say now it's the timer. And the timer will then continue until it goes to become the healer again. And the meaning of Hillel By the way, hell and is the meaning of
Hela is actually very interesting. The original meaning is to raise your voice in an announcement. And the reason why the Hillel is called Hillel is because when the Hillel is seen, then you raise your voice Oh, I saw it. That is Hilah. Right. And then it was history era, it was then taken to indicate anything that is announced. Then it was taken to mean any time something begins. So a healer can also in Arabic To begin, because when you announce something you're going to begin it's interesting how Arabic works. So he learned is essentially originally it meant the announcement. But of course now it means the the crescent, because you announced I'm going to see the new or I have
seen you shout out I have seen the new moon and that's what the word ahead of the interstellar means. Now, very quickly, we are going to bypass the bulk of classical filter now because we are not discussing classical film. What does classical film discuss when it comes to the Hillel? There are many Issues and Controversies. We'll bypass all of them. of them the biggest controversy? What is the minimum number of people required to see the new moon for the new moon to be valid? Is it one person? one male, two people one male, one female? Is it a group of people all? Or is it a large city or a small city? There are many opinions? What is the minimum number of eyewitnesses needed?
And especially Is it one or two? That's the main controversy? What if only one person sees the moon, also of the classical controversies is
does one sighting apply to the whole globe? Or does it apply to basically one province or one latitudinal region this is another controversy is called any way that the animal body and if they laugh and Matata that's another controversy. Both of these are irrelevant for our talk today, we're jumping to yet another issue. And that is the debate regarding astronomical calculations and the role that they should play regarding recite, beginning the new moon. Understand that this debate is relatively modern, and the position of all of the four schools of law the Hanafi shafia. Humberto Maliki, and the default in the oma for the last 14 centuries, is that the Hillel should be visually
sighted. And the month begins. Now, there is other con, there are other controversies as well. What does visual sighting mean? can use a telescope This is a classical data. And that's where you'll still find some communities, their local Imam is going to say, we're not even going to use the telescope, we're going to go and see it with our own naked eyes goes back to a classical issue of film. There's also an epitaph, can you go on top of a mountain and see or must you see it from where the city is? If you go to the highest mountain close by? Does that count? Or must you see where you are? All of these controversies for our talk today, we will put them aside because we're bypassing
them. They're not relevant. We're jumping to another issue. If we if we answer this issue, and we say we're going to go with calculation, then all the districts that are becomes irrelevant, you understand, right, those other issues are not relevant to calculations and I'm basically going to be making a case for calculations as you know. Now, why has the majority position been visual sighting? There's there's pretty much I'm not gonna say each matter because there's you might have means unanimous consent. There's not a huge amount, but there is Jim hold position, Jim Odom is the majority. Why? There is one primary evidence very simple evidence that has been understood to prove
the position of the majority. And that is the Hadith in Bukhari and Muslim the most authentic hadith possible, where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that we are a Pomona omiya We are a illiterate nation, ami means he doesn't read and write right now. Not only
On omiya larnach tubo. What?
We neither right nor do we calculate, this is an explicit Hadith, we are an only home. We neither read nor nor do we right now so neither sorry neither right nor we calculate Nanak to what a shadow harca
wahaca.
The month is either and he didn't even say the name 28 or 29. The month is either than he did 29 like this, or
that's what he did. So not even the number 29 or 30, he literally did with his fingers. So the longer you send them, the month is either 29 or 30. And he made the motion with his fingers. So this is the Hadeeth We are an only home. We neither right nor do we calculate hisab is mathematics natural, we don't make his up. Right. And here is that means calculations, we don't do that. This seems to be a pretty open shut case. And that is why the vast majority of scholars throughout our history have said Okay, tell us, we're going to visually cite the moon and not calculate. And this idea has historically been understood and acted upon as a prohibition against calculations. Many
scholars, they then felt that looking for the moon is itself an action of worship. And this is a key point of the law. Because when looking for the moon becomes an act of worship, then we have to do it. We don't ask why.
Just like somebody says, Why do you pray five times it is an action of worship. We don't think why somebody says Why do you go off counterclockwise not clockwise? No questions, when it's the Arabic word is stab Budi, when it is something you do as an act of worship, then we don't think why we just do so. And
so those scholars said that, in that case, looking for the moon, and making sure you're seeing the healer, that itself isn't a bother. And if you believe this, then the whole issue goes you have to do it as everybody. And it is because of this hadith that some scholars of the past. were opposed to all types of calculations when it came to the religion of Islam, even prayer timings. They said we should not calculate like our prayer charts that we have over here. We should not do that. Rather, we should visually see. And we should know what time is the harasser mother, Aisha based upon the sighting of the sun. And this is something that again, the reason I'm bringing this up is because
most of those who are arguing for visual sightings, they are conveniently ignoring the repercussions that other odema have derived from the same visual sightings and have them you should not have any calculations at all, including for the five days follow up. Even legible humbly a great album, great scholar, he severely criticized basing your stutter on the timings of the clock, did they have a clock back then? Yes, they did not our hand clock here they had their water clocks and whatever clocks they had their clocks and he called it a Jewish custom. So, this was not a Muslim thing, what we are doing he considered it to be a yahudi thing, not something we should do. And even the theory
the shaft is called a great shaft scholar. He as well rejected any type of calculations for the slider what what are we talking about? Ramadan yet? For the Sunnah, what. So the same group of scholars, many of them who opposed calculations for the moon, they were consistent, and they said, We should not do it for the Salah as well. And in our times, I don't know of any scholar who's gonna say, we should not use the charts for the Salah. Nobody goes out and watches everyday. Where's the moon? Sorry, where's the sun, and then does this sign up is gone down. And this shows you the selective issue that we're going to come back to. But by the way, this wasn't the majority. There
were many dissenting voices cut off. He was a great Marty, Kesha and he would argue that of course the Salawat can have the calculations and whatnot. And in fact to take this even further, and these people were being consistent. So I have nothing but there is consistency. I appreciate the spirit even if I disagree. One of the positions of your mama mama didn't humble and it is found in the humbly madam, is that we should not even calculate the Qibla
because the Hadith says no calculation. So we shouldn't use any instrument or mechanism or even the stars to calculate which direction is the Qibla we should just have a generic idea through our actual traveling through our suffer that we know that when you exit but that mark is roughly in that direction. For example, right when you're in Kufa, Makkah is roughly in that direction. And that is good enough for you to go beyond this. He considered this to be a bitter
now who amongst us is
Gonna take out not say this is a bit odd to use the iPhone and use the the eye compass who says this anymore is gone. And even Roger the same and he's a great dad in my courtroom and much of all the time when I disagree stuff that doesn't mean I'm disrespecting, I'm just saying it been Roger and somebody said that
if we allow this astronomical knowledge if we follow these these instruments and whatnot, we are claiming that we are better than the self, and the Sahaba and Tabby rune. And if we claim this, then it means that they were upon misguidance, and we are upon guidance.
And that's the destruction of the religion. Right? So he said, We don't do any we don't look at the stars and do because realize, now, we all talk about Islamic astronomy or Muslim astronomy, realize that that was one strand, not all of their own Ummah, appreciated it had been, Rajab did not appreciate it, and Manurewa did not appreciate it. They've considered this to be something from the Greeks, something we shouldn't get involved in. And also at the time, astronomy, listen to this, and astrology, were typically linked together. What is astrology? astrology is to read the future based on the stars, and astronomy is you look at the stars, and you just know which one is where and what
is the name of this and we want to be seen. So astronomy is a physical science. astrology is a superstitious metaphysical science, right? And many of the astronomers were also astrologers. And that's another factor that we're going to come to as well that when these dilemma opposed the science, it was also because the science back then was not the science, as we know today, that many of those involved were actually also dabbling in other issues, as well. So the point being that, with my utmost respect to these great aroma, our modern scholars were insisting on no calculation. They seem to neglect their photographer, the calculations of the day, the solar watt, and the
calculations, even of the Qibla, they neglect all of this, and they jumped on the moon issue, which I think is not consistent, either be consistent or not be. But anyway, that's one of the issues that I have now, to jump to modernity. In the year 2006.
