Eid with Makkah

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THE FALLACY OF EID WITH MAKKA

The Muslim Ummah is presently passing through a deep global crisis. Contributing to this crisis in no small way is the dismal breakdown of unity among Muslims. A glaring example of such lack of unity is the current controversy over Eidul-Adh-haa. 

The purpose of knowledge is to enlighten.

THE SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE

A ruling of Shariah can never be the object of a public debate or radio discussion. It is the height of disdain on the part of those who entertain such comments, to allow every non-entity a say in a topic as important as this. Such disrespect for knowledge of Wahi cannot be tolerated.

WHY EID WITH MAKKA IS WRONG

We reproduce from a number of authentic sources the arguments against having Eid with Makka:

1) Nabi Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Fast upon its sighting and make Eidul-Fitr on its sighting, and perform your nusuk on its sighting." (Narrated by Imam Ahmad bin Hambal) Shaikh Abdur Rahman Al-Banna of Egypt says in his kitab Al-Fathur Rabbani that the word nusuk here means other acts of worship besides fasting and Eid, such as Hajj, Qurbani, and Eidul-Adh-haa. This hadith therefore commands that, among others, Qurbani and Eidul-Adh-haa, two injunctions that are related to each other, should be observed upon the sighting of the moon. So just as the majority of Muslims obey this hadith and look for the Ramadaan and Eid moon in their respective countries, in like manner they are required to obey this hadith in relation to Eidul-Adh-haa and Udh-hiyya (qurbani). This hadith thus provides a basis for the Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adh-haa moon.

2) Bakri Eid, also known as Eidul-Adh-haa, is a separate ibaadat entirely independent of Hajj and Arafah. The occasion of Eidul-Adh-haa has no practical relation with Hajj, for the following reasons:

Eidul-Adh-haa and Qurbani were ordained upon this Ummat during the second year of the Hijrat, following Ramadaan and Eidul-Fitr. On the other hand, Hajj only became faradh in the ninth year after hijrat. Which means that for seven years Eidul-Adh-haa was taking place in Makka and Madinah while there was no Arafah! If Bakri Eid and Arafah were correlated, both would have been enforced simultaneously.

Bakri Eid and Qurbani both are wajib according to the Hanafi mazh-hab, and Sunnat Muakkadah according to the view of Imam Shafi’ (rahmatullahi alaih). There is therefore much more reason for linking Bakri Eid to Qurbani, rather than to Arafah which is a faradh and a rukn (fundamental) of Hajj. For seven years in Madinah Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) offered Qurbani while no hajj was taking place in Makka. He performed his Eidul-Adh-haa prayers while there was no Arafah in Makka. This alone demolishes the concept of Bakri Eid being the day after people in Makka perform their wuqoof in Arafah. It also proves that the start of Zhul-Hijja and the Eid of Adh-haa that followed, was established through the sighting of the moon. Even an ignoramus cannot miss this point. If it is claimed that once Hajj became faradh in Makka then Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaaba (radhiyallahu anhum) were commanded to observe Eidul-Adh-haa with Makka, we will demand proof of this claim from authentic sources. Baseless claims have been bandied around on the radio station with great enthusiasm, but none could be substantiated by solid Islamic proof. We treat such assumed claims with the contempt that it deserves. We must at this juncture emphasis that we are not interested to hear the views of self-styled intellectuals and seekers of cheap publicity. We are only interested in what the Quran and Hadith says. Any proof must emanate from these two sources, and not from the reasoning of errant mortals. We cannot waste our valuable time entertaining fanciful opinions, views, and sentimental outbursts that conflict with Shariah.

There is a ruling of the Fuqaha regarding the practice of Ta'reef. Ta'reef was a custom prevalent in former times where people in other parts of the Muslim world would gather in the Musjid or an open field, on the 9th Zhul-Hijja, to emulate the Hujjaaj performing the Wuqoof in Arafaat. They would engage in Dua, Zhikr, etc. just as the Hujjaaj would do in Arafaat. This practice was declared a bid'ah(innovation) and haraam by The Fuqaha for two reasons: one, that The Sahaaba never adopted this practice, and two, what takes place in Hajj cannot occur in any other part of the world. (Sharah Halabi, Hidayah)

3) Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Your Eidul-Fitr is the day you observe Fitr, and your fast starts the day you begin fasting, and your Arafah is the day you observe wuqoof, and your Eidul-Adh-haa is the day you observe Eidul-Adh-haa." (Narrated by Abu Dawood and Tirmizhi) This hadith shareef implies that each area will have their Eid according to their own calculations. When Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) instructed the Ummah to observe the five faradh salah during specific times (which astonishingly enough the very people who argue over Eid are wilfully neglecting), he meant that each area will follow their local time in relation to sunrise and sunset. It is improbable and unreasonable to claim that we here in South Africa have to follow the Juma’ salah of Makka, or their taraweeh, or even their Eid salah. (Perhaps Eid-with-Makka supporters may begin making this claim too!) In like manner, when addressing the Ummah on the moon issue The Noble Messenger of Allah is directing each community to their local time and sighting.

4) It is an established fact that the Hujjaaj in Makka do not observe Eid. Their day of rejoice and celebration is Arafah. On the day of Nahr (10^th Zhul-Hijja) they pelt the big jamara, slaughter their hadi animals, and shave the hair thus releasing themselves from Ihraam. This for them is not Eidul-Adh-haa, for if it was, then Eid Salah would be wajib upon them. But the whole world knows that hujjaaj make no Eid salah, so they have no Eid celebration either. The words of the hadith cited in proof number 3 can therefore only apply to none hujjaaj, people who are not in Makka. For them it is said that, your day of Eid is what you have calculated. We do not stand in need of calculations from Makka.

5) When Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) described the Qurbani, he said: "It is the sunnah of your forefather Ebrahim (alaihis-salaam)." He never made any allusion to Hajj, nor did he command that Qurbani is the amal that follows Arafah. This too proves there is absolutely no link between Hajj and Bakri Eid. Note that the major amal on Eidul-Adh-haa after the Eid salah is the Qurbani.

6) Those who intend observing Eid with Makka fail to realise that in so doing they are reducing their month of Zhul-Qadah to 28 days. This is wrong for two reasons: a) Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "A month is 29 days." (Bukhari, vol 1) So cutting the month down to 28 days is contrary to the sunnah. How dare people say that observing Eid with Makka is a sunnah! Observance of one sunnah must not directly result in the neglect of another sunnah. If it does, then know that such a practice is in fact no sunnah, it is rather Talbeesu-Iblees or deception of Shaytaan! b) Allah states in the Holy Quran: "Verily deferment of the months is an increase in kufr. Through it the unbelievers are led astray..." (Surah Taubah, verse 37) Such deferment, albeit to a lesser degree, is found in the decrease of Zhul-Qadah. The day Zhul-Hijja was supposed to have started according to local time, suddenly becomes the second of the month. Deferment and transposing of sacred time have thus been found. It may not be deferment of a full month, which the Quran describes as a quality of kufr, but it certainly is deferment of part of a month, and thus the act becomes part of a quality of kufr.

7) If observing Eid with Makka is to be a universal practice as the ignorant ones claim, how will those people simultaneously celebrate Eid with Makka who live in different time zones, such as America, West Indies, New Zealand, Australia etc.? By the time the sun has risen in their countries, it has already set in Makka, or vis versa. It may be day in Makka, while elsewhere it is night. Are the the people for Eid-with-Makka going to claim then that is it wajib for some and not for others? Such an imposition runs contrary to the spirit of Islam and even to logic. It complicates things even more. Islam bases all its acts of worship on simplicity and convenience for the masses.

8) It has been claimed that the majority of the Muslim world celebrates Eid with Makka. This is a blatant distortion of fact. Let’s take a simple example: The whole of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia do not celebrate with Makka. Only those ignorant of their geographical facts will labor under illusions as to the significant percentage of Muslim population these countries represent. By no stretch of the imagination can it be claimed that North Africa and some Middle Eastern countries represent the majority.

