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Showing posts with label eid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eid. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Eid Announcement
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Eid Mubarak!
On the day of Eid, Hazret Ali ibn Abi Taleb (a.s) delivered the following sermon-
"O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which is similar to the one on which you shall be standing (before your Lord). Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of your prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you (your souls) shall come out of your bodies to go to your Lord. When you stand on places of your prayer, remind yourselves of your standing in presence of your Lord (on the day of Judgement). And when you return to your homes (after prayer), remind yourselves about your returning to your homes in Paradise. O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted (during Ramadan), is an Angel, who calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadan (saying): O SERVANTS OF ALLAH! REJOICE THE GLAD TIDING THAT ALL YOUR PREVIOUS SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. Therefore, watch out in those things which serve as your re-creation ((of sins) on this day and days to follow)"
(Nahjul-Balaghah)
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Paying Zakat Online
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Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya | 835 Mason St. | Dearborn | MI | 48124 |
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Eid Clothes for Orphans
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I.M.A.M. Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya | 835 Mason St. | Dearborn | MI | 48124 |
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Eid brings a sense of loss
Posted from Spirit 21.
Anticipating the first coffee of Eid, and the pleasure and sadness it brings
This is my weekly newspaper column at The National, in anticipation of Eid this week.
Eid celebrations will be taking place around the Muslim world this week. It’s a time, rightly or wrongly, of indulgence and pleasure: fine clothes, good food, high-fat, high-carbohydrate sweets. It’s a day when the spiritual focus of the previous 30 days is mostly forgotten, even though Eid is supposed to be a celebration of spiritual renewal, a cleansing of sins and of a fresh start.
Dear cappuccino, let me count the ways I love you
I confess that although I aim to uphold this sacred meaning of Eid, I’m not immune to engaging once more in the pursuit of pleasure in the daytime. The first exciting thing about the day of Eid for me is my morning cup of coffee. Its consumption is a celebratory ritual. My husband and I will usually go to our favourite cafe and breathlessly order a cappuccino, excited at its return to us after 30 days of daytime exile.
The cappuccino – above other kinds of coffee – offers us the opportunity for a beautifully decorated reintroduction to the flavourful morning shot of caffeine. The froth is elegantly smoothed over, like the icing on a birthday cake, and freshly ground cocoa is sprinkled on it in the shape of a pretty heart or coffee bean.
We normally stare at the coffee, then at each other, then back at the coffee. After a month of absence, our hearts have grown fonder, and we are enraptured by the return of the beloved. Lifting the coffee cup to my lips after a month of daytime separation, I experience the reunion of lost lovers.
Even now as I write this in anticipation of Eid morning, I feel mixed emotions about my longing for that first sip of coffee. The shiver of delight as the first warm drops slide down my throat. The disappointment in myself that, having given up coffee for a month, I should so easily return to my (mild) addiction. The sadness at the loss of Ramadan’s intense spirituality.
What my cappuccino also reminds me of is the distinction that each human being faces between the pursuit of contentment and the pursuit of pleasure. These are clearly different things, although at times we may confuse them. Pleasures need not be shameful or sinful. My coffee is neither, and gives me intense pleasure, and pleasure is rightly a part of the human experience. But as the coffee warms my mouth, I can’t help but recall the preceding month of Ramadan where it was the pursuit of contentment that was paramount.
Contentment is a funny beast. Talking of its pursuit is perverse – you cannot chase it, rather it must come to you. Sometimes you don’t know you were contented till the moment has passed. That is the essence of Ramadan. The emptiness of the belly, the lightheadedness of the body, when first experienced, feel like physical torture. But slowly – and often in hindsight – we learn to identify that the absence of pleasure has created a space and a stillness that allows contentment to settle, despite its elusiveness.
Rumi says: “There is an unseen sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness. We are lutes. When the soundbox is filled, no music can come forth. When the brain and the belly burn from fasting, every moment a new song rises out of the fire.”
Eid is a day of transition where we learn to reintroduce the pursuit of pleasure into our daylight hours. Will I still be able to hold on to the slippery creature that is contentment? I’ll let you know after I’ve enjoyed my first cup of coffee.
Anticipating the first coffee of Eid, and the pleasure and sadness it brings
This is my weekly newspaper column at The National, in anticipation of Eid this week.
