It is not permissible to use astronomical calculations to establish the beginning and end of Ramadaan. It is obligatory to sight the moon as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast when you see it (the moon) and break your fast when you see it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1909; Muslim, 1081.

The Muslims are agreed that it is not permissible to follow astronomical calculations instead of sighting the new moon if the sky is clear. However if the sky is cloudy then some of the scholars held an odd view and said that it is permissible to follow astronomical calculations, but this applies only to the person doing the calculations.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

It is a basic fact of Islam that we must sight the crescent moon with regard to fasting, Hajj, ‘iddah, eelaa’ (period of four months abstention which is required if a man swears an oath that he will not have marital relations with his wife) and other rulings that are connected to the lunar calendar. There are many texts from the Prophet which indicate that, and the Muslims are unanimously agreed on that. No difference of opinion was known concerning that in the past or in modern times, apart from some fuqaha’ after the third century AH, who claimed that if the new moon is covered by clouds it is permissible for an astronomer to follow calculations himself, so that if his calculations indicate that the moon could have been sighted he may fast, otherwise he should not.

This view, even though it is subject to the condition that there be clouds and it applies only to the astronomer, it is an odd view that is outweighed by the consensus on the opposite view. With regard to following calculations when the sky is clear or applying the results of the calculations to the general public, this is something that no Muslim has ever suggested.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/132.

Based on this, it is not permissible to follow the Council mentioned if they depend on astronomical calculations and not on sighting of the crescent. So you have to sight the moon as is the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and as is the consensus of the Muslims.

May Allaah help you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.

And Allaah knows best

Source: IslamQ&A

The above question was with regard to the organisation termed the European Fatwa Council who use astronomical calculations. As it is known that both the IFI and Clonskeagh refer their Ramadan start and end dates to the said council, then it follows that it is not permissible to follow them in that matter.

We would like to draw our readers’ attention to a post on the Islamic Foundation of Ireland’s notice board; it refers to the setting up of a Muslim Primary Education Board and invites qualified individuals in the area of education to join the board and help with their knowledge and expertise.

THE MUSLIM PRIMARY EDUCATION BOARD

The patronage of the recognized MNS in Ireland is in the process of setting up the above mentioned as an act on its behalf as a management body for the existing the MNS and to represent these schools in any discussion/correspondence with the Dept. of Education of Science.

We are looking for qualified experienced people in the area of education to join the board and help with their knowledge and expertise.

Please note that this body will only be concerned with the MNS established under the Dept of Education and Science. Please also note that work and contribution of the board members will be on a voluntary basis.

If willing and interested to help, please contact or write to Imam Yahya Al-Hussein at the offices of the IFI.

Date (of notice): 20/12/2009

We welcome the move as it implicitly recognizes the abject failures that have brought the Muslim community into disrepute and which have robbed our children of an acceptable standard of education.

In the interests of transparency and accountability however, wouldn’t it be more prudent to have a public meeting where the community could choose potential board members? Given the myriad of accusations of cronyism and nepotism being leveled at the IFI wouldn’t a public meeting offset any such claims?

Additionally, is Mr Al Hussain himself qualified to choose the best people for the job, what criteria would he use and would this be made public? Given that Mr Al Hussain oversaw the systematic failure of the North Dublin Muslim School, we must ask if this individual is the right person to oversee such an important and necessary body.

The Prophet Muhammad said: “lâ yuldighu-l mu’minû min juhrin marratayn,” meaning, “The believer is not stung from (the same) hole twice”.

Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalânî, who is the leading authority on the interpretation of Bukhârî’s Sahîh, says the following: “This is presented in the form of a statement. Al-Khatâbî has said: This is a statement in its wording, but a command in its meaning. It means that the believer is resolutely aware, he/she is not taken to apathy (in learning his/her lesson), nor is he/she deceived time and time again. Thus, this is an order in religious matters as well as worldly matters..”

Then he gives this Hadîth two possible interpretations, one stronger than the other. Regarding the strong interpretation he renders the opinion of Abu `Ubayd: “This is a warning against apathy, and an indication that intelligence must be implemented. Abû `Ubayd has said: It is not possible for the (true) believer to be afflicted from something only for him/her to return to it.”