9) The Azhar Fatwa: Much has been said about the Fatwa of Al Azhar, as if that represents the gospel truth. I ask: Is this the only fatwa in the whole Muslim world? Are we all bound by the Azhar Fatwa? The reality of this fatwa has been laid bare by Moulana Ahmad Sadik Desai in his booklet titled: Answer to Al-Azhar’s fatwa on celebrating Eid with Makka. (For a free copy, write to Mujlisul-Ulama, P.O. Box 3393, P.E. 6056, Rep. of South Africa) In this booklet the erudite Moulana has refuted the proofs presented in support of having Eid with Makka. Furthermore, when the self-same Al-Azhar issued a fatwa encouraging females to undergo circumcision, modernist Muslims were up in arms. Yet those same Muslims are now clamoring for unification of Eid with Makka on the back of the Azhar Fatwa. Why the double standards? It appears there is some ulterior motive. Let it be said now, that already the motives of certain Muslim countries in supporting the Eid-with-Makka campaign appear to be propelled by political machinations. The motive we are constrained to read into members of the public supporting this move is nothing but the creation of disunity and friction in an already polarized Muslim nation.

10) In Sha’baan 1391, the World Muslim League under Shaikh Ali Al Harakaan passed a resolution in a conference held in Makka that each area shall be responsible for its own sighting. This resolution effectively put paid to the fallacy of celebrating Eid with Makka.

11) Almighty Allah states in Surah Baqarah, verse 189: "And they ask you about the crescents. Say: These are (signs of) fixed times for people, and (fixed times) for Hajj." In this verse Allah Ta-aala speaks about the new moon. The sighting of the moon according to this verse of Al-Baqarah, is a sign denoting the beginning of the Islamic month. Similarly, according to this verse it is a sign denoting the months of Hajj. The meaning, therefore, is that for those who are in Hajj, the need is to sight the moon before they can begin their rituals of Hajj, while for the rest of mankind, the sighting of the moon will signify the beginning of the month as well as any other ibadat that results from such sighting. Since Hajj is confined to Makka, we can safely say that the crescent being a sign for Hajj is a concept confined to Makka and its environs only. The mention of "people" separately from "Hajj" is a good enough indication that what goes on in Hajj is not related to people in any other part of the world.

12) The Saudi sightings: We have proven from the aforementioned verse of Surah Al-Baqarah that sighting the moon for Hajj is a pre-requisite. But not so with the Saudis. Leave the past, for which we can cite numerous examples of discrepancies in their sightings. Just recently, according to reports from Makka, the Saudis had already announced the first of Zhul-Hijja on the 26 Zhul-Qa’dah! So it appears their dates are determined even before the month begins! Subhaanallah! Seondly, according to all astronomers, it was impossible to sight the moon on Wednesday night, for it was only born after sunset in the Kingdom, yet Thursday was declared the first of Zhul-Hijja! The list can go on into the past of such strange happenings. As for the validity of Hajj under such dubious sighting, let it be known that once the Qaadhi (Muslim Judge) issues a decree regarding the date of Arafah, such decree is binding only upon the people under its jurisdiction. We here in South Africa are not under the jurisdiction of the Qaadhi of Makka, nor for that matter under the Qaadhi of Egypt or any Muslim country. So his decree can in no way be binding upon us. Yes, such a ruling will be imposed upon all people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all hujjaj, for they are at that point in time under jurisdiction of the Qaadhi. Hence their hajj will be valid.

13) If Eid-with-Makka was a Shar’ee practice, surely some origin of this will be found in the books of hadith or Fiqah. No one can question the eagerness and enthusiasm that Sahaaba and people of the past had for unity. Yet there is no vestige of such action being initiated by the Sahaaba. It has been stated by Allama Subki of Damascus (d. 756 AH) that it has never been narrated from Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) or any of the Khalifas after him that they had written to other areas, or sent people there, or made arrangements to ascertain the sighting of the moon. If this (obtaining news from distant places) was necessary, they would have certainly done it for they were the most ardent followers of Shariah. (The Book on establishment of Islamic months by Shaikh Ali As-Subki)

