Shaykh Isam Rajab’s Answer to ISNA Controversy

(source)

Question:

Assalamu alaikum

i have just learned that ISNA, ICNA and some other groups in Canada will be going with the North American Fiqh Council’s decision to decide Ramadhan by calculation ONLY. Now in my city there were 2 main groups, the so called “global” who in my opinion really dont follow a global sighting but rather a Saudi sighting which i have still not found any proof for. the other group was a ‘local’ sighting thru a Hilal Committe” Now we have this 3rd group who will be using calculations… Whom should i go with keeping in mind my family will be going with the ICNA/ISNA calculations? I used to put great importance to the hadith recorded in at-tirmidhi which stated (paraphrased): “….your fast when the people fast………” and used to go with the local sighting which the majority of Muslims went with in our city and country. However, with this new decision i have no clue who is doing what.

jazakAllaahu khair

Answer by Shaykh Isam:

Final ISNA Thoughts

I wanted to mention some final thoughts on this ISNA issue, and try to post some thoughts on what we can do, and give a quick summary of the issues.

The use of calculations exclusively to establish the start of Ramadan with the abandonment of sighting is not precedented in Islamic history, nor has any scholar ever approved it, not even the ones quoted by Zulfiqar Ali Shah himself.

In reality, this is all that needs to be said. Trying to justify it after having established this basis is futile.

The reason that this is important is because

Zulfiqar Ali Shah’s Fiqh Paper on MoonSighting #3

On page 31 he says after quoting various opinions regarding sighting, and the number of witnesses required, etc,

…actual sighting cannot be called as the categorically absolute rule of Islam where there is no difference of opinion…

While this may be true, in the opinions he quoted, none of them actually pointed to calculations actually being one of those opinions.

This point may seem a bit redundant, but

Zulfiqar Ali Shah’s Fiqh Paper on MoonSighting #2

On page 11 he states that there is an “overwhelming majority” of scholars opposed to the calculations but that “there have always been voices of dissent among the three schools of thought with the exception of the Hanabilah…” He says only a “minute minority” disagree, but many of the contemporary scholars disagree.

It should be asked here, even employing some “scientifically logical arguments”, which would be closer to the truth? The interpretation of the scholars before, or the ones after?

Dr. Shah quotes ibn Daqeeq al-’Eid on page 12 to prove that

Zulfiqar Ali Shah’s Fiqh Paper on MoonSighting #1

I will begin a look at Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah’s paper presented to the Fiqh Council of North America entitled “Astronomical Calculations: A Fiqhi Discussion”

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a faqeeh, or anything like that, but I am just pointing inconsistencies within the paper itself that I have noticed.

If you need some background on all of this, read the previous posts on the issue insha’Allah. With that said, let’s take a look at what is actually in this paper that ISNA references for their newfound policy.

Page 1 begins

ISNA Disunites the Ummah - Critical Look at the Issues

This moonsighting business is a serious issue and the more I read about it, and see people’s reactions, the more disheartening it gets. In this post I plan to post my thoughts on a few of the arguments floating around, and offer my thoughts on Zulfiqar Ali Shah’s 52 page paper on this issue that was presented to the “Fiqh” Council in my upcoming posts (yes, I actually read it).

There’s a few things, first is this article I found. It is a direct counter to the ISNA smear campaign against Saudi Arabia. I should make a caveat here, I am not arguing one way or the other on if we should follow Saudi or not (that’s a different debate), but my intention here is to expose some of the lies and propaganda of ISNA. Here is one example. In one part they say Saudi is using calculations, then they say the Saudi’s have an incorrect calendar, then they say that Saudi’s ignore the calendar if a trustworthy person sights the moon? Which is it?

In the same vein,

More ISNA: IRREFUTABLE Astronomical Calculations

ISNA’s irrefutable and perfect calculations have pegged the start of Ramadan to be September 23, and the first of Shawwal to be October 23rd. On a whim I checked IslamicFinder’s calendar, and lo and behold: They have the first of Ramadan as being September 24. (this astronomy site also seems to have calculated differently)

Oh. My. God. The calculations are different??? Who would have ever imagined?! I thought the calculations were being used by ISNA due to their

The ISNA Debacle

Insha’Allah I hope that this is my final post on the moon sighting issue. Unfortunately I have noticed via comments and other blog posts, that what it seem like it boils down to is a blatant disregard (and ignorance) of the Sunnah of our Noble Prophet (saw). If this was not the case, then how could people be in favor of thier current moon-calculating policy and election of a female president.

