* If he follows the moon sighting from another country, is it acceptable to delay the Eid prayer so that he can pray withthe people in his country?

* Regarding starting fast and breaking fast times inRamadan month, I
don't observe a certain crescent,but I start my fasting of the holy
month based on testimony of two straight Muslims . The problem is that
the people of my country always start fast one day later and breaking
fast one day earlier than all Muslim majority all over the world. I am
much of the opinion that we should allbe unified in fast times, soI
fast and break fast with the majority. We are all Muslims in Islam
countriesfrom Indonesia to Morocco. My question is about the Eid
prayer, I can't travel to pray Eid, if Ipray it with my country
(knowing that this way it will be later), is it acceptable? Or should
I not pray with them (then I miss reward and blessings of it)?
Finally, I find nothing to say but"All power of change is really
Allah's".
Praise be to Allaah.
If the people of your country rely on moon sighting as prescribed in
sharee'ah, then you should start and end the fast with them, and you
should not differ from them and follow the moonsighting of another
country, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "The fast is the day when you fast and al-Fitr is the day
when you break the fast, and al-Adha is the day when you offer the
sacrifice." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 697, who said: some of the
scholars interpreted this hadeeth as meaning that the beginning and
end of the fast should be observed with the main body of Muslims and
the majority of the people. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
If you follow the madhhab of those who think that sighting the moon in
one country is binding upon all countries, and this means that Eid for
you comes before their Eid, then you should conceal the fact that you
have broken the fast and offer the Eid prayer with them on the
following day.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said:… If you think
that the first opinion should be followed and that if the sighting of
the new moon is proven in any part of the Muslim world in the manner
prescribed in sharee'ah and that it is binding to act upon that, but
your country does not follow that and follows one of the two other
opinions, then you should not openly show that you are differing from
them, because of the fitnah and confusion and arguments that may
result from that.You can fast secretly at the beginning of Ramadan and
break the fast secretly at the beginning of Shawwaal. As for differing
openly, that is not appropriate and it is not something that is
enjoined by Islam.

And Allah knows best.

* Is the fasting of Ramadaan only taken up by zakaat al-fitr?

* Is it true that the fasting of Ramadaan is suspended between heaven
and earth and is only taken up by zakaat al-fitr?.
Praise be to Allaah.
A hadeeth concerning thiswas narrated from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) but it is da'eef (weak).
In al-Jaami' al-Sagheer, al-Suyooti attributed it to Ibn Shaheen in
his Targheeb: It was narratedfrom al-Diya' from Jareer ibn 'Abd-Allaah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The month of Ramadaan is suspended
between heaven and earth and is not taken up to Allaah except by
zakaat al-fitr."
It was classed as da'eef byal-Suyooti. Al-Mannaawi explained the
reason for that in Fayd al-Qadeer, where he said: It was narrated by
Ibn al-Jawzi in al-Waahiyaat and he said: it is not saheeh; its isnaad
includes Muhammad ibn 'Ubayd al-Basri who is majhool (unknown).
It was also classed as da'eef by al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth
al-Da'eefah (43). He said: Even if the hadeeth were saheeh, the
apparent meaning is that acceptance of the Ramadaan fast is dependent
upon paymentof sadaqat al-fitr, and if a person does not pay it,
hisfast will not be accepted, but I do not know of any scholar who
says that … and the hadeeth is not saheeh. End quote.
As the hadeeth is not saheeh, no one can say that the fast of
Ramadaanis only accepted with zakaat al-fitr, because no one can know
that exceptthe Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
It is proven in Sunan Abi Dawood that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr as a purification for
the fasting person from idle speech and obscene talk, and to feed the
poor." Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood.
This hadeeth explains the wisdom behind zakaat al-fitr, which is to
make up for any shortfall that occurred during fasting. It does not
say that fasting will not be accepted without zakaat al-fitr.
And Allaah knows best.

What are the boundaries of the Makkah Haram?

