Fiqh of Moon Sighting by Saudi Scholar

Описание: This short video (7 mins) was recorded from a live broadcast by Islam Channel TV (UK) from Mina (near Makkah) on 8 December 2008, the day of Eidul Adha in Saudi Arabia.

Shaykh Sulayman Gani presented the viewer's questions (on moon sighting problem in UK) to the Saudi Scholar (Dr Ahamed Ibn Saifuddin), who explained the differences between the Fiqh (Jurisprudence) rules of Ittihad-e-Matale (united/one horizon) and Ikhtilaf-e-Matale (different/local horizon). He emphasised the importance of starting the months from sighting the crescent by the naked eye and not from calculations. The Saudi Scholar ended his answer with a suggestion to all Muslims to follow local sighting (for all other months), except for Dhul-Hijjah. With due respect, Shyakh Sulayman Gani disagreed on this point and quoted the Fatwah of another eminent Saudi scholar, Shaykh Saleh Ibn Uthaimeen, that the ruling of Hilal Sighting for Ramadan and all other months should be the same (i.e. Ikhtilaf-e-Matale/local moon sighting).

It is clear from the above statement that even though the majority of scholars agree local sighting of the Hilal should be followed for all lunar months, Saudi Arabia would like the world Muslims (in foreign countries) to follow their Hilal sighting for Dhul Hijjah (which was NOT practised by the Muslims in past 1400 years of Islamic history).