هناك من ينادي بربط المطالع كلها بمطالع مكة

س393: هناك من ينادي بربط المطالع كلها بمطالع مكة حرصاً على وحدة الأمة في دخول شهر رمضان المبارك وغيره فما رأي فضيلتكم؟

الجواب: هذا من الناحية الفلكية مستحيل ، لأن مطالع الهلال كما قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية – رحمه الله تختلف باتفاق أهل المعرفة بهذا العلم، وإذا كانت تختلف فإن مقتضى الدليل الأثري والنظري أن يجعل لكل بلد حكمه.

أما الدليل الأثري فقال الله تعالى : ( فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ (البقرة: 185).

فإذا قدر أن أناساً في أٌقصى الأرض ما شهدوا الشهر – أي الهلال- وأهل مكة شهدوا الهلال فكيف يتوجه الخطاب في هذه الآية إلى من لم يشهدوا الشهر؟! وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : (( صوموا لرؤيته وافطروا لرؤيته)) 386 متفق عليه،

فإذا رآه أهل مكة مثلاً فكيف نلزم أهل باكستان ومن وراءهم من الشرقيين بأن يصوموا ، مع أننا نعلم أن الهلال لم يطلع في أفقهم، والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم علق ذلك بالرؤية.

أما الدليل النظري فهو القياس الصحيح الذي لا تمكن معارضته، فنحن نعلم أن الفجر يطلع في الجهة الشرقية من الأرض قبل الجهة الغربية، فإذا طلع الفجر على الجهة الشرقية، فهل يلزمنا أن نمسك ونحن في ليل؟ الجواب لا. وإذا غربت الشمس في الجهة الشرقية ولكننا نحن في النهار فهل يجوز لنا أن نفطر؟

الجواب: لا . إذن الهلال كالشمس تماماً، فالهلال توقيته توقيت شهري، والشمس توقيتها توقيت يومي. والذي قال: (أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَى نِسَائِكُمْ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَهُنَّ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنْكُمْ فَالآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ وَلا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلا تَقْرَبُوهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ) (البقرة:187) هو الذي قال: ( فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ) فمقتضى الدليل الأثري والنظري أن نجعل لكم مكان حكماً خاصًا به فيما يتعلق بالصوم والفطر، ويربط ذلك بالعلامة الحسية التي جعلها الله في كتابه وجعلها نبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم في سنته ألا وهو شهود القمر، وشهود الشمس أو الفجر.

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Q. 393. There are some people who call for the uniting of the moon sightings everywhere with that of Makkah, in order to unite the Muslim community over the start of the blessed month of Ramadan and other months. What is Your Eminence’s opinion on this ?

A. From the point of view of astronomy, this is impossible, because the appearance of the new crescent, as Shiakhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, differs (from place to place) according to the consensus of those who are knowledgeable in this field. Since it differs, then what is necessitated by the evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and scientific evidence, is that every country must have its own ruling.

As for the evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, Allah, the Most High says:

Quranic ayaat:

“So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan, i.e. is present at his home, he must observe Saum (fasts) that month.” [1]

So, if it happened that a people in the farthest part of the earth did not witness the month, i.e. the new crescent, while the people of Makkah had seen the new crescent, how could the

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[1] Al-Baqarah 2:185

address in this Verse be applied to those who had not witnessed the new crescent? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

Quranic ayaat:

“Fast when you see it and break the fast when you see it.” [1]

So if the people of Makkah see it, how can we oblige the people of Pakistan and those Asians who live beyond it to fast, when we know that the new crescent has not appeared in their region, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made fasting conditional upon the sighting of a new crescent ?

The scientific evidence is the correct analogy, which is not possible to refute, for we know that the dawn appears in the eastern corner of the earth before the western side. So if the dawn appears on the eastern side, it is incumbent upon to fast while we are still in the night ?

The answer is no. if the sun sets in the east, while we were still in daylight, it is permissible for us to break our fast? The answer is no. Therefore, the new crescent is exactly like the sun, except that the timing of the new crescent is monthly and the timing of the sun is daily, and He Who said:

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[1] Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Fasting, in the Chapter: The Words of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: When you see the new crescent (1909); and by Muslim in the Book of Fasting, in the Chapter: The Obligation to Fast the Month of Ramadan Upon Sighting the new crescent (1081).

Quranic ayaat:

“It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of As-Saum (the fast). They are Libas [i.e. body-cover, or screen, or Sakan (i.e. you enjoy the pleasure of living with them) for you and you are the same for them. Allah knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you (accepted your repentance) and forgave you. So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allah has ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of the night), then complete your Saum (fast) till the nightfall. And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I’tikaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allah, so approach them not. Thus does Allah make clear His Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allah’s set limits, orders, ect.) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqun,” [1]

is the One Who said:

Quranic ayaat:

“So whoever of you sighs (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan, i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Saum (fast) that month.” [2]

So, what is necessitated by the evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, as well as scientific evidence, is to make a special judgement for each place regarding fasting and breaking the fast, and to link them on the base of the perceptible sign which Allah has declared in His Book, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has declared in his Sunnah, and that is the sighting of the moon and the sighting of the sun or the dawn.

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[1] Al-Baqarah 2:187

[2] Al-Baqarah 2:185

Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islam

Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islam By Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen. The Fatawa presented in these volumes have been selected from the whole collection of the Fatawa of the learned Shaikh Muhammad bin Salih Al-'Uthaymeen and translated into the English language. These Fatawa are distinguished by their reliance upon the Book of Allah, the Most High, the Sunnah of His Messenger (S) and the opinions of the scholars who are known for their investigative powers. We hope that these Fatawa will provide the people great help, knowledge and understanding of the finer points of religious aspects.