DECISIONS / PROCEDURES
The decision regarding hilal (crescent) sighting at the
Hilal Committee of Toronto and Vicinity is undertaken as follows:
The Hilal Committee of Toronto & Vicinity is comprised of more than 80 masajid & Islamic centers in and around the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) &
Canada.
Every month members gather and decide upon the commencement of the new month
based on local actual sighting with the naked eye.
In accordance to the fiqh, scholars of the Hilal Committee have established Canada, America
and certiain countries of the Caribbean as one MATLA horizon
(especially regions falling in the Toronto time zone EST), the hilal committee has appointed personnel residing
in all the provinces of Canada and also in every state in the USA and
Caribbean who search
for the moon.
Once information is received the sighting then is confirmed and verified by
large amounts of people and then the decision is declared.
WHY SOME TIMES THE DECISION MAY TAKE SOME TIME
After understanding what has been mentioned above, it is important to know
that some provinces and states are 2 or 3 hours behind us here in Toronto,
thus their sunset will also be 2 or 3 hours after ours, therefore we must
wait for their sunset if the moon is not sighted in any other location in
N. America. This is why at times the decision by the Hilal Committee may
take some time.
The Hilal Committee also uses astronomical data to assist
in making its decisions, however all decisions are based on the actual
sighting of the moon in North America & the Caribbean with the naked eye. Evidence for the
probability of a moon sighting occurring according to calculations is
reviewed, although it is not the sole reason for determining a new month.
Islamic law has made clear the necessity of an actual visual, unaided
sighting of the moon. However, there are no restrictions to use calculations
in determining the probability of a moon sighting.
THE SIGHTING OF SAUDI ARABIA
The horizon of Saudi Arabia is different than ours here in North America.
This is why the senior Muftis and Scholars (Ulama) of Saudi Arabia (Sh.
Abdullah bin Baz, Sh. Saleh bin Uthaimeen etc.) have also issued fatwas for
the Muslims in North America that we should not follow the sighting of Saudi
Arabia but rather follow our local sightings.
(Please see fatwas on the web at:
http://www.jas.org.jo/hilaal/).
(or alternatively
on this site by clicking here:
Fatwas on Islamic Moon Sighting)
This is why when we in N. America have completed Salatul Fajr, the Muslims
in Saudi Arabia have already completed the Salatul Asr or Maghrib of the
very same day.
DIFFERENT SIGHTINGS OF THE NEWMOON DURING THE TIME OF THE NOBLE SAHABA
During the time of the noble companions (Sahaba – r.a.) who understood and
learnt the deen directly from the Holy Prophet (pbuh), there were also
different dates for Ramadan and Eid based upon different sightings in
different countries as found in the authentic Ahadith.
“Kuraib (ra) reported that Umm Fadl (ra), daughter of Harith, sent him (Fadl,
i.e. her son) to Mu'awiya (ra) in Syria. I (Fadl) arrived in Syria, and did
the needful for her. It was there in Syria that the month of Ramadan
commenced. I saw the new moon (of Ramadan) on Friday. I then came back to
Medina at the end of the month. Abdullah b. 'Abbas (ra) asked me (about the
new moon of Ramadan) and said: When did you see it? I said.: We saw it on
the night of Friday. He said: (Did) you see it yourself?-I said: Yes, and
the people also saw it and they observed fast and Mu'awiya also observed
fast, whereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we would
continue to observe fast till we complete thirty (fasts) or we see it (the
new moon of Shawwal). I said: Is the sighting of the moon by Mu'awiya not
valid for you? He said: No; this is how the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has
commanded us. “
(Saheeh Muslim)
(Please also see:
Sighting
the Hilal For Ramadan)
The genuine Scholars who hold firmly on the Quran and Sunnah do not want to
create differences but rather want to present the correct deen which has
been outlined in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
We ask Almighty Allah to guide us towards the truth.
Ameen Ya Rabbal Aalameen.