Warning: Please DO NOT forward this article to anyone yet as I am posting it to have it proof-read. I have been asked by Shaykh (Mufti) Yusuf Sacha (RA) to translate and compile this so point out errors...
www.central-mosque.com/index.php/Civil/batley-wifaq.html
- Shaykh (Maulana) Marghoob Ahmed Lajpuri (HA) [Author]
- Shaykh (Mufti) Yusuf Sacha (HA) [Research Contribution]
- Shaykh (Mufti) Sajid Patel (HA) [Research Contribution]
- Shaykh (Mufti) Zakariya Akudi (HA) [Research Contribution]
- Shaykh (Maulana) Sulaiman Ghani (HA) [Research Contribution]
- Abu Salih Muadh Khan (PGDip, MSc) [Translator]
Translator's Introduction:
The issue of moon sighting in Britain is divisive and emotional. It raises passions and inflames emotions. They are two positions namely following Saudi Arabia or local (and adjacent) sighting to UK and there are Scholars on both sides. We have been reporting on Astronomical calculations (12 months of the year) and subsequent sightings from around the world for nearly a decade and will Insha’Allah continue to do so.
I was given 8 separate books on the subject where Shaykh (Maulana) Marghoob Ahmed Lajpuri (HA) and other Ulama comprehensively answered the questions and objections of those who object to the moon sighting criteria adopted by Wifaqul Ulama and the Islamic Scholars of Batley for United Kingdom . I was also provided with and dozens of Fatawa from multiple Darul-ulooms. It should be noted that these two bodies of Ulama independently researched, consulted the Ulama and then agreed on a similar solution. The Islamic Scholars of Batley deliberated on the issue of moon sighting in considerable depth, visited Morocco and South Africa then unanimously agreed (a few years) to forego Saudi moon sighting. Their deliberations and conclusions were then put to Senior Scholars of India and Pakistan and only when the moon sighting criterion was affirmed was it put into practise for United Kingdom.
No such in-depth research and consultation has gone into following Saudi moon sighting; rather a switch was made in 1980’s (from Morocco) which is being dogmatically adhered to despite rejection from every Major Darul-uloom in the world including Darul-uloom Deoband and others.
Saudi Arabia is not followed by Darul-uloom Deoband or any other Darul-uloom in India/Pakistan nor have they ever approved following Saudi Arabia for their countries; in fact Fatawa and individual opinions of Ulama such as Shayukhul-Hadeeth (Maulana) Zakariyya Kandhalwi (RA) amongst many others have always cast doubt on Saudi moon sighting in official (Fatwaas) and private letters.
Today, no major Darul-uloom approves following of Saudi moon sighting for British Muslims at all.
To condense all of this information into a single article for our English readers was a daunting task. I have tried to keep the words of Shaykh (Maulana) Marghoob Ahmed Lajpuri (HA) while summarising the issues (provided as research material) separately.
Before proceeding I would like to point out that in earlier Islamic history, references about astronomy and astrology are often used interchangeably. The intend of seeking this knowledge was always to accurately determine timings of Salah and directions of Qiblah and not “Astrology” as we know today which is to use the (hypothetical) movement of stars to determine luck and prophesise events. Later is categorically forbidden in Islam; since this distinction is well understood by Scholars Shaykh (Maulana) Marghoob Ahmed Lajpuri (HA) (in Urdu) doesn’t elaborate on this point but I deemed it vital for English speaking Muslims to understand what is meant by these references so I have tried to depart from a literal translation and added notes where necessary.
