Newsletter: Muharram ul Haram 1434AH

"As far as senior Akaabir are concerned then let us remind the leaders of Hizbul Ulama that the great Alim-e-deen,
spiritual guide of 100's of thousands, and the Sheikh and Murshid of the senior member of Hizbul Ulama, Arif billah
Hadhrat Moulana Qamaruz Zaman Saheb Ilahabaadi DB, despite being in the UK when Saudi Arabia and CMC
announced their Ramadhan, did not commence Ramadhan with the Saudi announcement, opting instead for the
Wifaq announcement. He even gave reasons for not following the CMC announcement."

Over the years Central Moonsighting Committee has continued to claim that it does not believe in astronomical
calculations or calendars based on astronomical calculations calling them 'Jewish/Pagan moon sighting calculation
systems'. Even in the latest newsletters, astronomical calculations have been described as 'Jewish/Pagan moon
sighting calculation systems'.
Yet, strangely enough, the same groups, namely Hizbul Ulama and Jamiatul Ulama, have in the past year (1433AH)
used the 'astronomical calculation' based Ummul-Quraa calendar for basing the months of Rabi ul Awwal, Rabi ul
Aakhir, Jumad ul Awwal, Jumad ul Aakhir, Rajjab, Sha'baan, Ramadhan, Shawwal, Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah and now
Muharram. Further, they will use the same calendar to base the coming months as well!
In a public statement to all Masjid committees, Moulana Miftahi declares on behalf of the CMC (Jamiatul Ulama,
Hizbul Ulama and Darul Uloom Bury): Until the time the response of the present Supreme Court does not come in
accordance with the previous response of Majlis Qadha e Aalaa, the committee (CMC) will publish their monthly
calendar according to the Umm ul Qura calendar.1 Correct us if we are wrong, is not the Umm ul Qura calendar an
astronomically based calendar?
Below are the details of what this Calendar is based on:
II. The official calendar used by the Saudi Arabian Authorities [The Umm al-Qura calendar]2
Known as the Umm al-Qura calendar the Saudi Arabian Authorities uses the following criteria for determining the
beginning of the Islamic month. These criteria apply since the Islamic year 1423:
If on the 29th day of the lunar month the following two conditions are satisfied, then the next day is the first day of
the new lunar month:
1. The geocentric conjunction occurs before sunset
2. The moon sets after the sun on the Makkah Horizon
Otherwise, the current month will last 30 days.

Thus, we must pose the question: Who is really following the 'Jewish/Pagan' moon sighting calculation systems?
We leave Moulana Miftahi and his CMC to answere this question for us;
"the committee (CMC- Hizb ul Ulama/ Jamiat ul ulama), will publish their monthly calendar according to the UMM
UL QURA CALENDAR!
What has really amazed us is that this group has mocked the South African sighting system which is based purely on
actual sighting by the naked eye, not even permitting the use of telescopes. The author of the article published by
the CMC writes: "...and began accepting hilal decisions from the even more distant non-Muslim country of South
Africa, all to adhere to their Hanafi Madhab criteria. What they fail to realise is that both these countries have one
thing in common their moon sighting is based on accepting hilal witnesses only if it is matched by the
Jewish/Pagan inspired observatory calculated predictions."

