Ramadan Articles - Crescent of Ramadan and Astronomical Calculations

A question was received by the Permanent Committeefor Scholarly
Research andIftaa')religious verdicts(, may Allaah grant them success,
regarding this issue.The members of thecommittee were 'Abdullaah ibn
Manee', 'Abdullaah ibn Ghudayyaan, under the deputy chairman:
'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefy.
Following is the text of the question and the Committee's answertaken
from Volume No. 10/104, Fatwa No. )386(, with very slight
modification:
Q: Is it permissible for a Muslim to depend on astronomical
calculationsto decide the beginning and the end of fasting
)inRamadan(? Or is it a mustto see the crescent?
A:The IslamicSharee'ah)Islamic legislation( is a tolerant one; its
rulings are generic and comprehensive to both humans andJinnalike,
regardless of their ranks – whether they are scholars or illiterate
people, rural folk or urban dwellers. This is why Allaah The Almighty
has made it easy for them to identify the times of acts of worship. He
has made specific signs for them by which they can all know the time
of the beginning and end of such acts. He has made, for example, the
time of sunset a sign for the advent ofMaghrib)sunset( prayer and the
end of'Asr)afternoon( prayer. Also, the time of'Ishaa')night( prayer
can be recognized by the disappearance of twilight. Allaah The
Almighty has made the sighting of the crescent after its disappearance
atthe end of every lunar month a sign for the advent of the new month,
and the end of the previous one. Allaah The Almighty has not obligated
us to observe the beginning of the month based on something that is
not known except to some people, which is the case with astronomy and
its calculations. Thus, the texts of the Quran andSunnah)Prophetic
tradition( have made sighting the crescent a sign for all Muslims to
start fastingRamadan; and they stipulated for them to end their fast
on sighting the crescent ofShawwaal. The same applies to'Eed
Al-Adhha)the Feast of the Sacrifice( and the Day of'Arafah. Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:
·}So whoever sights ]the new moon of[ the month, let him fast it;{]Quran 2: 185[
·}They ask you, ]O Muhammad[, about the new moons. Say, "They are
measurements of time for the people and forHajj."{]Quran 2: 189[
The Prophet,, said: "When you see it )the crescent of the month of
Ramadan(, start fasting, and when you see it again )that of the month
of Shawwaal(, stop fasting; and if the sky is overcast )and you
cannotsee it( then complete the days of Ramadan to thirty
days."]At-Tirmithi; Ibn Maajah; Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ad-Daarimi[
Thus, he,, has made fasting contingent on sighting the crescent
ofRamadan, and made stopping the fasts contingent on seeing
thecrescent ofShawwaal. Hedid not link this to any astronomical
calculationsor to the movements of the stars. This was the way things
used to be at the time of the Prophet,, the rightly-guided Caliphs and
the fourImaams)Abu Haneefah, Maalik, Al-Shaafi'i, and Ahmad(, in
addition to the time of the three generations to which theProphet,,
witnessed to be the best.
Therefore, referring to astronomy in establishing the advent of the
lunar months to start any act of worship or to end it without sighting
the crescent, is an act ofBid'ah)innovation in religion( in which
there is no good, as it is not supported by any evidence from
theSharee'ah. This is why the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia still abides by
the way of the Prophet,, and the righteousSalaf)predecessors( in
confirming acts of worship like fasting, breaking the
fast,'Eeds)Muslim feasts( and times ofHajj– which is to sight the
crescent. Following theSalafin all religious matters achieves welfare
for the Islamic nation, and all evil lies in following the acts
ofBid'ahinnovated in our religion of Islam. May Allaah protect all
Muslims from both hidden and apparent tribulations.
An important note:
When the Muslim leaders in non-Muslim countries decide the place that
they rely on in sighting the crescent and declare that they follow it,
it is not permissible for the Muslims there to reject this, so that
some fast upon the sighting in this country while others fast upon the
sighting in another country other than the first, and a thirdparty may
fast upon the sighting of a third country and so on – even though they
live in one region. This makes one find in the same country, those who
fast following the way of India, those who break their fast following
the way of Saudi Arabia or the like. This represents a clear
dispraised disagreement,which is something that Allaah The Almighty
hates. It is in no way religiously or reasonably sound to find Muslims
who live in the same place disagreeing on the entity on which they
depend in determining the beginning and end of fasting as we see in
the present time. This practice is impermissible.
They must either fast relying on their own sighting or follow the
sighting of the first Muslim country, otherwise, disagreement and evil
will prevail.]Excerpted fromFiqh Al-Aqaliyyaat Al-Muslimah[