The Council of North America, of which I'm a member of now, in 2006, I was not a member of I just come back from Medina. Now I'm a member of it. In 2006, the fifth council North America decided that they're going to go with calculations in this country. And they basically announced and they assume that the majority of massage would follow them. hindsight is 2020. And it is my analysis that I have spoken directly to the council and mentioned this in our meetings, that the way they went about doing this is the cause for our current disaster right now. It's easy hindsight is 2020. When you look back, you can see I made this mistake. In my humble opinion and analysis. It is my opinion that
the backlash of their methodology, we are still suffering for right now. If they had gone about it differently, or more wisely, or more tactfully, then we wouldn't be in the predicament that we are in. Why? Because what happened was the reaction from the local national roadmap, and at the time, I was just beginning my journey in this country. I had come back in 2005 from Medina. And I was just beginning my Dawa, and I'll be frank with you at that time I to sympathize with the majority. And I'll tell you why. I sympathize with the majority. The reaction was immediate and swift. It was harsh. It was almost universal. And it created a type of domino effect that we are still seeing To
this day, where the local road ama reacted against this fatwa. And they publish papers, some of the most leading orlimar including those that are my colleagues. They respect them. Sheikh Hamza Yusuf wrote a very famous paper that you can read online, where he argued for visual sighting and against the calculation, you know, many of the local Deobandi Rohde Ma, they also refuted this, many of the other national bodies, they rejected this, and it became the majority and the dominant position. And it was so effective, that essentially they seal the fate for any reasonable discussion for the next decade. For the next decade, we're all quiet, even if we changed our minds as I'm one of them. Why?
Why did they react this way? Many reasons.
But I feel that one of the main reasons because here's the point.
When you look at
us living as minorities in North America and across Europe, we are sometimes forced to follow many opinions that are minority opinions. This is across the board.
In economics, in dealing with others, and what not, circumstances don't allow us to take the majority opinion. And I can give you so many examples. But if I do that it will cause more confusion for this lecture. But any true person who knows filk knows that there are many concessions that we have to give to our people when we live in this land. And these are all halaal. And we're all fine with doing that. Why then, when it came to this concession, was there such an immediate backlash reaction? I would say there's two main reasons. The first of them that, especially at this time, 2000 456, there were many progressive movements rearing their heads. Remember, this was the same
time the first woman led Juma took place around the same time, okay, other things going on LGBT issues being mainstreamed into the oma, right, whatnot. So there was this natural reaction, that everything is changing too fast.
It was just an instinctive reaction of protection, a legitimate fear that we want to protect our traditional values. And this became one example of change as well. And this is a problem because not every change is negative. And not every change is progressive Islam. Not every change is indicative of that strand of Islam that as you know, I am a big critic of I am not to support a progressive Islam, in any by any stretch or whatnot. I don't consider progressive Islam to be embodying Islam, they're embodying the culture of our times, and they're projecting the culture of our times onto the Quran. But this is not progressive. In that sense. This is mainstream film that can be justified.
Also, in my humble opinion, there was a simple human element. And I say this with respect to human human issue of authority and leadership, the Council of North America, who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are? They would say that, who are you to tell us how to do our field? Who put you in charge? Now, this is a standard reality across the globe? Nope. Understandable the sense of authority of leadership? Why should we follow you who elected you? And it's true, nobody elected us? Were and now I'm part of it back then. It was like, why should we have to follow the council? It's a legitimate question. The fifth Council is not the halifa. The fifth Council is not the final binding, you know, the pope figure. And so there's this issue of authority when another person tells you, you have to do that. What's the first degree and I say, for you? Why can't I do this? Right. So
I think in my humble opinion, the fifth council simply tried to impose, and it kind of felt that it will everybody would follow, and they didn't take into account that you're bringing the new position, you have to build community support, you cannot just announce an impulse. It has to be from within and not from without. And because of that swift reaction that was universal. It became somewhat accepted in all mainstream communities, whether they're the urban the weather, the web, whether they're selling coffee, whatever they are, that calculations are wrong, because of the backlash from 2006. And in my humble opinion, if they had gone about in a different way, this would
not have happened whatsoever. So the claim that the astronomical birth of the New Moon is the cause of beginning the new month and not the visual sighting. This claim is a minority one. But it is not new. It has existed in the past. It doesn't go against HTML, a small group of scholars in the past felt that when for whatever reason, you could not see the moon and the main reason will be one is clouded. They said resort to calculation. Now, it is true. No classical scholars said that ignore visual sighting.
Because there was no need for them to say that the classical controversy was over, what if it's cloudy? What if it's the rainstorm thunderstorm, and you don't have contact with the heavens above, you don't have visual contact. A group of scholars said in that case, follow calculations. So from that modern ruler might have said that, okay, we can extrapolate from this, that the cause of the beginning of the new month is the knowledge of when the moon will be born, not when the moon will be seen. And in our times, circumstances dictate that we make this announcement, not seven hours before eat, but weeks and months before, not the night of Ramadan, but weeks and months before Ramadan. And
this is the argument of our modern scholars. As for classical odema. We have even amongst the students of the Tabby rune, the students of the Sahaba excuse me, one of the Tabby scholars, this is the teacher of the teacher of Abu hanifa without him now, it is his name. He died 95. He died in the first generation he studied with some of the Sahaba and his view was
That if the skies are clouded if you cannot see the moon, then you ask the astronomers and you follow what the astronomers say. And you will start and end the month based upon that. Right now again, he made the the the clause that when it's cloudy, because put yourself in his shoes, why would you care if it's not cloudy, you can see the understand from their point, there's no need to get to the issue of if it's not cloudy. That's something that's coming. Now, we also have another of the one of the most famous aroma of the third century, his name is even potato. He was a polymath in potato was a poet and a mathematician and an alum. And he was one of those people who combines all
of these things. And he has well, even what Eva said that whoever knows astronomy, and he then is able to calculate from astronomical calculations when the healer can be seen, then even if it is cloudy, then that person must start the fast. Okay, so whoever understands astronomy, then he follows those calculations. And he is saying this one, the science of astronomy had barely developed and flourished in medieval Islam. This is early Islam, the science of astronomy became very, very, it reaches Pinnacle around the 12th century CE II. So that's around 1000 years ago. And the Muslims, as you all know, they lead the world in astronomy, these four kohana, Rama or even before that, and
they're basing their fatawa on the knowledge of astronomy at that time. So, based on this, many medieval odema followed those early scholars, and they said whenever it is cloudy, whenever you cannot see for whatever reason, the moon, you ask the astronomers and you get the verdict from them, can you see sorry, is the moon born or not? And if they say yes, you follow their their opinion and have them is a mammal hobbie who died 380 of them is the color of famous barbecue scholar, qaddafi who died 684 of them is a super key in 771. A super key is one of the most famous scholars of the shaffir method. And a super key has a very, very interesting point. I want to mention this in his
fatawa volume one page 210 and it's fatawa. He says that astronomy and a soupy died 771 so he died 700 years ago, okay, 700 years ago, a suitcase says that in our times, the knowledge of astronomy has now reached the level of yaqeen.