Eid celebrations will be taking place around the Muslim world this week. It’s a time, rightly or wrongly, of indulgence and pleasure: fine clothes, good food, high-fat, high-carbohydrate sweets. It’s a day when the spiritual focus of the previous 30 days is mostly forgotten, even though Eid is supposed to be a celebration of spiritual renewal, a cleansing of sins and of a fresh start.
Dear cappuccino, let me count the ways I love you
I confess that although I aim to uphold this sacred meaning of Eid, I’m not immune to engaging once more in the pursuit of pleasure in the daytime. The first exciting thing about the day of Eid for me is my morning cup of coffee. Its consumption is a celebratory ritual. My husband and I will usually go to our favourite cafe and breathlessly order a cappuccino, excited at its return to us after 30 days of daytime exile.
The cappuccino – above other kinds of coffee – offers us the opportunity for a beautifully decorated reintroduction to the flavourful morning shot of caffeine. The froth is elegantly smoothed over, like the icing on a birthday cake, and freshly ground cocoa is sprinkled on it in the shape of a pretty heart or coffee bean.
We normally stare at the coffee, then at each other, then back at the coffee. After a month of absence, our hearts have grown fonder, and we are enraptured by the return of the beloved. Lifting the coffee cup to my lips after a month of daytime separation, I experience the reunion of lost lovers.
Even now as I write this in anticipation of Eid morning, I feel mixed emotions about my longing for that first sip of coffee. The shiver of delight as the first warm drops slide down my throat. The disappointment in myself that, having given up coffee for a month, I should so easily return to my (mild) addiction. The sadness at the loss of Ramadan’s intense spirituality.
What my cappuccino also reminds me of is the distinction that each human being faces between the pursuit of contentment and the pursuit of pleasure. These are clearly different things, although at times we may confuse them. Pleasures need not be shameful or sinful. My coffee is neither, and gives me intense pleasure, and pleasure is rightly a part of the human experience. But as the coffee warms my mouth, I can’t help but recall the preceding month of Ramadan where it was the pursuit of contentment that was paramount.
Contentment is a funny beast. Talking of its pursuit is perverse – you cannot chase it, rather it must come to you. Sometimes you don’t know you were contented till the moment has passed. That is the essence of Ramadan. The emptiness of the belly, the lightheadedness of the body, when first experienced, feel like physical torture. But slowly – and often in hindsight – we learn to identify that the absence of pleasure has created a space and a stillness that allows contentment to settle, despite its elusiveness.
Rumi says: “There is an unseen sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness. We are lutes. When the soundbox is filled, no music can come forth. When the brain and the belly burn from fasting, every moment a new song rises out of the fire.”
Eid is a day of transition where we learn to reintroduce the pursuit of pleasure into our daylight hours. Will I still be able to hold on to the slippery creature that is contentment? I’ll let you know after I’ve enjoyed my first cup of coffee.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Concluding the Blog (?)
Asalaam Alaaykum,
I wish to thank all the members and followers of this blog for participating during this season of Ramadan. I enjoyed our blog and found it beneficial and I hope you did, too!
Feel free to continue to post if there is anything you wish to include but haven't posted yet.
Maybe we can start up this blog again next year if there is interest, and/or maybe we could have a blog for the Muharram season as well. What do you think?
Eid Mubarak to all of you. I pray the month of Ramadan was spiritually uplifting and that it concluded with forgiveness and lots of blessings.
I wish to thank all the members and followers of this blog for participating during this season of Ramadan. I enjoyed our blog and found it beneficial and I hope you did, too!
Feel free to continue to post if there is anything you wish to include but haven't posted yet.
Maybe we can start up this blog again next year if there is interest, and/or maybe we could have a blog for the Muharram season as well. What do you think?
Eid Mubarak to all of you. I pray the month of Ramadan was spiritually uplifting and that it concluded with forgiveness and lots of blessings.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Eid Mubarak
"'Eid is for those whose fasts have been accepted and whose salaat are worthy of reckoning and every day when one does not commit a sin it is 'eid" (Nahjul Balaghah, maxim 427)
To all believers in North America,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon all of you.
The Crescent Moon Committee of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars in North America announces, based upon several reports which were received from across North America, that tomorrow Friday 09/10/2010 is considered the 1st of Shawwal of the year 1431 for the United States of America (except Alaska) and some parts of Canada. Therefore Eid al-Fitr will be tomorrow for the above mentioned areas.