Fathwa - Relationships

Question:
There is a big difference between love & arranged marriages, or so
I've heard. But what I don'tunderstand is how love marriages can
actually "exist" if you don't become their boyfriend or friend first.
When you have a love relationship with someone you must getto know the
person first before deciding on something big like marrying them! But,
if you started to hang out with that person, wouldn't you become their
"boyfriend" or"girlfriend"? Please help me clear this up.:)
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray this message finds you well.
Let's address some issues and definitions here.
An "arranged" marriage does not have to be absent of love. Even in a
situation where the marriage is arranged by parents or relatives, it's
possible for the intendedcouple to get to know one another and come
tolove each other.
A "love" marriage is not necessarily all about love. In fact, many
people think they love each other only to get married and find out
that what they thought was love was really just lust.
It is possible to have a"love" marriage without becoming someone's
boyfriend or girlfriend or dating. However, given the tendencies of
human nature, it is difficult to stay within the limits of the
Shariah. That is why Muslim cultures place a lot of emphasis on
marriages being family affairs. And that is why Islamic law places
strict conditions on interactions between unmarried males and females.
It is possible for two people to love each other based on qualities
like character, piety, compassion, and personality. It doesn't always
have to be physical. However, it is really only through marriage that
love is both tested and strengthened. That is why it is best--to the
extent possible--to save these strong feelings for after marriage,
where they can be acted upon in a lawful fashion.
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa - Islamic learning without husband's support

Question:
My husband and I got married over 2 years ago. At the time, I was
involved in certain Islamic activities outside work, including a
regular class with my sheikh. I explained the importance of my sheikh
in my life, of myIslamic learning and my activities. My husband at the
time even asked me if I wanted to become a scholar, although he felt
the extra activities would probably not becompatible with marriage and
work. Hesaid he was marrying me for my deen and respected the fact I
had been around goodcompany. After marriage, I have given up any
formal involvement with those activities for his pleasure as I now
havesignificant responsibilities at home, am working and have a young
child, too. Although I wish he'd be more supportive of good works,
time permitting, I can bear this and he does on occasion allow me to
help out with certain activities. However, my prime concern is my
Islamic learning and interaction with practicing muslims. I will be
taking some time off work soon, insha Allah, and will subsequently cut
down to just 3 days a week. I did this to spend more time with my baby
but also to make more time for my own self-development. My husband
works quite long hours during the week. Everytime I suggest some form
of Islamic activity, he tells me that my responsibility is to himand
the baby, that there are many obligations and we cannot fulfil them
all, that this will compromise him, etc. Ican't put my finger on why
he is being obstructive. I know I can legally seek knowledge without
telling him, but I do not wish to resort to this...
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray this message finds you well.
Legally, your husband can restrict you from leaving the house.
However, he is not allowed to restrict you from learning knowledge
that is personally obligatory. If the only way for you to learn what
is personally obligatory means leavingthe house to attend classes,
then your husband should permit this. If he won't, then he should
allow you to haveclasses in your home.
It is important that husbands be aware of, and appreciate, the
importance of the wife's spiritual and intellectual life. As Ustadha
Hedaya Hartford writes, "The husband should provide the means for his
wife tolearn, apply her knowledge and grow in her faith and nearness
toAllah Most High" (Ustadha Hedaya Hartford,Initiating and Upholding
an Islamic Marriage).
Normally, it is both impractical and unfair for a man to expect his
wife to stay at home 24/7, especially in Western societies, wherewomen
have an active and public presence. The Muslim wife is still boundby
the parameters of the Shariah, but she should still have access to
education, employment, and good companionship.
It is important for you and your husband to sit down and discuss how
you can balance between your duties as awife and mother and your
responsibility to seek to personally obligatory knowledge.
Finally, personally obligatory knowledge includes learning about
purification, prayer, women's fiqh, tajwid, and anything necessary to
make your worship and relations sound and proper.
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa - Reverting back to hinduism from islam after marriage

Question:
Both my husband and myself were Hindus before marriage. I converted to
Islam after more than a year's thought. My parents then arranged a
marriage to my Hindu cousin. I agreed but told only him of my
conversion, and that he would also need to convert. I felt at the time
that were he to convert that Allah would be proud. He did convert and
we got married, initially by Hindu ceremony arranged by our parents,
then secretly an Islamic marriage. He embraced Islam for the first
year. His mother was invited to come and live with us in the UK for 6
months.Once she had left, he suddenly seemed to have reverted back to
Hinduism. I am not sure whether this was because he has been
blackmailed or out of his own choice. I am also pregnant. He is
otherwise a dear and loving husband who is kind and sincere to meas
well as to his parents, who do not like Islam. He is also under a lot
of pressure with exams and work, and his father recently had a heart
attack. He is currently living in my house with my family. Our
exposure to Islam from the outside world has also become limited
possibly due to pressures on both sides.He probably hasn't had so much
of an understanding of Islam as I have had through my brother, also a
convert. I can find so many excuses as to why he may have reverted,
but what do Ido? Our marriage would otherwise be a happy one. Am I
committing sin by staying with him? Can I give him time to understand
Islam better and to convert back? Please help.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray this message finds you well.
You need to talk to your husband and ascertain for a fact that he has,
indeed, reverted back to Hinduism. If he denies this, then you have no
reason to seek a divorce.
If, however, he openly rejects Islam, then you cannot stay married to
him. Given the sensitivityof the situation, you need to consult a
reliablelocal scholar. They might have some suggestions for you and
your husband.
In the meantime, please try to involve your husband with Muslim
community life. Don't isolate yourselves.
He may be going through a period of doubt and confusion. If so, he
needs your help.
And Allah knows best.