This quote from Ibn Hajar - one of the pre-eminent scholars of jurisprudence and hadith that this ummah has ever seen (and will probably never see the likes of again) said,

In Fath al-Bari (4/127), ibn Hajar comments on the statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), “We do not write and we do not calculate”:

This is a clarification that this was their condition. The Arabs were called Ummiyyun because (the knowledge of) writing was rare amongst them. Allah (تعالى) says, “He is the one who sent amongst the Ummiyyin a messenger from amongst them.” This is not affected by there being those who could write and calculate amongst them, because writing was very rare amongst them. What is meant by calculations is calculation of the heavenly bodies and their course of motion. They did not know that with the exception of very few. Thus, he connected the ruling of fasting and other than it with sighting (ru’yah) to eliminate from the hardship of calculating the course of motion and the ruling for fasting remained in that fashion even if there came after them those who have knowledge of that. In fact, the apparent meaning seems to indicate that the ruling is not connected to calculation. This is clarified by his statement in the previous hadith, “If it is hidden from you by clouds, then complete the number thirty” and he did not say, “then ask the people of calculations.” The wisdom in that is that all of the mukallafin will be equal in regards to this if it is cloudy, so then there will be no dispute amongst them. However, a group has adopted the position that the people who calculate the course of heavenly bodies should be referred to, and they are the Rawafid. It is related from some fuqaha’ that they concurred with them. Al-Baji said, “The ijma’ (consensus) of the Pious Predecessors is a proof against them.” Ibn Bazizah said, “This is a batil (false) view, and the Shari’ah has prohibited delving into the knowledge of the heavenly bodies because it is conjecture and guesswork, it does not supply certainty or even preponderant likelihood, and had the order been connected to that, the affair would become restricted and only a few would know it.”

Ibn Battal said, “The hadith demonstrates that the estimation of the heavenly bodies according to the laws of calculation is not given consideration. Only sighting the new moons is relied upon and we have been prohibited from takalluf (excessiveness). There is no doubt that taking into consideration that which is hidden to the extent that it can only be perceived based on conjectures is extreme takalluf.”

(jazakallahu khayr to the brother that islamicsciences for translating this).

Alhamdulillah the issue is

More on ISNA Moon(calculating)

i was going back and looking through their moonsighting moon-calculating literature and found that they have posted an “islamic” calendar announcing all the dates for the next five years.

is this the first step in a mainstream mass movement to secularize islam? i wonder how this new “scientific” movement will pan out. what if the astronomers come and say the moon is really a planet? does that mean we don’t have a calendar anymore? or do we let the fiqh council make some ijtihaad and use the moon of the nearest planet with the most earth-like characteristics?

though, im really not surprised why im so shocked, i should have been expecting this a long time ago. is it really that surprising that

ISNA Makes Zabihah Slaughtering of the Sunnah!

It is with great distress, agony, and malaise that I share what I found in regards to the main representational body of Muslims in North America’s practice with the legislated act of Moon Sighting in Islam.

The screenshot from their page says it all.

Here is what ISNA has posted on their official website:

The Fiqh Council of North America is an independent body, comprised of qualified Islamic scholars in North America. The Council communicates with experts and consultants to meet expected needs for rulings and advice in various areas of Islamic life in North America.

ISNA’s Majlis Ash-Shura, the highest policy making body of ISNA, has resolved to follow the Fiqh Council’s position on the issue of determining the beginning of the Islamic lunar months for North America.

Position of the Fiqh Council of North America

According to the calculation criteria for determining the Islamic Lunar dates adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America, following are the dates for Ramadan and Eidul Fitr for the year 1427.

Ramadan 1427 - First of Fasting September 23, 2006
Eidul Fitr 1427 - First of Shawwal October 23, 2006

Laa Hawla wa laa Quwwata illa billah. I really don’t know what to say. This is literally something that has been unknown to the ummah of Muhammad(saw) for literally over 1,420 years. It has never been done before, and especially not on this scale. Its August, and they have already announced Eid. They’ve zapped all