14) The argument of modern technology: It has been claimed that since in those days there existed no system of telecommunications, therefore it was impossible to immediately ascertain the sighting of the moon in far away places. Today we have the use of technology, and can transmit information from one end of the globe to another within seconds. This method should then be adopted to relay sighting of the moon. In answer to this modern claim, we say, firstly, the laws of Islam apply the same to each age and era. Should there be any significance in celebrating Eid with Makka, it will therefore mean that the people before us were deprived of this virtue just because they lacked technology. This is laughable and downright ludicrous. If it is claimed that celebrating Eid with Makka is waajib, we will counter this with the same argument, that in the past, due to non-availability of technology Sahaaba and Ulema and Muhadditheen and great saints who happened not to celebrate Eid with Makka had missed out a waajib! What a heinous fabrication against these great predecessors! In fact the ramifications of this are quite serious. It then means that all their qurbanis that were offered on the third day were invalid. It also means that those among them who fasted on 9 Zhul-Hijja were fasting on Eid day, taking into consideration the fact that some countries may have had differences of a day in their dates. And fasting on Eid day is haraam! No sane mind can cede to such disastrous reasoning in relation to our pious seniors of the past. If the foolish ones say that Eid-with-Makka only became waajib after the Muslims developed technology, I believe that even a mad man would be able to see through such idiotic reasoning. If it is said, and I alluded to this earlier, that the issue of celebrating Eid with Makka is a sunnah practice, the absurdity is only magnified. Sunnah means that which was done or commanded by Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). We have established that for seven years Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) performed his Eidul-Adh-haa in Madinah while there was no Arafah taking place in Makka. Further, during the ninth year of Hijra, when Hazrat Abubakr (radhiyallahu anhu) was commissioned by Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) to perform the first Hajj, there is absolutely no mention in the books of hadith that Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) performed his Eidul-Adh-haa after the wuqoof of Arafa in Makka. So, where does the claim of Sunnah stem from? If this was necessary surely Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would have given the command to do so. Are we to believe (naoothu billah) that The Messenger of Allah left this Deen incomplete? Again, if it is claimed that the Sahaaba did this, textual and documentary evidence must be furnished. Making a claim to pander to the whims of the public is one thing. Proving it to Ulema is another.

15) Eidul-Adh-haa is defined as the tenth of Zhul-Hijja. All the books of Shariah give this definition. No where have we come across a definition in Shariah stating that Eidul-Adh-haa is the day after Arafah. In fact this is tantamount to adulteration of Shar’ee text, for the Shariah states that the day after Arafah is the Day of Nahr, which has been set aside for a specific routine of actions related to Hajj. It can thus be safely said that the claim of Bakri Eid being the day after Arafah is a bid’ah or innovation. This in reality is the introduction into Islam of a new belief and concept, which never existed in the past. This is the exact definition of bid’ah. In fact, I believe the claim that Eidul-Adh-haa is the day after wuqoof, ranks among the very serious forms of bid’ah for it involves distortion of aqeedah (belief) and distortion of amal (practice). Refer back to the practice of ta’reef (simulation of Arafah) mentioned earlier, and you will understand why Fuqaha declared it a bid’ah.

We have established in this leaflet that celebrating Eid in unison with Makka is neither faradh, nor waajib, not even sunnat. It is in fact a calculated bid’ah. But let’s assume, for arguments sake, that it is mubah (permitted) in Shariah, even then there is no grounds for resorting to this. It is an axiom of Shariah that if a mubah or permissible act results in fitnah then it is compulsory (waajib) to abstain therefrom. Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) intended incorporating the hateem into the Ka’ba, for it is in fact originally part of the Holy Ka’ba. Then upon further reflection he desisted from doing so, saying that, ‘the Quraish may claim I am shifting from the Deen of Ebrahim (alaihis salaam).’ Now this was purely a mubaah or permissible practice, not something faradh or waajib. But to avoid fitnah and disunity, he refrained from carrying out his intentions. Is this not enough grounds for Eid-with-Makka fans to realise their folly and desist therefrom?

   The leaders who spearhead the move to celebrate Eid with Makka vociferously demand unity and harmony from the mimbar. It now transpires that such demands are hollow and insincere. This Eid-with-Makka issue has caused tremendous conflict between families, so much so that in one household the wife observes Eid on one day, while the husband celebrates on another day. Families and friends have been torn apart by this deception of Shaytaan. Where now, are the clarion calls for unity? How aimless do these calls now sound. Shaytaan has found a most effective weapon whereby disunity and ill-accord could be spread among the Ummah under the guise of Deen. One wonders what it will take to make the perpetrators of such an injudicious move see the reality. Prejudices, like bad habits, die hard. It requires a supreme effort of humility and sacrifice to admit ones wrong and cross the floor towards haqq and rectitude. Until then, it appears that we are busy digging our own grave. The Messenger of Allah says:

Issued by: JAMIATUL ULAMA EASTERN CAPE 4^th ZHUL-HIJJA 1419