Moonsighting the Wifaq ul Ulama Way

Found this booklet ('Moonsighting the Wifaq ul Ulama Way: The Cautious Way – a detailed explanation of why the Wifaq ul Ulama has chosen not to follow the Saudi Hilal authorities of Riyadh', compiled by the scholars of Wifaq ul Ulama UK) on the kitchen table and thought I'd give it a read. (One of those days: hungry for short booklets to read!) Found the emotive language at times a bit hard to swallow given the aims of the booklet, i.e. a scholarly document, but found some of the points rather persuasive. Would be curious to hear the other side at some point. Here are some of the main (non-emotive) arguments:

• If in the future the Hilal authorities in Riyadh Saudi Arabia were to adopt the 'cautious and strict' method followed by Wifaq ul Ulama UK, then Wifaq ul Ulama UK would have no objection listing them in the names of countries that can be followed.
• We should revive the forgotten Sunnah of making effort to sight the moon every month locally.
• If the hilal is sighted in clear conditions (meaning: the skies are clear and there are no obstructions such as clouds, mist or pollution), then a testimony of a large group (such that they can’t be lying) of Muslims will be needed to accept a claim of a sighting.
• The Wifaq ul Ulama UK will only commence the new Islamic month after receiving testimonies of actual and reliable sighting with the naked eye.
• If the hilal is not sighted locally, then Wifaq ul Ulama UK will take the news of a sighting from another country on the condition that Wifaq ul Ulama UK's 'strict' moon sighting criteria is met.
• Experts in astronomy may be used (but only) as a 'guide' or 'help' (to eradicate false or mistaken sighting claims).
• The majority of Arab countries including Saudi Arabia are believed to follow a pre-calculated calendar based on a moon birth time formula. For proof of this: the dates of 'Ummul Qura' and the 'Central Moonsighting Committee' of the past years can be compared and shown to match on every single month.

Progression of the human race / Standards

"... Rasoolullah (ﷺ) says this ummah will not end until a time will come when a man would approach a woman and would sleep with her in the middle of the road... the middle of the street in front of everyone... Rasoolullah (ﷺ) says the best of them in that time... the most righteous of people in that time... will come and tell them, 'if you could please go behind that wall'..."

(Source: 'The Hereafter' audio series)

Fear

Bombs fall but not a tear.

My heart is diseased.

Bombs fall but we will not tear.

Ours is a great affair.

Evening of Musical Inspiration

I was pleased to see a modified version of the Evening of Inspiration advert on Islam Channel today. Whilst the musical aspect may be debatable, I could not find any justification for the promotion of Muslim women screaming in idolisation of singing men. I would be interested to know whether this new advert was released with those concerns in mind.

Muslims in the West: Where are we going?

Thoughts following on from a talk entitled 'Muslims in the West: Where are going? (A step toward formulating a realistic vision)'

Much of what is going on today has precedent in the past. However, there is one aspect that is unique, and that is the (largish) presence of Muslims in (secular) Western lands. Our parents came here for economic reasons. For a short stay. To earn some money and then return. But they remained, got married, had children and here we are. Since there coming until now there has been improvisation (building mosques etc) but no grand vision for our future in our new home. Thus, for the most part we are like lost sheep, no vision and no goal for the different challenges our generation is facing.

This question (Where are we going?) needs to become the topic of our conversations. In particular there are five questions to think about and answer:

1. Are we allowed to live in "Daar-ul-Kufr"?

From a Shar'ee point of view the issue is not black and white, as with many issues of Fiqh. There is rich difference (Ikhtilaaf) and many evidences given from the various sides.

From a pragmatic perspective (ignoring the theoretical view), there are hundreds of millions of Muslims living outside the "Muslim world" (East and West). If Hijrah (emigration) were obligatory upon us where would we all go? The Shariah takes into account the pragmatics and looks at the situation that we are living in.

2. What is our role as a community? What do we want to achieve? Do we want to turn it into a Shariah state, or live and let live?

Look at the example set by the Muslims that migrated from Mecca to Abyssinia because they were being persecuted and forced to commit Shirk. They remained there for more than a decade; married there, divorced there, settled there. Was the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) secretly advising them to plot and overrun the ruler? No. All they asked for was to be free to worship Allah.

Our goal is to remain Muslim and to be allowed to practice Islam without governmental infringement. Is it our "goal" to convert the public masses? No. Though it is a desire for the non-Muslims around us to accept Islam, it is not our goal. What if we were to fail in the set goal, then what? We would be sinful. In actuality, know that Da'wah is Fard Kifaayah (obligatory upon the community) and not Fard Ain (obligatory upon the individual). Don't say, "This is what I must do. My goal of which I cannot fall short". Rather, show by example and say, "This is my way. If you like it, then all Praise is due to Allah, and if you don't, then that is your decision." However, do note that if we fall short as a community then we are all sinful.

3. What should our relationship be with "the others without" (i.e. the non-Muslim communities around us)?

Not total isolation and not total assimilation; a healthy integration. We have to consider ourselves "a healthy part of society": Helping the society around us and yet retaining our (Islamic) values and ethics. Further, when people see that we are a (useful) part of society, they will be more open to our Dawah and theology.

We cannot have disdain (a "them and us" mentality) to a non-Muslim just because he/she is a non-Muslim. There are fine examples of non-Muslims helping Muslims in the Seerah and the Muslims responding with gratitude. And let us not overlook the examples in front of us today in the various anti-war anti-terror campaigns devoid of Muslim participation.

Besides all else, we have to admit to ourselves, we owe our mentality to this culture. Yes there is evil here, but there is evil everywhere. And let's get real, there is no Utopian (Medinan) state. There is good and bad everywhere. As an extreme example, if you were to be (wrongly) sentenced for inciting terror, would you rather do time here in Britain or in a Middle Eastern jail?

4. What do we do with "the others within" (i.e. the Muslims that we deem incorrect in their theology)?

In a secular democracy, quantity counts; remember that if you want to make some change. Work between the different groups should be treated on a case by case basis; by weighing the good against the bad, and not refusing on account of some unrelated (perhaps petty) difference. If you see that "the other" calls himself a Muslim, loves the Sunnah and the Companions, then there is no reason not to work with him on general levels, like calling to prayer, kindness etc (away from the details and differences of Fiqh and Aqeedah).

5. Who do we turn to for moral and spiritual guidance in times of crisis? The Ulema? Which Ulema?

We need to start to give more precedence to our local scholars; those with actual living experience, even more than those with more "pure book knowledge". Only those living in the lands can understand the pros and cons. The one who sees is not like the one who hears.

Conclusion

These are not the only issues, but the first and foremost that need to be answered. Islam will survive. This is not the question. The question is, will we?