The great scholar and theologian of the 13th century, Yahya bin Sharaf an-Nawawî relates the context of the Hadîth saying: “..and the context of this narration is well known that the Prophet had captured the poet Abu Ghurrah at the Day of (the Battle of) Badr. So the Prophet gave him amnesty and freed him based on the condition that he would not continue on his hostility and derision. He then caught up with his people and returned to belligerence towards the Muslims and derision against them. Then he was captured on the Day of (the Battle of) Uhud and was asked about the amnesty that was given to him. Upon this the Prophet [2] said, ‘The believer is not stung from the same hole twice.’ From this it is understood that if one were to suffer injury from a particular element, then they should abstain from it lest they should suffer such again.”

No names will be revealed, no time will be served and no justice will be enacted – Ireland’s Catholic clergy who systematically abused innocent children and misused their positions of trust for their sick perversions will walk scot-free, protected by a system that defies understanding.

As the evidence mounts, so too have the excuses. But Ireland is not the island it was 50yrs ago, and much of the respect that the church once had dissipated as the level of abuse became apparent, excuses will no longer suffice – the public want justice, and rightly so.

Many of the victims state that they were cowed into submission by a powerful elite, their voices silenced out of fear of rejection and being ostracized by their respective communities. We have the similar problems in the Muslim community.

Our so-called leaders act with impious impunity, unaccountable and free from censure. Like the Catholic clergy, they threaten dissenters with ostracism and cover their evils with lies and deceptions. Like the Catholic clergy, they show one face to the public, but behind closed doors, they reveal their true debased selves.

We, like our Catholic counterparts need to learn the importance of holding our so-called leaders accountable, we need to insist on openness and transparency in everything. Those who claim to represent us need to understand that threats and expulsions will not silence legitimate criticism, Ireland is not the island it was 50yrs ago and we will not be muzzled by denunciations and intimidation.

We have learned from the Catholic clergy debacle – lack of accountability and transparency are not an option and our so-called representatives are in for a rude awakening if they think they can return to business as usual.

Bubbling beneath the conventionality of an austere surface, a battle is raging for the hearts and minds of Ireland’s growing Muslim community – a struggle whose outcome will no doubt shape the direction of Islam in Ireland.

The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), headed by Shaikh Yusuf al Qaradawi and based in Dublin, was opened with the express purpose of regulating Islam in Europe. Through a well-financed system, this body aims, in the words of its current head, to “play the role of the missing leadership of the Muslim Nation with all its trends and groups”.

And that perhaps is where the problem begins. Similar to the Irish Council of Imams, the ECFR is a self-elected body and seeks to impose its own ideological brand of Islam upon Muslims without due process, consultation or respect for the diversity that already exists.

One notable example of this is the imposition of astronomical calculations as a means of determining the start and end of Ramadan, Islam’s holy month. Despite the long-held and authentic tradition (the Islamic calendar follows the cycles of the moon phase) the ECFR continues to sow confusion and dissent through its affiliates here in Ireland. For example, Eid prayers last year were held on two separate days, a direct result of this turmoil.

This all may appear somewhat trivial to the uninitiated, but as Ramadan is a visible show of unity, the discord caused by the ECFR and its Irish partners is disingenuous. In fact, many see a distinct political and anti-Saudi agenda behind these impositions. To put it into perspective, it would be a bit like the Greek Orthodox Church telling Irish Catholics to accept their dates for Lent over and above the dictates of Rome.

In the absence of the Caliphate (a single Muslim leader) to serve as a unifying force for the worldwide Muslim community, the autonomous nature of different groups acts as a safety valve against the kind of innovation foisted upon European Muslims by the ECFR and its Irish cohorts.

While there may be points of agreement (for example, both the ECFR and most Irish Muslims believe in the superiority of Shariah as a form of legislation), this does not negate the dangers posed by this group.

Government bodies need to acknowledge the diversity of the Irish Muslim community and cease giving credence to an organisation which openly states that it will make “relentless efforts with the official authorities in European countries to acknowledge and officially recognise the council, and to refer to the council in reference to Islamic judgments.”

There is no hierarchy or Episcopal parallel in Islam, and efforts to shepherd the Irish Muslim community under an ECFR umbrella will be stringently opposed by those who recognise the inherent threat.

Source: MetroEireann