He's writing 700 years ago. He goes in our times the knowledge of astronomy has reached the level of your theme, and the visual seeing of the moon is not yaqeen. This is an amazing statement. If you know who he is, he is one of the Giants have shaffir and he wrote, the most important Biographical Dictionary of the Shafi scholars is called double authorship at Google. And he is one of the greatest scholars after remember, no in others, this is a super key. And he was also a companion of Ibn taymiyyah. But a rival he didn't like even Tamia, they were at the same time. They did not like each other at all, but they were contemporaries. They met each other and they knew each other. And
even Tamia was humbly and the soup key was was shafr, even Timmy was 30. The sub key was Shadi. So they had a lot of clashes intellectually, but they were greater than my both of them. And a sub key says that
the calculations are your thing. And the seeing is not your thing. Because a person might see something.
If anybody has actually attempted to see the hell out on the first day, you know what he's talking about? Okay, those of us who have never gone you have no clue. Those of you who have actually attempted you because in reality, the healer is only visible for
three minutes, four minutes, five minutes. If even that much, you just see it. And it's such a slither. It is literally just like a few millimeters in width from your perspective and angle. So you wonder is that my figment of my imagination? Was that to cloud was that this was that that? So as Suki says, and this is somebody writing 700 years ago imagine now if he were alive what he would say a Suki says calculations are you keen
and visual signing is not your thing. And the Sharia law says we have to follow the European over the non European over the London we follow the appeal over the London then he says and I really this was so good actually quoted in Arabic and and have it here
that
there will be those who claim that no astronomical calculations should ever be used whatsoever. And they will say that it is not allowed to go back to the astronomers jumilla 10 worth of sealer for anything.
So whoever wants to have this conversation,
not only to Kela mama and Mandela who are denied basura well Jaya Hello la calama ma This is a Suki saying this
We will only have dialogue with those who understand the science of astronomy and know what it is. As for the one who is ajar Hill, there is no point talking with this person, he doesn't understand that the science of astronomy and that it is yekini. This is subkey, writing 700 years ago, when science was so much behind what it is now. And he is saying that look, in order to fully appreciate this, you need to understand astronomy. And if you understand astronomy, you know that it is your claim. Now, I will tell you as well, it is 110% yogini. If you don't believe me, all you need to do is to look up the predictions of the eclipses of the Sun and Moon, they will predict it to you to a
millisecond exactly where you are, what time it will begin, what time it will end, we can calculate to a millisecond, the actual places where the sun and moon are going to be and what we can see what we cannot see what we cannot calculate whether your eye will see the astronomical moon that science cannot predict, because there's too many things. But science does know when the healer will be born theoretically means if you are above the horizon, if you are above the surface of the earth, if you didn't have the clouds. If you didn't have that, then yes, you could see the moon definitely. But we are. There's a whole horizon between us there's a whole atmosphere and the atmosphere of course,
it's going to affect the visual and the issue of the eyesight and whatnot. So the point is we know for el malleotrain when the when the birth is going to happen. So a Suki says that now by the when is he when is a suitcase photo? to be very clear, I'm not trying to insinuate a suitcase supporting the council. a suitcase photo is when it is cloudy. Because again, there's no need to discuss when it's not cloudy. The whole controversy in medieval Islam, when it's cloudy, what do you do? And a suitcase argument is go to calculation, no problem. Don't even worry about seeing the moon, if there's clouds and whatnot, go to the calculations and follow calculations. So this is something
that he is arguing for now, from this strand of Islam, which is very classical, modern odema have come and said, well, in our times, our circumstances dictate that we in fact speak about the beginning of the month, even if it's crystal clear or not, we need to know the dates in advance. And there are many famous rodella each one of whom is basically a galaxy in his own right. And I'll mention some of the main names amongst them of the most famous of the last generation who was really the the most intellectual thinker of 100 years ago is Shashi Tharoor, da Shashi Tharoor is the the luminary, he is the the the mover and shaker the thinker of Islam. That's really the the greatest of
modernity, which is before 100 years and Russia died 1935 1935 so 100 years ago, the name that the whole only knew to be shameful Islam was Rashida, everybody who was anybody new to Sheila, and he wrote by Jonathan Menotti, who was the editor. He's basically I mean, if you know anything about Islamic history, you know that she did a lot who he was, and he was one of you know, he was the most famous atom alive at the time, there's no question and Rasheed Rudolph, wrote a fatwa. In this regard, I'm going to quote some of it as well. The famous shareholders during World War Two, and beyond, died 1945 Shia, Muslim, and Marathi very famous Adam Schiff was on the Grand Mufti of
aneurysm. He also wrote a fatwa in this regard, as well, one of the famous scholars of Hadith, the most famous scholar of Hadith, before the modern shakaal. Bernie, before him, there was somebody by the name of Matt shocky, who died 1958 and machaca. The reason why especially he is so important is because generally, he follows the authority or the center of the school. So that's somebody that people assume would be ultra traditional or conservative. But when it came to this issue, he actually has a treaty's. He has an entire booklet of outlets that I have read and summarized. And this is a longer article to have him summarizing from that. But I have a check. He wrote an entire
treaties about the case for calculations, basically, what entire treaties and he is somebody who was a staunch follower of Mr. Mohammed and even taymiyah. He was a defender of that strand of Islam. And when it came to this issue, and he was a more head, and he edited Muslim Imam Ahmed, one of the first people to critically edit the largest edited collection is Ahmed Chacon and wrote many Hadith books. So he is associated with the heady the school, the 30 school and he is calling for calculations. You have another person not related to him mooch jacket, just the same last name, but not religious. And he also said this, the very famous chef, that many of you have the auto speaking
audience know she Holly Tantawi, who recently died a decade ago in the 1990s. He died, Chicago, Toronto. He is a household name amongst many of the outcomes here because he was really a polymath he as well supported this and I can go on and on shift Muslim has
A call, of course also called lobbying, our times need to shift. One of the most senior shifts alive in our times as well. The shift to Cobra Delta has an A sharp very low to their face, Alan Mulally, and many, many scholars, you can go on and on and on. This isn't a minority opinion. All of these names are big names. Some of them many of them are still alive. And of course, this photo was then adopted by the two, oldest and most respectable Western fatawa councils have them as the fifth Council in North America. And of them is the European film Council, which is headed by Chef qaradawi. And the European film Council has 200 odema who are generally living in the Arab world,
but they visit Europe a lot. And this photo was given when chef Bobo was the president, and she had her doorway and many of the famous aroma they gave the photo that calculation should be followed for for the new month. Now.
What can be done with the explicit heady fast when you see the moon and break your fast when you see them? What can be done with the exposit Hadith We are a nation that doesn't, right, and doesn't calculate the month is 29 and 30. What can be done with these ahaadeeth? Well,
the scholars who argued for calculations whether it was when it's cloudy, or whether it is in March are times, they have a number of ways of attempting to understand these ahaadeeth of them. Point number one, I'm gonna mention five points of them. They said that from the earliest of times, people like methodic, Abdullah Shaquille like even a storage, like other earlier than they understood that there are exceptions to this general rule.
So this is not a new opinion. Rather, the default, yes, should be visual, but there are exceptions. So because they understood that there are exceptions, so we can then see when those exceptions are, and they argue this is one of those times of those exceptions. Point number two, they said,
and this is a very key point, the act of seeing the moon is not the goal, it is the means to the goal, it is not their ibadah, it is the stepping stone to their ibadah. And if it's the stepping stone to their ibadah you're allowed to change that, but you cannot change the rebar. And this is well known the principal is agreed upon. And there are a million examples of them is the so forth lines that we have over here, or even the microphone.
