Question:
Salamalaikum,
Every year at times of Eid (Fitr and Adha), there is dispute regarding when it is. Many who are ahlusunnah wal jamaah sight the hadith about starting the month with sighting of the moon. How do we, (Naqshbandi Haqqani) who also claim to be ahlusunnah waljamaah,reconcile this and explain to others, why we are not doing this. Thank you.
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Individuals in Muslim countries should celebrate with their communities by following nationwide authority that is responsible for leading and advising the Muslim public of the calendar determination for Dhul-Hijjah.
For those in the West as there is no central authority for determining dates, then they have the choice to follow the local community or the country they are from. However, since the date for Eid al-Adha is well-known in Mecca, and unlike Eid al-Fitr, there is time to determine the validity of the moon sighting in days after the new moon, following the Eid in Hijaz with the pilgrims would alleviate any fitna and be most correct. And our mashaykh teach us to do what is least divisive to the community and to avoid fitna.
For another opinion see Dr. Muhammad Afifi’s authoritative fatwa, Moonrises and the Meeting of Hearts.
Taher Siddiqui
reviewed and approved by Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