We ask The Almighty God to bless your work and shower you with His Blessings in this month, and to hasten the appearance of the Holy Imam of our time.
The Crescent Committee
o Sayyid Mohammed Rizvi, Toronto
o Sheikh Fadhil al-Sahlani, New York
o Sayyid Mahboob Mahdi Abdidi Najafi, Chicago
o Sayyid Rafiq Naqawi, Washington D.C.
o Sayyid Hassan al-Qizwini, Detroit
Note: The committee was established in the 9th annual conference of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars in North America which was held on November 19th, in Atlanta, GA.y and days to follow)" (Nahjul-Balaghah)
(Sami Yusuf nasheed)
Whenever you observe it, Eid Mubarak to you - may Allah swt accept all your fasts and deeds in the month of Ramadan and grant you complete forgiveness at its close, and may your duas be accepted. I saw the crescent, it was very tiny and so exciting to actually see it!
To all believers in North America,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon all of you.
The Crescent Moon Committee of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars in North America announces, based upon several reports which were received from across North America, that tomorrow Friday 09/10/2010 is considered the 1st of Shawwal of the year 1431 for the United States of America (except Alaska) and some parts of Canada. Therefore Eid al-Fitr will be tomorrow for the above mentioned areas.
We ask The Almighty God to bless your work and shower you with His Blessings in this month, and to hasten the appearance of the Holy Imam of our time.
The Crescent Committee
o Sayyid Mohammed Rizvi, Toronto
o Sheikh Fadhil al-Sahlani, New York
o Sayyid Mahboob Mahdi Abdidi Najafi, Chicago
o Sayyid Rafiq Naqawi, Washington D.C.
o Sayyid Hassan al-Qizwini, Detroit
Note: The committee was established in the 9th annual conference of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars in North America which was held on November 19th, in Atlanta, GA.y and days to follow)" (Nahjul-Balaghah)
(Sami Yusuf nasheed)
Whenever you observe it, Eid Mubarak to you - may Allah swt accept all your fasts and deeds in the month of Ramadan and grant you complete forgiveness at its close, and may your duas be accepted. I saw the crescent, it was very tiny and so exciting to actually see it!
Eid Salat
It is Mustahab that one should have a breakfast after sunrise, pay Zakatul Fitr and then offer Eid prayers.
It is Mustahab to walk barefooted to attend Eid prayers, with all the dignity, and to do Ghusl before namaz, and to place a white turban on one's head.
* It is also Mustahab that in Eid prayers Sajdah be performed on earth, and hands be raised while saying takbirs and if you are offering salat individually recites prayers loudly. And if you are Riciting Namaz e Eid with Jamat then the follower should recite everything in the Eid prayers, except Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah.
* Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Azha prayers are obligatory during the time of Imam (A.S.), and it is necessary to offer them in congregation. However during the present times when the Holy Imam is in Occultation, these prayers are Mustahab, and may be offered individually as well as in congregation.
* The time for Eid prayers is from sunrise till Zuhr
* It is Mustahab that the following takbirs be said on Eid ul Fitr night (ie night preceding the Eid day), after Maghrib and Isha prayers, and on Eid day after Fajr prayers, as well as after Eid ul fitr prayers: "Allahu Akbar, Alllahu Akbar, la ilaha illal lah wallahu akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilla hil hamd, Allahu akbar ala ma hadana""
1) Eid prayers has two Rak'ats.
2) In the first Rak'at, a person should recite Surah al Hamd and a Surah
3) and then they say five takbirs, and after every takbir he should recite qunut.
4) After the fifth qunut, he should say another takbir and then perform Ruku and two Sajdah.
5) He should then stand up and recite Surah al Hamd and a Surah like first Rakat.
6) say four takbirs in the second Rak'at, and recite qunut after everyone of these takbirs.
7) Thereafter, he should say the fifth takbir and then perform Ruku and two Sajdah.
8) After the second Sajdah he should recite tashahhud, and then complete the prayers with Salam.
