Thekabarnews.com—May Allah ﷻ have mercy on my brothers, the Muslim community. Many people ask and talk about this subject, especially as Ramadan or Eid al-Fitr gets closer.

In this topic, our scholars have divergent ideas, resulting in nearly eight distinct viewpoints, as noted by Sheikh Al-‘Allamah Shiddiq Hasan Khan, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, in his work Ar-Roudhotun Nadhiyyah (1/224).

Even Al-Imam As-Syaukani, may Allah ﷻ have compassion on him, has written a particular book about this subject called “Ithlaa’uArbaabil Kamaali ‘alaa Maa Fii Risaalati Al-Jalaali fil Hilaali min Al-Ikhtilaali.”

And of the eight opinions listed above, the three main ones are the strongest. Here are the details:

FIRST OPINION: They believe that other countries must begin fasting because they follow the crescent moon sighting from the country where observers first saw it.

We often call these kinds of opinions Ru’yah Internasional.

Imam Malik, As-Syafi’i, Imam Ahmad, Al-Laits, and others think thus.

The muhaqqiqin scholars (researchers), including Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in his work Majmu’ Al-Fatawa, Imam al-Shawkani, Siddiq Hasan Khan, Shaykh al-Albani, and Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have pity on them all, also agree with this.

They disagree with what the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

“When you see the crescent (of Ramadan), fast; when you see the crescent (of Shawwal), break your fast/celebrate.” (Hadith, Narrated by Imam Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Al-Imam As-Syaukani, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, said, “This (the command to fast in this hadith) is not only for one country but for all Muslims everywhere.”

The argument with this hadith is to show that other countries have to follow the ru’yatul hilal of a certain country (that has seen it). This is a better argument than the one that says there is no obligation to follow the ru’yatul hilal of the country that has seen it.

If Muslims in a particular country see the hilal, the rest of the Muslim community must treat it as a valid sighting and start fasting. (Nailul Author, 4/194)

Thus, the hadith’s “you” refers to all Muslims, not just those in certain countries.

This means that the statement applies universally to all Muslims worldwide. So that it can be anywhere in the world. It is mandatory for all Muslims to fast or commemorate Eid with the sighting of the crescent moon in their respective countries, as Allah knows best.

SECOND OPINION: They say, “Countries that share the same matla’ (horizon where the crescent moon rises) with the country that has seen the crescent moon must fast, but other countries that are far away (with different matla’) do not have to follow the moon sighting of the country that has seen it.”

So, each country sees the crescent moon differently and doesn’t have to follow the sighting of other countries, except for those nearby.

This is what the Shafi’i scholars think, and it is also one of Imam Ahmad’s ideas.

Ibn Abdil Barr in At-Tamhid and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in Al-Ikhtiyaarat also hold this view.

(So, in this circumstance, Syaikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyyah rohimahulloh has two opinions, and Allah knows best.)

Sheik Muqbil bin Hadi Al-Wadi’i, Sheik Ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on them all, and our instructor Sheik Yahya bin Ali Al-Hajuri, may Allah preserve him (as he said in one of the lectures we heard directly from him), all agree with this.

The word of Allah ﷻ, the Exalted, is their proof: “So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it.” (Quran | Surah Al-Baqarah: 185).

They say, “People who do not share the same matla—meaning they are not in the same or nearby regions where they can sight the hilal together—have neither physically nor legally sighted the hilal.”

Allah ﷻ, the Exalted, has made fasting mandatory solely for those who observe it!

Another piece of proof is the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ’s words.

صوموا لرؤيته وأفطروا لرؤيته

“When you see the crescent moon (Ramadan), you should fast, and when you see it again (Shawwal), you should break your fast and celebrate.” (Hadith Narrated by Imam Al Bukhari & Muslim).

In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, peace be upon him, connected the order to fast with ru’yah (sighting).

It is not said that a person has seen the hilal if they are in a separate matla’ (horizon) and cannot view it with them.

So, you should only fast or celebrate Eid if you see the crescent moon.

A country that has not seen the new moon is definitely not the same as one that has.

So, we don’t have to follow other countries that have seen it, like ours, where it hasn’t been seen yet.

And Allah ﷻ knows what is best.

The best proof for this group is the hadith of Ibn Abbas, may Allah ﷻ be pleased with him: “Indeed, he asked Kuraib (the freedman of Ibn Abbas, who was originally his slave and had been freed by him): ‘When did you observe the crescent moon (in the province of Sham)?'”

Kuraib said, “We watched it on Friday night; therefore, we fasted on Friday morning.”

Ibn Abbas remarked, “But we in Madinah saw it on Saturday night; thus, we began fasting on Saturday morning.” We kept fasting until we saw the crescent moon (of Shawwal), or if we could not see it, we finished the month (of Ramadan), which was 30 days long.

Kuraib asked, “Is it not enough for you to fast since you saw Mu’awiyyah, who was then the governor of the Levant?”

Ibn Abbas said, “No, this is what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, told us to do.” (HR Imam Muslim, no. 1087)

That means that the results of ru’yatul hilal can be different in different countries, depending on the weather.

They follow their country’s moon sighting, not other countries’.

And only Allah ﷻ knows.

THIRD OPINION: They claim, “A country does not have to follow the sighting of the crescent moon from another country until it is confirmed by the Imam Al-A’dhom (the caliph/leader of the Muslim community who leads Muslims around the world).”

If the Imam Al-A’dhom tells all Muslims to fast or celebrate Eid, then all Muslims, no matter where they are in the world, must do what he says. This is because he commands all nations, making them seem like one. This is because his law (the regulation of Imam Al-A’dhom) applies to all countries in the world.

Ibn Al-Majisyun (one of the scholars of the Maliki school) said the above.

As-Syaikh Muhammad bin Sholih Al-Utsaimin, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, said, “Today, a lot of people follow the opinion that was mentioned above.” This opinion is powerful when you look at it from the point of view of unity among Muslims.

Of the three opinions above, which one is the most convincing?

Our teacher, who wrote the books Fathul Allam and Ithaful Anam, agrees with the first opinion. (See: Ithaaful Anam (p. 20) and Fathul ‘Allam, 2/560).

After that, he, may Allah ﷻ protect him, also gave a long explanation and very strong reasons for why the second opinion was wrong.

He supported the idea that if the Hilal is seen anywhere in the world and we hear about it, we must fast, wallohu a’lam!

Still, we (the authors) are more likely to support the second or third opinion right now.

Yes, there are additional reasons that indicate most people, particularly those in their own countries, should fast and celebrate both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha together.

(And this is what Sheikh Muqbil bin Hadi Al-Wadi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, and our teacher, Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajuri, may Allah preserve him, said.)

And if God wills, the next Fawaid debate will talk about that subject.

This is the end of the conversation on this topic. I hope it has given us all more information that we can use.

We beseech Allah to help us succeed and stay strong.

By: Akhukum fillah, Abu Abdirrohman Yoyok WN Sby.