|
Couple of years ago, Fiqh
Council of North America, which is mainly dominated by
ISNA and few other SALAFI organizations, decided to use
astronomical calculations in determining the Islamic
months. They developed a calendar for the next five
years for the identification of the Islamic festivals /
events.
The scholars at the Fiqh Council of North America wrote
several research papers. In those research papers
authors analyzed and debated variety of rulings by early
and current Islamic Jurists and experts on astronomy.
Initially, Fiqh Council of North America used GMT as a
reference for the calculations. This year, Fiqh Council
of North America changed the reference and used Makkah's
time as a reference for calculations. After changing
the point of reference, Fiqh Council revised its
calendar; however, Fiqh Council did not post the new
revised calendar on their website. I wrote them an email
and asked for the revised calendar but never got any
response from Fiqh Council of North America. I was not
sure why Fiqh Council is reluctant to produce revised
calendar.
But I now know why they did not post the revised
calendar on their website. The reason is that the Fiqh
Council wanted to keep room for FLIP FLOP.
It is obvious that the Fiqh Council does not want to
follow its own calendar for all 12 months of the year.
They just want to follow their own calendar for 11
months and for the 12th month they would blindly follow
what Saudi tells them. According to Fiqh Council, for
all eleven months the crescent sighting in North America
will be based upon their calculated calendar. However,
for the month of Dhul Hajjah, they will follow the SAUDI
declaration.
What kind of Fiqh is this? For 11 months the criteria
is different than the criteria for the 12th month. If
Saudi declaration can not be followed for 11 months why
it has to be followed for the 12th month? What verse in
Qur'an OR Hadith OR the ruling of early scholars of
Islam says that for 11 month the crescent sighting
should be based upon calculations and for the 12th month
it should be based upon Saudi judgement? Why Fiqh
Council do not use one criterion for all 12 months?
For the month of Dhul Hujjah, the Fiqh Council gave an
excuse. Since the Saudi's have announced the day of
Hajj, therefore, it is necessary that the Eid-ul-Adh-ha
should take place after the day of Hajj. If the excuse
is the day of HAJJ (ARAFAH), because Hajj would take
place on the day when Saudis would announce it,
regardless that the Saudi decision may go against all
the odds of crescent sighting in the world, then this
excuse is not a valid reason.
If the Saudi declaration for the month of Dhul-Hujjah
can be correct, why the Fiqh Council think that the
Saudi declaration may be wrong for the other 11 months?
Why do you need your own calendar? Just follow Saudi
announcement. Why Eid ul Fitre, Ramadan and other
Islamic months are calculated based upon the Fiqh
Council's calendar and only Dhul Hujjah is based upon
Saudi Announcement? What is the basis for this
segregation?
There is no basis for this flip flop. It is obvious that
the scholars at the Fiqh Council can not stand against
the pressure from Saudi scholars and the pressure from
those who blindly follow Saudi scholars. This is all
about manipulation of Islamic Shari'a by a few scholars
who knowingly make wrong decisions because of fear,
greed or personal interests.
This FLIP FLOP by the Fiqh Council of North America
shows that it is not a credible organization. We are
not sure where else this Fiqh Council compromises with
wrong.
It is time for Muslims to unite and establish a Fiqh
Council that would include all the denominations of
Islam and provide rulings and fatwa on the basis of
Islamic Shari'a, not personal interests, pressures,
fears or greed.
For North America, this year's Eid al Adh-ha has been
declared by majority of Islamic organizations in North
America. Eid Al Adh-ha is on Thursday, December 20th,
2007. This day is supported by both criteria of
crescent sighting, that is, the calculations and the
physical sighting of the crescent. Muslims fear only
Allah and no one else. Jazakallah and Eid Mubarak.
Syed B. Soharwardy
President, Islamic Supreme Council of Canada
Ph: 403-208-7148
Email:
contact@islamicsupremecouncil.com
|