Is it a bother to hear the voice of the car? directly?
Many scholars argued Yes, in the 50s and 60s, they said it is a bother to hear the voice directly.
Is it a bother to straighten the rows yourself?
Or is the goal to straighten the rows and if you have these lines, you've achieved the goal.
Many scholars argued it is wrong to put these lines, these lines that we have here, because it is an act of worship, to visually look and make sure it is straight. And these days, these opinions are almost gone. Because we understand the act of worship is to have straight lines. How you get to have straight lines is not an act of worship. The act of worship is too vast of Ramadan, not to see when the moon begins not to visually see. But whenever the healer is born, the month of Ramadan will come in. And also the same second point. What clearly demonstrates this, I don't know of any scholar who argues against calculations for moon sighting, who also argues against calculations for the Salawat
timings. I don't know of anyone. And that is inconsistent. In my humble opinion. If you don't agree with calculations for moon sighting, then these charts that we have should be thrown away. And no one should be using those charts as well.
Because we understand that we are not it's not an act of a bother to look at the sun and calculate activity brothers when his daughter I have to pray, Lord, that's very bad. How I get to that timing, I can look at the charts that are astronomers calculate, right, because that's what astronomers do are Muslim astronomers, they'll tell us so what is that 1227 Today, the hole comes in at 1231. Okay, they will tell us that any fudger comes in at this time and the sunrise will be at this time. This is the time you can prefer to where they get it from its from the calculations of astronomy, and they understand this. So the second point is that they argue it is not an act of worship to see the
sun and moon, the act of worship is the prayer. And if we can know the timings by other means, then we will do that. Number three, the third argument they say if you read what many of the medieval scholars said against calculations, you actually find many of their points aren't
Not against astronomy, they are against astrology. And that is because
1000 years ago, 700 years ago, many people involved in the science of the stars were also involved in the superstitions of the stars. It was almost one field almost. And so by rejecting this science, sorry, by rejecting the issue of astrology, they also ended up rejecting the astronomy by rejecting the mythical zodiacal signs and whatnot, they also ended up rejecting the astronomy, and we have to now realize there has been so many developments in the science of astronomy and in astronomers themselves. And so we need to take a fresh look. It's not fair to quote Eben Raja, when a bill Rogers understanding of the discipline is no longer the understanding of our times, do you
understand this is what I'm trying to say. You cannot quote somebody who's speaking about a discipline when that discipline has changed. Maybe if he were alive today, and he studied the discipline directly, he wouldn't have that perception. He wouldn't think that this is astrology or something. So this is another point that they argue that a lot of our classical odema when they oppose this, what they're opposing, is not modern science. They're opposing something else. Point number four, which is a very, very interesting argument. And Ahmed Shakur made this argument and it's a very powerful one.
And that is the following. What is the heads say?
We are an illiterate home.
We don't read or write. And we don't calculate
machaca this great, a 30, Salafi scholar, author of Hadith, I mean, not author, collector and editor of Hadith. He said,
Why don't you read the first half of the Hadeeth.
instead of jumping to the second half,
we are an illiterate nation. We neither read or write, nor do calculations. Who wants to apply that half?
Who's gonna want to be illiterate?
Who is going to say that we should not learn mathematics, we should not read and write.
The shear says, this hadith is not a verdict. It is a description.
1400 years ago, the average Muslim did not read and write.
And our Prophet system is saying, We don't read and write. So the month is like this. Once we can read and write and calculate, we no longer have to apply the second half. It is a statement of fact, and not a commandment. The Prophet says is making Islam easy. For the people who haven't gotten that level of reading and writing of development of mathematics. It's not a matter of them being better or worse, they are better than us in a man. And this goes back to energists point he said, If you say that you're going to use calculations and look at the sun and the moon and the compass, then you are saying that the setup were misguided? No. With my utmost respect, even Roger is incorrect here.
We are technologically more advanced than the setup. Of course, is anybody going to deny this? This phone is more technologically advanced than anything, even in the 80s and 90s? Much less than the time of the setup? Does that mean we're better than the setup? No. Does that mean we're better than that? Of course not. I will buckle or Muhammad Ali. They're going to gender not because of the iPhone. Frankly, this is not leading to gender, usually in other places, right? Nobody's arguing that technology makes you better. This is a mistake with my utmost respect for a budget to say that if we go to calculations, we're gonna say that they are misguided. No. They're Eamon and taqwa is
better than ours infinitely. But our technology is better than theirs. Can anybody deny that? our cars are electric electricity, I mean air conditioning, everything we have moved technologically. And it is not against Islam to go with that technology. Nobody is saying in our times that we shouldn't be driving cars, we go back. Can anybody argue this that? Oh, they rode camels, we have cars. If we are writing cars and getting faster than they're better than I mean, what is this? It's not an academic argument here is a bit of an emotional NSA. This is not with my utmost respect. This is not a valid argument. Nobody is saying that just because we have more secular knowledge, it makes
us better than them not at all. Their amount is different than secular knowledge. So as my checker says that this hadith is a description of the majority of Muslims of that time. It is not a commandment to remain illiterate. And we all agree all of us are literate, the Muslim Ummah is literate, we all agree. So he is saying, How come you're applying the second half and ignoring the first half doesn't make sense. The second half is meant to be applied when the situation of the oma is like the first half.
We are an illiterate nation, we are not going to calculate, okay? We are no longer an illiterate nation.
We do read, we do write, we do have knowledge of astronomy. So, we may now resort to that. That's his argument. And it's a very, very powerful argument. Because I don't know of any alum who says the oma should be omiya. I don't have any idea who says this, right? You understand what I'm arguing? You're right. Nobody says we should not learn how to read and write, don't send your kids to school. It's how long know the process of is not giving you a commandment he's describing. We are an ohmmeter. Oh, and they were an old metal back then. But we are no longer metal. So this is our chakras argument. The final argument, which is which I'm going to make, which is really the
strongest argument and it is very difficult to argue against.
And this is the one that I always quote, when I'm speaking with other people and dialoguing with other moms, this is the one that I resort to all five are valid, but number five is really open shut cases, this is very clear. And that is that the claim that we say, and I have said this and this has been my position even if you ever heard me after the hospital and somebody asked this what I say that look, let us even admit, let us agree that the quote unquote strongest opinion is we should have visual sighting, no problem, let us agree.
But the strongest opinion is not always the right one in every circumstance.
