Sighting the Moon

Global moon sighting

Q: It is with great pain in my heart that I message you. After the passing of a very big Alim, Moulana Khalil Sufi rahmatullahi alayh, the Ulama in the city of Toronto are trying to get everyone on board with global moon sighting. Is their any validty to what they say and is this a valid difference of opinion?

Sighting the moon with a telescope

Q:

1) Kindly explain why Shari'at would allow the aid of spectacles to sight the moon but not the aid of a stronger medium like a pair of binoculars?

2) Kindly explain why the sighting of the moon from the Mount Everest at 8.8 km above sea level would be acceptable but not from an aircraft flying at a lower altitude of 5 km above sea level?

Adjustment of the Islamic calender

Q: Regarding the recent adjustment of the Islamic calender, I came across an interesting obversation from the internet regarding hilaal. What is this Shariah standpoint regarding this view? It's perhaps a silly question to ask because if Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasllam) said so what is the need for clarification? But again I am a layman and need guidance from our elders. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Fast when the hilaal is sighted, and stop fasting when it is sighted. If due to overcast conditions, the moon is not sighted, then it will be a 30-day month.” What is the problem with this instruction of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)? What is so difficult that makes it impossible to observe this command? Why do people display an aversion for the Sunnah? Nothing but deficiency of Imaan and deficiency in love for Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) are the causes for treating the Sunnah and the Shariah with disdain. That's the obsevation  I read which made sense to me but I await the response of the muftis on this.

Following the Sighting of the Moon

Q:  I humbly ask you please help me to find sukoon in the following matter what bothers me all the time nowadays. It is about our Islamic calendar. The Muslims in South Africa have Eid day on another day through observing the moon and we Turkish people follow the Turkish calender from "Diyanet" Musjid (this is a very big Turkish organisation in Istanbul and one of their Musjid in my town). I asked an Aalim what should I do on Eid day and whom should I follow. He replied that I should follow the Musjid announcement. I explained to him that they follow a calendar that is written a year before and that they do not observe the moon before Eid day. They determine somehow when is Eid day a year before. Next year we start Ramadhaan on 20.07.2012, Eid day is on 19.08.2012, Eid Adha on 25.10.2012, Ashura 24.11.2012. This is the Musjid announcement. I want to clear the issue if it is okay to follow their announcement for Eid days, Ashura and so on. Here in  Germany it is dark and most of the time cloudy and I can not go outside and observe moon. The place where it can be seen is little bit far from here.