1] Ramadan 2012, The 30th Day

1]
There is no compulsion in religion. True guidance hasbecome clearly distinct from error. (Surat al-Baqara, 256)
"I was sent as a tolerant, seeker after Allah (one from the faith of the prophet Ibrahim(as)), and whoever opposes my Sunna is not one of us.” (Al-Jamis Sagir, 1. 427)
In brief, nobody should go along with idiots who try to portray Islam and horrible and filthy. That is out of the question. Being a Muslim is the lifestyle of the best quality people in the world. Just think, how can a person be most perfect? Living by Islam. How can he be the best and highest quality? Livingby Islam. The pleasantest, the most intelligent, the cleanest, the most accuratein his actions, the finest thinking, the most modest,the most affectionate, the most humane… I could go on for ever. Muslim is whatyou call someone who integrates all these qualities. Who knows Allahand is fully submitted to Him. Of course, knowing Allah is very important. (A9TV, May 10, 2012)
Islam Encourages FreedomOf Thought And DenouncesOppression And Compulsion
The Qur’an is a Book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and in this Book, Allah commands man to adopt good morals. This moralityis based upon concepts such as love, compassion and mercy. The word “Islam” is derived from theword meaning “peace” in Arabic. Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the intention of presentinga peaceable life through which the infinite compassion and mercy of Allah manifest on earth. Allah calls all people to Islamic morals through which compassion, mercy and peace can be experienced all over the world. In Surat al-Baqara, verse 208, Allah addresses believers as follows:
O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He is an outright enemy to you.
As the verse makes clear, security can only be ensured by “entering into Islam”, that is, living by the values of the Qur’an. The values of the Qur’an hold a Muslim responsible for treating all people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, kindly and justly, protecting the needy and the innocent and preventing the “dissemination of mischief”. Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and terror that remove security, comfort and peace. As Allah says in a verse, "Allah does not love corruption". (Surat al-Baqara, 205)
Islam is a religion which provides and guarantees freedom of ideas, thought and life. It has issued commands to prevent and forbid tension, disputes, slander and even negative thinking among people. In the same way that it is determinedly opposed to terrorism and all acts of violence, it has also forbidden even the slightest ideological pressure to be put on them:
There is no compulsion in religion. True guidance hasbecome clearly distinct from error. (Surat al-Baqara, 256)
Forcing people to believe in a religion or to adopt itsforms of belief is completely contrary to theessence and spirit of Islam.That is because according to Islam, true faith is only possible with free will and freedom of conscience. Of course, Muslims can advise and encourage each other about the features of Qur’anic morality. All believers are charged with explaining Qur’anic morality to people in the nicest manner possible. They will explain the beauties of religion in the light of the verse, “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition...” (Surat an-Nahl, 125) , however, they must also bear in mind the verse, “You are not responsible for their guidance, but Allah guides whoever He wills.” (Surat al-Baqara, 272)
They will never resort to compulsion, nor any kind of physical or psychological pressure. Neither will they use any worldly privilege to turn someone towards religion.When they receive a negative response to whatthey say, Muslims will reply along the lines of: “To you your religion, and to me, mine” (Surat al-Kafirun, 6)
The world we live in contains societies with all kinds of beliefs: Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, deist and even pagan. Muslims living in such a world must be tolerant of all beliefs they come up against, no matter what they may be, and behave forgivingly, justly and humanely. This responsibility placed on believers invites people to the beauty of the religion of Allah by means of peaceand tolerance. The decisionwhether or not to implement these truths, whether or not to believe, lies with the other party. Forcing that person to believe, or trying to impose anything on him, isa violation of Qur’anic morality. In fact, Allah issues a reminder to believers in the Qur’an:
If your Lord had willed, all the people on the earth would have believed. Do you think you can force people to be believers? (Surah Yunus, 99) :->

* 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.