Let us agree from a purely theoretical perspective, if I were to read the books, if I were to read the seals, read the commentaries of Hadith, and live in a complete isolated bubble of room in an ivory tower, looking only at the books, let us agree with you that the strongest opinion we don't do calculation, even if we say this, the strongest opinion isolated in a room is not necessarily the strongest opinion in a particular society or circumstance, you have to look at the text and the context. And the real scholar is not somebody who can quote and paste from classical books, because Google can do that these days. The real scholar is the one to know when to apply, and when not to
apply. The real Adam is the one who looks at what is called an Arabic masala handler fasted the pros and the cons. And and this is a well known principle, all of them agree without exception, all of them are they have agree that sometimes you may choose a quote unquote weaker opinion over a quote unquote stronger one in a particular circumstance. And in that circumstance, that weaker opinion becomes the stronger opinion your standard point, right. This is agreed upon the principle theoretically, this is agreed upon that in this scenario, call us go ahead and choose the weaker opinion over the stronger one, okay. And there are a gazillion examples I can give that even I
sometimes I'd be every Shere Khan alum sometimes does this one. It is really a very major issue. Tokyo Dena Suki, the same as Suki. He says that the Mufti if he takes a weaker opinion, for the sake of a Muslim for the community over a stronger opinion, this is something that is allowed, even liberado and Hamburg, who is a very strict, very strict out of them, even even Rajab says that if you look here, and he mentions a particular photo of the past, he goes well, in our times, if we gave this photo, it would cause fitna and chaos, and it is permissible to leave the stronger opinion. And to go to a weaker opinion, if there is greater benefit in that weaker opinion over the
stronger opinion. This is even Roger who's generally a very, very strict atom. And my point is this is a well known principle shareholders and even taymiyah. And they've been telling me it was against calculations, he is the guy I look up to the most in the history of Islam. As you know, I am one of his biggest, you know, admirers and followers, and he was against calculations. But he said that it is allowed for the alum to take a weaker opinion and make it the stronger one if he feels that the benefits are gonna far outweigh the community by taking the weaker opinion. And this is what happens in most of the armor of the children of Adam. You look at the effects of your fatwa, you don't just
copy and paste, you see what is going to happen. And then you look at the effects of that. So this is the argument that is called the Muslim argument. The Muslim means you look at the pros of this factor, and you weigh it against the cons. And when you do so, you can say, Okay, this is the weaker opinion theoretically I agree to, but in the context we are living in, it must become the stronger opinion.
So we say because we are a minority living in a land of gopher because see the government's not going to declare a holiday on eat
You're living in a land that you are the minority and circumstances are different. So because of this the Muslim argument we say, Hello us, we agree it is the weaker opinion, theoretically, but realistically it becomes the what the stronger one. And there are so many pros Muslim has for this opinion. And I mentioned, eight of them are very critical over them. Number one,
the possibility of Muslim unity, or at least a sizable majority of one locality, that if we go with this calculation, and the majority of massages agree, we have the possibility of unity. Now, I say it's going to take some time, it's going to take some time, but eventually, we can have a large group and anecdotally, there was a survey done informally.
Around 50% of the massage of North America are already following calculations already, even though one 2006 they said the federal or the verdict, hardly any much just followed. Within 10 years, half the community is already following my prediction is within the next 10 years, 90% will be following this my prediction. Okay, if not before that, so the first you actually have unity, number two,
achieving family harmony for the same rate.
Now Alhamdulillah, we are blessed in Memphis, we are truly blessed, that our massages are united, I can assure you, that is not the case in the majority of US cities, if you've ever lived anywhere else I have, that is not the case. And if your cousin, your brother, your uncle, your nephew, even your son or daughter is living in a different zone,
they will have to battle between two different rates. Families themselves are divided over eight.
Number three of the Muslim has of having calculation is you avoid the wasting of Muslim money and of resources by having the need to book the same hole twice.
Backup dates, what do is read Oh, 17 and 18, I'll play double.
This is Muslim money as it is we're struggling to build what we need as it is we are and you're going to pay double for the largest all in this density because of a position. Again, this isn't a Muslim land where everything's free, just go to the eat God just walk outside and comparing their ego, there is no ego, there is no money there, you have to go and rent the hall. This is our money, that we're literally just writing a check and cutting half of it and throwing it away. It's our resources that we are wasting. If we follow the other number, what am I known for number four,
increasing the read attendance, especially amongst Muslims who either a are not that religious anyway, or be their job circumstances don't allow them to just take off last minute.
If you can announce beforehand, that he is on the 17th of this month, he does on the 25th of that month, then people have wiki man who maybe they're gonna let you know they can call us or email come. But if you're going to say we don't know 2425, you're going to have both of these categories, those who are struggling with human even to pre read as we know, and those that their jobs, their engineers, their doctors, their their pilots, they are having a surgery, they cannot have a surgery either this day or that day. You have to tell specifically, what day can you be off. So we will increase read attendance dramatically, and for a good percentage of Muslims. And I know it's
shocking to some of you here. That is the only time they pray in the entire year.
And if we are going to deprive them of that I say I said this to a group of emails in the city I went to, I said, well law he My dear brothers do not make this mistake that because of your version of Islam, you will deprive generations after of their Islam. Because these are people that their only connection with Islam is read. And if you're gonna follow the stricter fatwa, they might not even come for it. The only time they're kids, even though they're Muslim, is on the day of read. They'll come in there and I have met people like this. I have met people like this, even here in Memphis, believe it or not. I hope you're not shocked at this. You should all know. There are people
that they have no connection with Islam, except on the day of read. And if they don't know when it is, they're not even going to come on that day. These are kids that are going to be brought and told you're Muslim. You're going to deprive them of that because you think you are following your version of what to surrender. No. This is not the case. And I'm very much against this because I believe frankly literally I believe it is a matter of preserving Islam. Literally people's emotions will be
saved, if you can announce read in advance for those group of people and also for religious Muslims whose jobs don't allow them to take two days off. There are too many of us have been, sometimes even myself is problematic I have there have been times in my own life where from the read Salah, I've had to go in my read clothes. I remember one year, I actually gave the whole job here in Memphis. And in my garments, I had a car, it was the I could not skip that class for the reason I had to go and teach wearing sherwani and roads. I went, cool, I'm not complaining. But I'm sure doctors are not going to have a surgery. And there should have been the either, you know, I'm saying. So my
point is just giving a anecdotal incident. Forget the example. The point is, there are people whose jobs are not just up in the air that I can just take off. And especially in this culture, and especially if it's a very high skill job, like a surgery or a job that they might get fired, if they just take off. If they tell their boss in advance, look, I'm going to work an extra day and the 17th, I'm going to take off, they can manage. So for their eat read, we really have to think about the issue of of calculations. Also point number five now.
We are working hard across this country to get read declared as a state and national and federal holiday. Already in two states this has happened.
Now in those states, what do you expect? Which position Are you going to follow?
Well, like it's just a no brainer.
And those states, New York, schools are off.
Minnesota, either it's coming or it's close. It's not quite there yet, but in Charlotte be very close and other states as well. work is being done.
And we want to declare a federal holiday. We're going to try that in sha Allah as a community. And in sha Allah. I mean, it's not unrealistic to have as a federal holiday and at least at the state level, where communities of Muslims are large. What do you expect this is going to be public Dawa, that it's in the calendar of the school, everybody knows, everybody knows Hanukkah, the Muslim kids don't have to go, Why? Because it's in the school calendar, we want to have eight there as well. It's that way. And it is something that will allow our kids to attend as a national and a holiday. So we're aiming for this is already happening. And that's why I said it's a given in New York, how
long will the people have visual sighting last, when the school is off on that day? Think about it. It's just, they're there, it's inevitable Change is inevitable. But anyway, that's
they're gonna try for a while, but eventually it will be gone. So the point is, we want it to be a national holiday. And that can only happen if we follow the calculation. And we know when it will be done before. Number six, statistically speaking, more than half for at least half of the massage is already following the calculation. And given the dynamics and given the practicality and ease of this opinion, it is a given that the next generation, our children, as they come of age, when they become the board presidents when they become the ones in charge, they will not care about these controversies between the uncles,
they have a life to live. And this controversy between the elders will become ignorant irrelevant to them. And so they will cast aside the filk stuff, and they're just gonna go with the with the, with the calculation, therefore, it makes sense for us to take charge, we care about the issue, we will set the parameters, we will explain the fix, we want to keep the dignity of filk. If we don't do it, another generation will come that doesn't care about the fifth, they just want the practicality. So it's better we take charge from now. And we dictate the terms and we explain the fifth. And we explained, for example, that this is not the default, it is an exception. The default is visual, I
don't mind saying that. Yes, the default is you go with the visual, but this is an exceptional circumstance because of how we are living. Number seven. Number seven, I'll stop at number seven, the others are a bit more. So number seven.