Please advise what includes the Haram boundries for Mecca. Is the
entire Mecca provice aHaram?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The boundaries of the Makkah Haram are well known and have clear
markers that have been set up in all directions with the name of the
location written on them so that people can see them.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The boundary of the Haram in the direction of Madinah is before
at-Tan'eem, by the housesof Banu Nifaar, three miles from Makkah. On
the road to Yemen, the boundary is Adaat Libn, seven miles from
Makkah. On the road to at-Taa'if it is at 'Arafaat, at the bottom of
Namirah, sevenmiles away. On the road to Iraq it is the mountain pass
of al-Muqatta', seven miles away. On the road to al-Ji'raanah it is in
the mountain pass of Aal 'Abdillah ibn Khaalid, nine miles away. On
the road to Jeddah it is Munqati'al-A'shaash, ten miles from Makkah.
End quote from al-Majmoo', 7/463
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (17/185-186):
The boundary of the Haram in the direction of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
is at at-Tan'eem, which is threemiles away. In the Maaliki books it
says it is four or five miles. Coming from Makkah, at-Tan'eem begins
at Buyoot as-Suqya, which are calledBuyoot Nifaar; nowadays it is
known as Masjid 'Aa'ishah (the mosque of 'Aa'ishah). The area between
the Ka'bah and at-Tan'eem is Haram (partof the sanctuary), and at-Tan
'eem is outside theHaram boundary. In the direction of Yemen, it is
seven miles, at Adaat Libn.
In the direction of Jeddah it is ten miles, at Munqata'al-A'shaash, at
the end of al-Hudaybiyah; which is part of the Haram.
In the direction of al-Ji'raanah it is nine miles, in the mountain
pass of 'Abdullah ibn Khaalid.
In the direction of Iraq it is seven miles, at a mountain pass on one
side of Jabal al-Muqatta'. In the books of the Maalikis it says that
it is eight miles.
In the direction of at-Taa'if it is at 'Arafaat, inthe bottom of
Namirah, seven miles, at the edge of 'Uranah.
Perhaps the differences in stating the number of miles is because of
differences in defining what is meant by a mile. The measurement by
miles starts from the Black Stone.
The boundaries of the Makkah Haram are currently marked in different
directions with clear markers that have been set up at its edges like
minarets, on which is written in the name of the location in Arabic
and other languages. End quote.
A mile is equivalent to 1848 meters.
Whatever is within the markers mentioned is part of the Makkah Haram,
and comes under all the shar'i rulings concerning it, regardless of
whatever administrative name is given to the place.
Whatever is outside of these markers is not part of the Makkah Haram
and none of the rulings on theHaram apply to it, even if it is called
"Makkah" or the people at some time regard it as being one of its
neighbourhoods.

And Allah knows best.

* How much zakaat al-fitris and when it should be paid

* We are members of a North African group livingin Barcelona. How can
we work out how much zakaat al-fitr is?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It was proven from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) that he enjoined zakaat al-fitr on the Muslims,
one saa' of dates or one saa' of barley, and he commanded that it be
given before the people went out to the (Eid) prayer. In al-Saheehayn
it is narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) we used to give one saa' of food, or one saa' of dates,
or one saa' of barley, or one saa' of raisins.
Some of the scholars haveinterpreted "food" (ta'aam) in this hadeeth
as referring to wheat; others interpreted it as meaning the staple
food of the country, whatever it is, whether it is wheat, corn, pearl
millet or whatever. This is the correct view, because zakaah is a help
from the rich to the poor, and the Muslim does not have to help with
anything other than the staple food of hiscountry. Undoubtedly rice is
the staple food in the land of the Two Holy Sanctuaries (Saudi Arabia)
and it is a good and valuable food; it is better than the barley that
is mentioned in the text. Hence it is known that there is nothing
wrong with giving rice as zakaat al-fitr.
What must be given is a saa' of any kind of staple food, i.e., a saa'
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is
four complete scoops as scooped up with two hands, according to
al-Qaamoos etc. In modern weights this is equivalent to approximately
three kilograms. If a Muslim gives a kilo of rice or some other staple
food of his country, that is sufficient even if it is not one of the
types mentioned in the hadeeth, according to the more correct of the
two scholarly opinions. There is nothing wrong with giving the
equivalent amount by weight, which is approximately three kilograms.
Zakaat al-fitr must be given on behalf of all Muslims, young and old,
male and female, free andslave. With regard to a foetus, it is not
obligatory to give it on his behalf according to scholarly consensus,
but it is mustahabb, because 'Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him)
did that.
It is also obligatory to give it before the Eid prayer, and it is not
permissible to delay it until after the Eid prayer. There is nothing
wrong with giving it one or two days before the Eid. Henceit is known
that the earliest time when it may be given, according to themore
correct of the two scholarly views, is the night of the 28th of
Ramadaan, because the month may be twenty-nine or thirty days. The
companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) used to give it one or two days before Eid.
Those to whom it must begiven are the poor and needy. It was proven
that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat
al-fitr as a purification for the fasting person from idle and obscene
speech, and to feed the poor. Whoevergives it before the prayer, it is
zakaat al-fitr, and whoever gives it after the prayer, it is ordinary
charity. This was narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
It is not permissible to pay the value in money, according to the
majority of scholars; this view has the stronger evidence. Rather it
must be given inthe form of food, as the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with
them) did. This is also the view of the majority of the ummah. We ask
Allaah to help us and all the Muslims to understand Hisreligion
properly and adhere to it steadfastly, and to guide us, for He is the
Most Generous, Most Kind.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 14/200.
This is the estimation of Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him), who reckoned the weight of zakaat al-fitr as being approximately
three kilograms.
This was also the estimateof the scholars of the Standing Committee (9/371).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) estimated it in
grams as being 2100 grams, as it says in Fataawa al-Zakaah, p.
274-276.
This discrepancy occurred because a saa' is a measure of volume, not weight.
The scholars worked it out by weight so that it would be easier to
work out. It is well known that the weight of grains varies; some are
light and some are heavy, and some are in between. In fact the weight
of a saa' of the same kind of grain may vary, and new may weigh more
than old. Hence if people err on the side of caution and give more,
that will be better.
See al-Mughni, 4/168, where it mentions something similar about
working out the nisaab ofcrops by weight.
And Allaah knows best.