I'TIKAAF AND EID-UL-FITR

ASSALAAMU ‘ALAIYKUM AND RAMADAAN MUBAARAK!

The following calculation are for the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago:

RAMADAAN 1430 A.H.
First Night: Night of Friday 21st August, 2009
First Day: Day of Saturday 22nd August, 2009
I'tikaaf begins: Insha Allah Before sunset of Thursday 10th September, 2009

SHA'BAAN 1430 (AH) - Last MonthThe Month of Sha'baan completed 29 days since the moon to commence the month of Ramadaan was confirmed as being sighted locally and regionally after the sunset of the 29th day.

SHAWWAAL 1430 (AH) - EID-UL-FITR - Next Month Insha-Allah.
The 29th of Ramadaan is Saturday 19th September, 2009 Insha-Allah.
Sighting should be done after sunset of this day Insha-Allah.
The new moon (crescent) will be born on Friday 18th September, 2009 at 2:18 pm Insha-Allah.
Sunset on Saturday 19th September, 2009 will be at 6:07 pm Insha-Allah.
At sunset of this day, the moon will be about 27 hours 53 minutes old and Muslims are reminded to look for the crescent to commence the month of Shawwaal 1430 AH Insha-Allah.
If the moon is sighted then Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Sunday 20th September, 2009 Insha-Allah.
If the moon is not sighted then Ramadaan would complete 30 days and Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Monday 21st September, 2009 Insha-Allah.

ALLAHU AKBAR! MOON WAS SIGHTED!!!

In The Name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Assalaamu ‘Alaiykum;

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! The moon was sighted in the Caribbean Island of Tobago today Friday 21st August 2009 at 1825Hrs. The Holy month of Ramadaan begins... Ramadaan Mubarak! May Allah (swt) have mercy on all Muslims, may Allah (swt) forgive us, and may He [Allah (swt)] emancipate us all from the fire of Hell in this Holy month of Ramadaan... Ameen!

Wa-Salaam
Umar Abdullah
Head of Waajihatul Islaamiyyah
Tel: 1 (868) 787-0765; Fax: 1 (868) 681-8597
Email: waajihatulislaamiyyah@gmail.com

The Moon and Ramadaan

In The Name of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas SAHIH MUSLIM HADITH No 2391Kurayb said:

Umm Fadl, daughter of Harith, sent him (Fadl, i.e. her son) to Mu'awiyah in Syria. I (Fadl) arrived in Syria, and did the needful for her. It was there in Syria that the month of Ramadan commenced. I saw the new moon (of Ramadan) on Friday. I then came back to Medina at the end of the month. Abdullah ibn Abbas asked me (about the new moon of Ramadan) and said: When did you see it?
I said: We saw it on Friday night.
He said: (Did) you see it yourself?
I said: Yes, and the people also saw it so they observed fast and Mu'awiyah also observed fast. Thereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we shall continue to observe the fast until we complete thirty (fasts) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal).
I said: Is the sighting of the moon by Mu'awiyah not valid for you?
He said: No; this is how the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has commanded us. Yahya ibn Yahya was in doubt (whether the word used in the narration by Kurayb) was Naktafi or Taktafi.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas SAHIH MUSLIM HADITH No 2392 Abul Bakhtari reported:

We went out to perform Umrah and when we encamped in the valley of Nakhlah, we tried to see the new moon.
Some of the people said: It was three nights old, and others (said) that it was two nights old. We then met Ibn Abbas and told him we had seen the new moon, but that some of the people said it was three nights old and others that it was two nights old. He asked on which night we had seen it; and when we told him we had seen it on such and such night, he said the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) had said Verily Allah deferred it till the time it is seen, so it is to be reckoned from the night you saw it.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas AL-MUWATTA HADITH No 18.1.3:

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, once mentioned Ramadan and said, "Do not start the fast or break it until you see the new moon. If the new moon is obscured from you, then complete a full thirty days."

The advocates who use the sighting of the moon in Makkah to begin Ramadan anywhere on earth argue that a sighting in one area is binding on Muslims in other areas as well.
However, as can be seen in the preceding hadiths narrated by Muslim, and others they reject and argue against a sighting being binding on distant places. It states clearly that the Sahaba, who traveled to Syria encountered the start of Ramadan there on a Friday, upon his return to Medina, he informed Ibn Abbas that he had seen the crescent-moon on the night of Friday, and that the people in Syria, including Muawiyah the governor, had fasted on Friday. Ibn Abbas replied that they (in Medina) had seen the crescent-moon on Saturday, and that they would not stop fasting until they either saw it again, or had completed thirty days. The Sahaba said, "Will you not suffice with the sighting of Muawiyah?” Ibn Abbas replied, "No, that is how the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanded us.”
Also, we need to consider that just as Muslims around the world will not pray simultaneously, rather each area will pray based on the movement of the sun in their area. Thus, how could they start and end fasting simultaneously. The presence of numerous hadith on this issue only indicates that even the Companions and their later contemporaries differed about the start and end of Ramadan, such difference did not cause disunity among them, and so there is no reason why it should for us.

RAMADAAN 1430 (AH) (2009) – Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean

In The Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful

Assalaamu 'Alaiykum Brothers and Sisters!

RAMADAAN 1430 (AH) (2009) – Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean

The 29th of Sha'baan is Friday 21st August, 2009 Insha Allah.
Sighting should be done after sunset of this day Insha Allah.
The new moon (crescent) will be born Insha Allah on Thursday 20th August, 2009 at 6:02 am. Sunset Insha Allah on Friday 21st August, 2009 will be at 6:25 pm.
At sunset of this day, the moon will be about 36 hours 23 minutes old Insha Allah and Muslims are reminded to look for the crescent to commence the month of Ramadaan 1430 AH Insha Allah.
If the moon is sighted Insha Allah then the 1st Taraaweeh would be performed on the night of Friday 21st August, 2009 Insha Allah and the 1st Fast would be on Saturday 22nd August, 2009 Insha Allah.
If the moon is not sighted then Sha’baan would complete 30 days Insha Allah and the 1st Taraaweeh will be on the night of Saturday 22nd August, 2009 Insha Allah and the 1st Fast would be on Sunday 23rd August, 2009 Insha Allah.

Wa-Salaam
Umar Abdullah
Head of Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front)
Tel: 1 (868) 787-0765; Fax: 1 (868) 631-8597
Email: waajihatulislaamiyyah@gmail.com or theislamicfront@gmail.com