I have been advocating calculations for the last 10 years or so. 2005 when I came back, I was against calculation very much against it. And this is what happens. Again, I'll tell you as a personal narrative, look,
you are studying with respected or Lama and you genuinely and you should respect them. These are people of iemand of taqwa. They are your mentors and teachers you have a relationship with them. You see in them in class and Zod and they're in and they're all saying calculations are how long?
What do you expect of course, you will come back and say yes calculation Hello, my teachers in between all of them calculations. It's understood. But you see, they are living in a different land and a different place and a different environment. And I did not go or we did not go to just copy and paste their fatawa
Otherwise I didn't need to go and study you could have just call them up directly and get that. The real goal of fifth is to see which selections need to be changed and which selections are stands to. And most of our graduates have the mother says, and understandably, most of the graduates of the seminaries and whatnot, they just want to go with the flow.
They have studied in Rome, they have studied in Medina, they've studied in Africa. And by and large, the majority say, visual, understandably, those are Muslim countries. Then when they come to America, they will continue giving that same fatwa understandably. So. What changes only when you get involved in the community like I did, I was in New Haven. For five years, I gave their input but they're involved in the masjid and you really begin to see, this fatwa is causing problems to human beings. And Islam did not come to cause problems to human beings. This fatwa is not tangible. This fatwa is harming attendance, it is wasting our resources. You need to see that and then you begin to
realize, you know what, let me really think about this issue. Is this something we cannot change? You're not and then you realize, you know what, there is this minority opinion, and it makes a lot of sense or a lot more pros. And then you realize, oh, Chef Carla, we and Chaka Chaka, there's a long list of aroma. It's not Yes, and Hardy, there are 50, great Roma, more than 50 to give me a number of just there are many of them of our time that are saying this, why can't I follow this fatwa and change it for the sake of the community. So I don't remember the exact year but 2008 or nine or so I began to realize, you know, this is the the correct opinion. But at the time, no,
national Olive or chef was saying for calculations, it was only the fifth council then. And there were the people there were not considered to be you know, the different types of people there. And the more I spoke with Rama and Imams, and to attend to you, there was hesitancy. But over the last 10 years, what I have discovered is that there is a cataclysmic shift taking place in the minds of the people of my generation and younger,
more and more
damage to art among students of knowledge, you more of them are agreeing with calculations. But and this is the sad point.
What is the issue? The backlash from the community?
Because the community has been taught that calculations are harder.
So when a share comes and says, oh, but you know, there is another opinion.
Well, for the last 15 years, the mustard going folks, the mustard boards, the lay people, they are now believing calculations to be progressive Islam, the same people that have women led the moms, they're the ones even though that's not true, that's the perception. So when a mainstream share for other causes as well, it is acceptable. The committee is like no, I can quote been bars and full on an island. And they all say this and that and my Mufti back home and Indian boxer. And that said, You're shocked because these are great drama. And they are, but they are not getting fatwas. For America. They're not living in this land. It's a different place, different world, different
culture. so unbelievably,
for fear of the backlash from communities.
scholars are quiet.
And I say to them, if you're not going to take charge, who will? And I tell you, in my own experience, traveling across North America, my anecdotal experience, the majority of the moms I have spoken to have changed their minds. And there are pro calculations now. Even though 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I was against it. But see, experience teaches you what books do not teach,
experienced teaches you what your own Messiah do not teach you.
And these scholars that have come back from these mother houses and whatnot, and now they're living in their communities, and they're seeing the problems they are now seeing you know what this last point I mentioned the Muslim argument, forget everything else, even though they're all strong arguments. How last we agree it is a weaker argument. It's a weaker opinion, no problem. But for our circumstances, it becomes the stronger opinion.
This is now anecdotally the majority opinion amongst the clergy. Who is opposing it? the masses, and why do the masses have power? Because the clergy are employed by the boards, the clergy have? This is the issue comes now. If I say something, my committee is going to reject me. And I want to tell you, I'm not going to mention the city's name but I attended a conference in a large city of the majority of massages and the moms came together 25 all of them graduates of Islamic University. These aren't just no these are Roma and imams.
You. And we had a gathering of a very large city, and all of these imams came. And the issue was over the moon sighting and the topic and what are your community do 80% of them. They said it is visual, we go with visual. Okay? We're going to see them. So the city is upon visual. So, and I knew because I've done this across the country, I know exactly what's going on. I said, I suggest there's my suggestion. I said, Look, I want you all to take a piece of paper, I cut it up, I gave it to them. I said no names, anonymous survey.
With without any names mentioned, would you like to see the community adopts calculations?
When they answered anonymously, 80% of them said yes.
in the same city, where 80% of them massage and 90% of doing visual, right there, community leaders don't want visual, but they're too scared to say it.
And this is another problem hamdulillah Al Hamdulillah I'm leaving this blessing community but you have never given me any issues. And I've always spoken my mind, you know this, but you know, this freedom that I have many other imams don't have it, you know this, and this is a problem of the oma. When the Imam is too scared to speak what he believes to be the truth was gonna happen. Some kind of, you know, when he's scared for his job, when he thinks that if I give this fatwa, the committee is gonna board's gonna fire me with a bit of what type of any what type of you know, so this is the issue that they're having is that we're gonna get a lot of, or it's not even firing, it's not a
firing, it's a matter of controversy. It's a matter of labeling Oh, this is a progressive amount, right. So his respect is going to drop and because of this, they are quiet. So my point in giving this lecture is to add to that tipping skills to just make this public here and to make this a topic of conversation. And I find this point of Muslim to be an open shut argument. It is watertight as they say, it is a no brainer. And every one of you in this audience knows the pros of having the days of either normal on beforehand, it's a no brainer. And if we can just get our own Amani moms to be more open and public insha Allah within a few years inshallah, it will become calculations only
to conclude some simple points that listen, and all when all is said and done. Those callers who sincerely sincerely believe that the visual sighting is the sooner and that they believe that calculations go against the sooner we should respect that sincerity.
Alhamdulillah they love the prophets of Allah. And they think that they're following the Sunnah and will lie in these days. Anytime you meet somebody who cares about following the Sunnah helgen, Michel was becoming something rare, right? So the fact that this year this alum, he thinks that following the visual is following, the sooner we say May Allah reward you for your sincerity. We love this. Wanting to follow the Sunnah. Don't be dismissive. realize he has the bulk of the oma not you. 14 centuries visual, you're coming with the minority position, right? So respect that don't trivialize it. However, following the sooner doesn't necessarily mean following the fifth position
that you are following. That is because the sun that can be interpreted in different ways, and I've given you many times in the lectures, I've given you the incident of the bundle, Pura vida, where the Prophet system said to the Sahaba,
pray us at Bernal corridor.
And we know what happened.
The sooner is there, how you interpret it is another level.
So with my utmost respect to the majority of scholars, I say that what I am advocating and what your machaca advocated and what rushydro the advocate and what your club is advocating. It is not against the sooner
we believe it is with this one.