1
2

Translated into English from the Urdu statement 3rd Paragraph

http://www.makkahcalendar.org/en/saudiArabianCalendar.php

In order to prove that the Saudi sighting was correct, the Pro Saudi website www.makkahcalendar.org has this year
published photographs of the Hilal sighted in South Africa! It does seem rather strange that the Saudi followers have
to use evidence of South Africa! Why is the photographic or video evidence of the either 'impossible' or 'miraculous'
Saudi sightings not forth coming?
After all the attacks on South Africa it seems that in the end, these Saudi followers had to back their Eid ul Fitr date
with the Hilal photos of South Africa! As not even at the end of the 30th of Ramadhan was the Hilal visible in Saudi
Arabia!
Yes we agree that Alhamdulillah the pious Ulama of Saudi Arabia do not mock their fellow Ulama of the world nor
fellow Muslims for that matter, nor do they claim that these Ulama are influenced by the 'Jewish/Pagan Moon
sighting calculation systems'. These accusations are unique to Hizb ul Ulama and Jamiat ul Ulama.
One may ask, Why?
Because they (The Saudi Ulama) are not stupid, they are already aware that they have an astronomy based calendar
in place, which they are using for the nine months of the year. And even for the remaining three months testimonies
are sought according to the Umm ul Qura date. When this is the case, why attack and criticize what you are
following?
Yes, you might want us to put forward evidence of this bold statement. Well, take a very close look at this Arab news
article published approximately two weeks before Ramadhan ul Mubarak 1433AH:
Ramadan starts on July 20, says senior scholar
The month of fasting this year will begin on July 20 and the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr will be on Aug 19, according to
a senior Islamic scholar in the Kingdom. Member of the Council of Senior Scholars, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manie, said
fasting will end on Saturday Aug 18.
The days related to religious occasions and rites will have to be confirmed by the sighting of the new moon and royal
orders. Al-Manie added the Day of Arafat will be on Thursday Oct. 25 and the next Hijra year of 1434 will start on
Nov 15. The tradition of the last 15 years of announcing the likely beginning of Ramadan, Eid and the Haj is to help
preparations to view the new moon once the statement is made, the scholar said.
The announcement also allows sufficient time to discuss matters related to the sighting of the new moon, a local
newspaper reported yesterday.
Al-Manie said: The sun will set on the 29th day of Shawwal (the 10th Hijra month following Ramadan)
corresponding to Oct 9 at 6:23 p.m., five minutes before the moon will set at 6:28 p.m. The first day of Dhul Qaadah
(11th Hijra month) will be Monday on Sept. 17 while Dhul Hijjah will start on Oct. 17. Eid Al-Adha will be on Oct.
26, he said.3
All the dates that we have highlighted, ALL have come and gone. More importantly Ramadhan, Eid ul Fitr, Eid ul
Adha, Day of Arafat, Islamic New year have all been announced exactly in accordance with the dates Arab News have
declared in this article!
Where did these dates come from? Yes, the observatory!
Did the Saudi authorities declare according to dates announced in this Arab News article? YES.
Ramadhan date, Eid ul Fitr date, Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah and Arafat date, New Hijri year dates ALL announced in
accordance with the observatory based UMM UL QURAA CALENDAR

http://arabnews.com/ramadan-starts-july-20-says-senior-scholar

WE now ask Moulana Miftahi and his group,

"who are really following the 'Jewish/Pagan Moon sighting calculation systems? "
Let us be very clear, we the Wifaq ul Ulama will at first look locally for sighting news. Yes we admit, in this advanced
age of communication we would not accept news of a hilal sighting TEN days into Ramadhan by people who all have
a different story to tell. If we cannot sight the Hilal nor do we receive any RELIABLE testimonies locally then we will
seek testimonies from Morocco or any country to the east of UK. This has always been the Wifaq ul Ulama stance, if
anyone says anything other than this, then we say that they are misinformed, misunderstood or simply LYING. If
such Ulama groups resort to lying, what can we expect of the laymen?
It is our duty to warn and advise, let this Hadith of Sahih Al Bukhari be a warning to those who lie, slander and
misinform:
Hadhrat Samarah Ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates :
"The Messenger of Allah
used to ask, "Did anyone of you see a dream?" So those whom Allah
wished to tell would narrate dreams to him. One morning the Prophet
said, "Last night two persons came to me
in a dream and woke me up and said to me, 'Proceed!' I set out with them... And we came to a man laying flat on his
back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of
man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back of the neck and similarly tear his nose from front to back
and his eyes from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with
the other side. He hardly completed this side when the other side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to
repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions, 'Glory be to Allah! Who are these two persons?'...
They said, 'This man is the symbol of the person who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that
it spreads all over the world. "
As far as senior Akaabir are concerned then let us remind Moulana Miftahi and Moulana Karmadi that the great Alim
e deen, Spiritual guide of 100's of thousands, and the Sheikh and Murshid of senior members of Hizbul Ulama, Arif
billah Hadhrat Moulana Qamaruz Zaman Saheb Ilahabaadi DB, despite being in the UK, when Saudi Arabia and CMC
announced their Ramadhan, DID NOT commence Ramadhan with the Saudi announcement opting instead for the
WIFAQ UL ULAMA announcement. In front of Akaabir Ulama present he clearly mentioned the reasons for NOT
following Saudi. A pity that his Khulafa did not heed to the advice of the great Sheikh.
Now we ask: Are the Hizb ul Ulama and the Jamiat going to stoop so low that they will declare that Hadhrat Wala DB
followed the 'Jewish/Pagan Moon sighting calculation systems'?
Shame on such people who have such vulgar tongues and vocabulary embedded in their hearts. May Allah guide
such people and at the same time protect the Ummah from the evils of such people.
As regards to claims that Saudi Arabian Bedouins can sight the hilal even before sunset in desert areas we question;
is such sighting acceptable? We will leave that answer to the Darul Ifta of Darul Uloom Deoband:

Question: 8393 - United Kingdom of Great Britain

Assalamolaikum I would like to ask what is the position of shariah with regards to sighting the hilal just before sunset
as according to astronomers a crescent can at times be sighted by naked eye before the sun sets. Is it valid if sighted
before sunset to determine the new month? Or is it necessary to sight it after sunset?
Answer: 8393
Jun 24,2009
(Fatwa: 1350/1134=L/1429)
Please, ignore the fatwa that was written under the code mentioned above.
(Fatwa: 1002/L=200/TL/1430)
The valid moon sighting is one occurring after sunset. If moon was sighted on 29th day before sunset, it will not be
considered valid and thus based upon such sighting the next day will not be regarded as Ramadhan day or Eid day.
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta'ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband
We fail to understand why in a heavily populated Muslim country only a few people are able to sight the hilal, and
that it seems, in only desert or village areas. Thousands of people including the official hilal committees try with the
most up to date telescopes and they all report negative. Why is this always the case? And why only those few
'known' witnesses? Why not in Makkah and Madinah? Why always some desert or village around Riyadh? Why can't
the Hujjaj and Ummaar sight it? When was the last time the Hujjaj and the Ummaar sighted the hilal of Ramadhan,
Shawwal or Dhul hijjah?
Then we should be asking is the requirement of number of witnesses being met, because the ruling is very clear:
'The Shariah Ruling as regards to the Moon of the two Eids according to Mufti e Aazam of Pakistan, Mufti
Muhammad Shafi Saheb RA and the Akaabir Ulama of the time was: If the Moon was not sighted by a large group,
only two or four people observed it, and this was when the horizon was clear, there were no clouds or smog, then
the sighting testimony of these two or four people will not be acceptable. Until a large group does not give
testimony in this condition, the claim of sighting will not be acceptable. The testimony of the two or four will be seen
as a mistake or a false testimony. This ruling was signed by: Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi Saheb RA, Hadhrat
Moulana Zafar Ahmad Uthmani Saheb RA, Hadhrat Moulana Muhammad Yusuf Binnori Saheb RA and Hadhrat
Moulana Mufti Rashid Ahmad Saheb Ludhyanwi RA.'4
In matters of obligatory worship it is our opinion that we should act upon the Hadith and, leave the doubtful on one
side and act on that which has no doubt. (Actual sighting by naked eye by the required number of witnesses as
specified by the Hanafi jurists, this Alhamdulillah happens in Morocco and South Africa)
Note: Saudi Arabia to date has not confirmed actual sighting for the month of Muharram 1434AH. Which means that
Saudi Arabia and all their followers will be fasting on Ashoora according to the observatory based Umm ul Quraa
calender. (In Movlana Yaqub Miftahi's words: according to the 'Jewish/Pagan Moon sighting calculation systems')
May Allah Almighty guide the Ummah upon the sirat e Mustaqeem. Aameen Ya Rabbal Aalameen.

Jawahir ul Fiqh