Wifaqul Ulama: Introduction & FAQ

Future plans are to develop an App for the UK Market. Before the App can be developed a Fatwa needs to be given on Fajar & Esha times which can be adhered to.

I think the Ulama are considering a Shariah response which can then be molded into an App.

It was hoped that we can get it out by this Ramadhan but it didn't happen.

Wifaqul Ulama Way:

1. Frequently Asked Questions
2. Scientific Studies
3. Fatawa

وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ

5 Year Wifaqul Ulama & Batley Moon Sighting Committee (BMSC) data:

Please see the results which are available for the last 5 years:

1. Year 1437:
   • Faxes from Morocco are displayed for the whole year
   • Twice the decision was based on UK
   • Safar 1437 Moonsighting was unsuccesfull in South Africa but successful in Morocco so we started with Morocco
2. Year 1436:
   • Faxes from Morocco are displayed for the whole year
3. Year 1435:
   • Faxes from Morocco are displayed for the whole year
4. Year 1434:
   • Faxes from Morocco are displayed for the whole year
5. Year 1433:
   • Faxes from Morocco are displayed for the whole year

If you consider the data for almost 5 years you will note that the system has little to do with South Africa.

Also see the presentation about Morocco:

wifaqululama.co.uk/moonsighting/objectwifaq/54-mormoon

Britain (normally) has cloudy skies and it is unusual to have clear weather. Britain is also a high latitude country. Together these two (abnormalities) leave us no choice but to rely on another location for Moonsighting.

As you will know that the same thing affects us for Fajar and Esha timings.

Since Morocco is our nearest Muslim country and also happens to have a fantastic Moonsighting system in place, we seek assistance from Morocco.

Ulama have floated the idea of South Africa (as backup) but it is generally and by and large Morocco as the 5 year data suggests and has been the Fatwa since 1970s.

It appears to me that you and the Brother Mkdon1 hear announcements from your Mosque and perhaps that’s where the confusion is coming from. I have taken a note of this point and will raise it with the Ulama in the next Shura meeting.

Why do we need to even follow Morocco, why not just a full on British Moonsighting system? Because due to our (unique) problems majority of Islamic months will become 30 days and this means that within a few months we will be out of synch with the whole world. In a decade of so you will be doing Hajj in Rajab, do you see the point?

جزاك اللهُ خيرًا

Besides being logically difficult, Intercalation (adding days to Calendar) is Haram.

This is the problem with trying to answer questions, online. There are only two positions in Islam when it comes to Moonsighting, local or Global (Hanafees of today by and large don’t practise it but let’s take it as a position). Setting Saudia as an exclusive benchmark is a hybrid position which doesn’t fit into either of those classical positions. Saudi Arabia (when it comes to Moonsighting) doesn’t carry any special significance at all. It’s like setting Iraq or Nigeria to be the benchmark for UK and that argument (logically) will have equal merit to Saudi Arabia.

So the point which I am (unsuccessfully) trying to make is that the Moonsighting in Saudi Arabia is not Shariah enforceable.

If you think that this stance is “Anti-Saudi” replace Saudi Arabia with Indonesia and then read the same argument, would that make Wifaqul Ulama “Anti-Indonesia”? We live in UK and make Dua for Muslims of Indonesia but their Moonsighting has no relevance for us in UK.

Hanbali opinion about Makkah Moonsighting:

فأما قول من قال إنه ينبغي أن يكون المعتبر رؤية هلال مكة خاصة ، فلا أصل له ولا دليل عليه

"As for those who say that it is necessary to follow the sighting of Makkah, then let it be known to them, that there is no proof or basis for this in the Qur'aan and Hadith". (Sheikh Abdullah bin Baz RA AlBa'ath ul Islaaami Zil Hijjah 1399 Hijri).

Hanafi opinion about Makkah Moonsighting:

archive.org/stream/besturdubooks4/Kitab-un-Nawazil-06#pag...

The upshot of this discussion is that after giving due consideration to Quran & Sunnah and principles of Fiqh the concept of declaring Makkah to the standard of Moonsighting for the whole world is absolutely wrong and impractical.