That's the whole point who gets to define this? That's your interpretation that you think is the sooner but like Ashoka argued No, it is not. You only take half you ignore the first part. It's a description, not a command. Like others argue the Muslim had the Sunnah is the group to come together. The goal of the Sharia is to protect Islam. And that will be done by having calculations right. And this is again, so many incidents can be found when you look at the Musleh more than the literal sooner. And then back to the Sahaba themselves. The famous incident that even Massoud was asked about praying Lord and acid in the time of Hajj, should you pray for or two he said I did
hydrate the profits. I set it up and I pray to God, I pray to the God we pray to look I'll go to the castle. Then with Manuel de la Juan for reasons beyond the scope of our lecture. today. He preferred
Raka, right? Even Massoud said, how would our quota 11 law then he stood up and prayed for
behind Earth man. His students said, You're the guy who said to us that the sooner is touriga and then you prayed for? He said, Yes The sun is to. But breaking away from the Gemma is a worst sin than praying photocard for for what's not a sin as Okay, so it's not wrong. So here's the point that he saw the greater goal, the greater Muslim is to stick with the Jabbar. This is the argument that we are making who the villa for trying to go against the villa the villa. It's not what we want to do the we believe this is the spirit of the student. This is what the Sunnah would want us to do. That is our argument. So the other side wants to follow the synergies aka Lacan, but don't accuse us
of going against this. We have our interpretation of the Sunnah, and we believe and I firmly believe that this position is more in line with the goals of the Sharia and the spirit of the sooner than the other position. And more important than any fifth position, my dear brothers and sisters is Muslim unity.
We need to stop arguing with harshness, we need to stop debating in a matter of demeaning and that hamdulillah Al Hamdulillah. This year, the two main bodies and the fifth Council, we have opposite views. I am cooperating with Anja and I'm a member of the fifth council to the American Muslim jurists Association says you have to follow visual and the world the first visual will follow it and you will hear I'm just email will come out in a day or two, whether it has been cited or not there on the citing. And the fifth Council, which I'm a part of is calculation. Both of our groups released a statement. The first said, We prefer visual the second said we prefer calculation. And
then it concluded, but more important is unity. So if your community is going with the other opinion, go with your community, ignore our opinion. Both groups have said this. And that is why stuff well, I'm not trying to brag or boast but since I came to Memphis, this has been my pin this is not something new. And those of you have heard me after hospitals, you know this for 10 years or nine and a half years this has been my opinion, yet Memphis is still following visual Why? Because of unity.
Because unity is more important than fill position. The goal is to bring about change. And I have been working I had been working for the last four years, I took five years to establish myself with the other massages and community for the last four years, I was actively working with the other communities and we were we were getting there, progress was being made. And if I had stayed, then inshallah, the goal would be to bring this to calculation. But if I'm not here, then somebody else should continue this because I firmly believe this is the way forward. But for me unity was more important than my own 50 position. So I sacrificed the position that I firmly believed in for the
sake of Memphis and unity, and I will do the same anywhere I'm going perhaps the next committee according has the same issue, but we will stick with the jamara but to work within the JAMA to try to change this to another opinion. And never forget the beautiful Hadith and Sunnah Timothy, and it's a very interesting Hadith, where you wonder what is the purpose of this hadith?
The prophet of Islam said, a somo, Yeoman masamune will feed through Yama to Pharaoh.
The song is the day that you begin the song.
And the filter is the day that you have the filter. Isn't that a strange Hadith? The Psalm is the day you do the song. And the filter is the day you do the filter. What does that mean? The Prophet system is saying, even if you made a mistake, but the community is doing it, that is the real day. You didn't make a mistake.
What a beautiful Howdy. So a someo moto Sumo.
And that's why community is more important.
Even if I believe the other position is wrong causing problems for us here in Memphis. The song is when we all agree to some even this year, we will follow visual even though I'm against visual because this of this heady, having the JAMA of the Muslims, the goal is 234 years, we've got come to the other position, which is now the default in America. Most societies in America are doing the calculations. And the final point, my dear brothers and sisters and that is that my lecture today was meant to be awareness lecture. In the end of the day, this is a public lecture. And it is not the role of the average Muslim to become a fillet or Mufti just like to give you a class on any
issue of fit for your benefit. The people who will make this decision are the Imams to show you the roadmap, right? Your job can be to facilitate to ask to dialogue to bring about issues, no problem, no problem.
But who makes the ultimate decision, it must be the people of knowledge of any community. And so across this country, we will ask the people of knowledge to be in charge. And it is not the role of the board to give 50 positions, it is not the role of the masjid board to choose between these two, they should give their local or whatever. And if the local aroma, decide visual Hamdulillah, so be it, but the board and the community has the right to ask questions of their lemma. But the authority should be to the aroma. And that is why even if those ruler marks a visual, even if I'm opposed to it, I say the community goes with them. Because authority belongs in the hands of its odema filthy
authority. I mean, right. But the goal is raising public awareness so that those are the men who are intimidated, who feel shy, they should be told there's support behind you, we will support you in this regard. Or those are the man who are just simply following what their scholars say, without genuine research. You say, you know what, you know, there's this book, this lecture has been given what not, and maybe they can broaden their own horizons because factually, this is a minority opinion. It's not surprising that they haven't done extensive research is not their fault, because the default is visual. So that's what they know. So you can bring up to them you know, I have heard
a lecture Have you ever heard that you have always says this the book of grammar checker, I'm just asking as a layperson Have you read it, you know, just bring up these things, no problem. But obviously in the end of the day, who will actually make the decision it will be the people of knowledge and with this is that Allah subhanaw taala keeps our hearts united and said Allah subhana wa tada always allows us to tolerate these differences in the spirit of fifth and never allows differences to get to our hearts. I pray that Allah subhanho wa Taala blesses us this thermobonded all future normal bonds that Allah subhana wa tada that allows us to reach this month and end this
month with having all of our sins forgiven. May Allah subhana wa tada accept our fasting and accept our pm and accept our recitation. May Allah subhana wa tada bless us to stand on later to others in this night, may Allah subhana wa tada make this Ramadan, our best Ramadan ever and every subsequent demo been better than the previous one such that the the best trauma bond that we ever do is our last normal bond. And that I'm all done that before we meet a lot of high net what we're after that one and in hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa sallahu wa sallam a bollock Adam Hamilton, he was my vision mine. Are there any questions inshallah now we can take them and then dismiss as well?
Yeah.
So the question is, what is the context of this Hadeeth of We are an only home. So the argument from the camp that argues for calculations is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wanted to make Islam simple for the people. And he didn't want for them to have to go to this.
astronomical, you know, calculations what not one, this is something that is unknown amongst them. So he's saying, look, we are a nation that we don't do these things, when you see the moon fast when you don't see it, you know, don't fast, simple as that. So, the prophet system wants to simplify things for the people. In our times the simplification is calculations. The exact opposite the goal of the Sharia is being met via calculations. That's really what the argument is.
Excellent point there.
Excellent point. So there is a small window of variables that you have an option to do the same goes for example for for budget and Asia, right, the charts that we have, how are they calculated? So what angle of the Sun Are you going to take to be beginning of budget and Asia? Is it the same and there are methods out there you have 19 degrees, you have 18, you have 17 and a half 17. You have even 14 and 13 and even 12. There's a position, very rare position.
But you have between this percentile, right, from 12 to 19, the default is basically 19, or 17, or a little bit less 16 than that, and each one has a position is now has a position. And like I said, Who's going to exactly define, because Allah says in the Quran that eat and drink until you can see the right the white, the white thread from the black thread, who amongst us, again, going back to the issue of calculation, who goes and looks outside and sees the white thread from the vector number one, number two, if you were to take 10 people and go to the middle of the desert, and ask each one of them, and actually the Phil Council has done this, and groups and Andrea have done this,
they have taken a group of people, Messiah scholars, and this is in California, they go to the mountain, and they sit down each one of them, and they get a paper and pen and no one can see the other. And each one is said write down the timing that you think is the facade of the Federal cabinet, etc. and amongst all of them, there's a window, because he had the in the end of the day, right? Who's gonna, exactly a lot did not reveal numbers for 17 degrees, 19 degrees, it's a generic statement, which is why By the way, my position is, we should not make Islam that strict and difficult. I've said this many times, if you wake up, you can all take advantage of this further
from me, if you wake up and there's two minutes left for your chart timing, go ahead and drink some water and take a date or two even if you go half a minute beyond what is in the chart. The chart the your watch does not decide the beginning of budget, there is Pun intended a gray area, right? Don't do this as the default. Don't play games with the shediac and have your support before that time. But it'll happen to me it'll happen to you will wake up oh my god, five minutes left Russia the kitchen. Okay. Bismillah don't need half an hour after that time, but 234 minutes, whatever you can do, you are forgiven inshallah, it's not even a concession because it's a gray area. You see my
point here? So this is my point is that this ultra strictness it goes against the spirit of the Jedi and Allah knows best.
Yes, so amongst astronomers, amongst astronomers, there is a very much consensus, I want to say 19 hours after the birth of the moon, but I do know that you have the right to say 17 and a half or what not. But by and large, there is a default position that after the birth of the new moon, by so many hours, we will consider it if it if it's still going to be within the visible timeframe, then we will consider this to be on this day. So this is something that agreed there is a minor data for variables amongst astronomers, but that if the life is insignificant, number one, number two, once the committee goes by it, that whole us it becomes precise. Once you're a scientist, once you put in
the variable has the equation will be certain you can decide the variables and groups and committees can decide will we take 17 and a half hours after or 19 hours, this is the main issue and is the difference of one and a half hour. So and so it's only going to come into play once every how many years when motive comes within that one hour frame. Generally speaking will not cause any impact to show.
Yeah, it can be done in Sharla not a problem. Michelle doesn't talk to sugar.
Because another version says * the ruler
for an almighty come * with the ruler. What is the mean cockadoodle level? They understood it to mean calculations. Duck deer can be calculation. So there's an alternative wording right? So the humble is and whatnot, they say accumulator Salatin right, there is a strand of the Shafi school
championed by Suki and others, and even before even Suraj and others. They said that Oh, the Heidi says, and I didn't go into that whole tangent because we only have an hour and a half. So I didn't go into this issue. But the issue is the wording of the Heidi. There's two warnings. One of them are committed that it in which case no thing and that is the default. Yes, which is why it is a minority position even within the classical schools hold any other questions.
So I would agree that
the need is not as dire in a Muslim majority country
It's not as dire that we need to know beforehand, when the government is going to declare a federal holiday, everything is going to be shut.
It's a much more big leeway. But even then, in the modern world, flights and things and what not, I mean, so if the scholars of that land want to take the calculation issue, and by the way, so again, all at the time is so limited, as usual, there's so much to say. Turkey has been trying to take a lead on this for the last decade or so. And seven years ago, six years ago, they had a global international halal conference composed of Roma and astronomers. And they wanted to release a global calendar, that would be based on calculations. And, again, many of them are supported. And many of them I didn't, that's just the reality, okay. But Turkey is a Muslim majority country. And they're
attempting to have now a calc a calendar, that will be universal and global for the oma. Because even if they want to do it, if the rest of Duma doesn't follow, it's not going to work, you have to have the bulk of the following. So the project is there. And they're supposed to have another conference. I don't know next year, the after a year after but you know, now politics come into play. And how much to be said, you get the point. Now, that's also problematic now, right? So some handle 678 years ago, when they had the conference, it was very promising. And they said, holla, us in three, four years, we'll all come together again. And basically, the majority agreed that it
makes sense, right? But now politics comes into play, and
dot dot dot along with Stan. Yes.
Which is why calculations make sense. Nobody is going out and looking at the other months. And that is why sometimes sometimes very rarely, that there have been issues like even this month, we don't actually know whether it is the 28th today or the 27th.
because nobody's been watching the previous months, you know, and there have been cases because of this, where some months have been 28 days because of this. So if you eliminate the visual and say the visual is not what is the inlet or the cause it is the birth of the moon, then you've eliminated all of this. I remember clearly when I was eight or nine years old. in Medina, we were in last 10 days when I was a child was a child 1984 8084 I think when I was a child in Medina,
it was the 28th night. You're in luck at the time. Okay, so we all went to sleep. Okay. And my parents are waking me up after fudger that today's today's either like, What do you mean, today's the 29th? Right? No, but everybody's praying, eat. Ramadan, that year was 28 days.
84 Yeah. 84 I remember that as a, I was a eight, nine year old child. You know, I remember that vividly. Like what? not supposed to be really I'm trying to because I was a child not comprehending, like, you told me read this. After tomorrow, what it can be read is that, and then obviously, that why is this because again, when you're going to go with visual only for Ramadan, what's going to happen? You're not caring about Shabbat. You're not caring about show. Well, you're not care about Rajiv, you're not caring. And so if you only care about Ramadan, then you might actually get this issue, which is why again, it just makes sense. You just go to the calculation Bismillah is good.
And
we won't care about the visual once we go with the calculation. That's the point.
No, every day will be the day we did do it. That's what the headache says. That's the point is that visual will become not. It's just like the the the the so forth lines here. Nobody visually goes back and forth, because it's there. Right? So the the issue of visual is not a bad. It's not linked anymore. And maybe once in a while there will be a date that you see don't see. But by and large, the astronomical calculations will be more faithful to the reality than the visual will be okay.
Yeah, that's another issue. The further north and the further south regions and our scholars in the past have spoken about this issue.
Even in the 11th or 12th centuries, there were a group of Muslims, Europeans who converted in the land of bulevar. Bulgaria is a famous incident. And in that land up north, which is close to the Nordic countries back then it's not the modern Bulgaria, it was closer to the Nordic countries. There were some European Muslims at that time. Turkish Muslims were converted what not? So the Hanafi scholars of Istanbul, they gave the fatwa here, what is to be done with the Muslims of Boko Haram? And they have an opinion and then our times is what we have our opinions over there. But again, this is another point to be added to all of this inshallah, let's finish up because we're
gonna never finish.
So there's, there's a preferential treatment to some Muslim countries over others. And we see this every single year.
And the big daddy in the room is Saudi Arabia. Okay, if the moon is sited in
Mali,
it doesn't carry the same weight, as if it's sited in Saudi Arabia. And we see this every single year. The hypocrisy. Anyway, I have I have my strong views as well, of this global moon issue. I have rarely seen somebody who's consistent in that. They always find a way out, oh, only Molly Sartor, only whatever, you know, Guinea, Chad, whatever, they Who are they to see the hole or something as a mistake. So they're willing to neglect that as well. By the way, and again, time is limited, so much can be said. It is a very strange fatwa with my with my utmost respect to the committee's that say this to say, we will only accept calculations in negating a sighting, but not
in affirming it. This is the photo of Amazon All right, they will negate a sighting based upon calculation, but they will not affirm based upon calculation. Listen, if you follow the Hadith, there's no such thing as calculations throw the window, right? But the standard fatwa of all of these bodies is we will only accept a visual sighting, if it is conformity with calculations. So if somebody says that I saw the moon, and they say the moon hasn't been born, they will reject that. But then you're using the same Hadith to reject the calculation. And now you're accepting it to reject the sighting. And I find that and I know they I know they're fatawa I know what they say. My
opinion with my utmost respect. I don't agree I don't buy it as I'm trying to say I they they're finding a way out but in any case is all the time is late. So we have announcements for turabian what not we'll do that after Saturday's show load data collected sent on Monday.