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No particular Surah has been specified for Eid prayers But, it is better that after reciting Surah al Hamd in the first Rak'at, Surah Wash Shams be recited and in the second Rak'at Surah al Ghashiya
Any recital or Dua will suffice in qunut of the Eid Prayers. However, it is better that the following Dua is recited:
Allahumma ahlal kibriya'i wal 'azamah, wa ahlal judi wal jaburat, wa ahlal 'afwi war rahmah, wa ahlat taqwa wal maghfirah. As aluka bihaqqi hazal yawmil lazi ja'altahu lil muslimina 'ida , wali Muhammadin sal lal lahu 'Alaihi wa Alihi, zukhran wa sharafan wa karamatan wa mazida an tusalliya 'ala Muhammad wa Ali Muhammad wa an tudkhilani fi kulli khayrin adkhalta fihi Muhammadan wa Ala Muhammad wa an tukhrijani min kulli su'in akhrajta minhu Muhammadan wa Ala Muhammad salawatuka 'alahi wa 'alahim. Alla humma inni as aluka khayra ma sa alaka bihi ibadukas salihun, wa auzubika mim masta aza minhu ibadukal mukhlasun.
Note:Like in all other prayers, the follower should recite everything in the Eid prayers, except Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah.
From the Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya:
n the Name of God, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful
Dear Respected Brothers & Sisters,
Salam Alikum
May the peace and blessings of God be upon you!
May God accept your fasting and deeds...
As for the matter at hand, the situation regarding the crescent for the month of Shawwal is not hidden from you. As you know, the possibility of sighting the crescent in different cities in the North America (see this link http://www.crescentmoonwatch.org/assets/F2010Sep09.pdf)
It is our pleasure to receive your calls, so that you can please give any information concerning the situation of the crescent and its visibility.
Based on this, we will be available - God-willing - at the conference phone number:
(712) 451-6100 enter code 1074957#
throughout the sunset times from:
7pm EST until 7pm PST
We hope that all believers participate in this effort. We ask the Almighty Allah to shower you with His Mercy and bless you in these nights.
You have our sincere affection and appreciation.
Salam Alikum (Peace & blessings)
I.M.A.M.
TOKNOWABOUT THE 1ST DAY OF SHAWWAL -EID-UL-FITR DAY
Dear Respected Believers
Salam Alikum - Peace & blessings upon you
As the 1st of Shawwal, i.e., Eid-ul-Fitr, draws near, it is important for all Muslims to understand the basics of how this month is determined and update about expectation of sighting the new crescent of the first of Shawwal.
Months in the Islamic calendar follow a lunar system, meaning that the months are determined through observation of different phases of the moon. As the moon revolves around the earth, it reflects different amounts of sunlight, so that we see only parts or the entire moon. At the end of every month, the moon fades away and a new moon is born. At that phase, the moon cannot be seen in the night sky. With passing time, the moon changes its position so that it reflects more and more of the sun's light. When the new crescent moon is seen in this phase, a new month begins.
On the 29th of the month, Muslims around the globe observe the night sky and try to sight the new crescent moon and determine the beginning of the month. If the new crescent moon is sighted on that night, the next day will mark the beginning of the month. If the moon is not seen on the 29th, the 30th day is considered the last day of the month. The following day will then be the first day of the next month.
Our Grand Jurists have different opinions on some of the particulars of moon sighting, therefore we will briefly address the following topics:
* How the moon is sighted?
* Whose testimony do we rely on?
* The validity of astronomical data.
* Sharing the curve of sighting
HOW THE MOON IS SIGHTED?
The first issue is in regards to how the new crescent moon is sighted. Jurists, including His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani, hold that the possibility of observing the new crescent moon by the naked eye needs to exist, without the use of any optical aid.
WHOSE TESTIMONY DO WE RELY ON?
Because most individuals cannot observe the new crescent moon themselves, Islam gives individuals other methods for confirming the beginning of the lunar month. The individual can rely on the testimony of two just men who sighted the new crescent moon in their area. A general consensus among the people as to the beginning of the new lunar month can also be used to verify a sighting, if it is in line with the opinions of the jurist one emulates.
THE VALIDITY OF ASTRONOMICAL DATA
Our jurists have also addressed the question of the validity of astronomical data in determining the new lunar month. Based on the experts who provide astronomical data, they emphasize that their data does not predict the visibility of the moon with certainty (Source: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/astronomical-information-center/cres-moon-islamic); they can only calculate with high precision the time of birth of the new moon. Therefore, it cannot be relied on with certainty in determining the sighting of the new crescent moon. In addition, we can rely on astronomical data to verify where the new crescent moon cannot be seen.
SHARING CURVE OF SIGHTING
A sighting of the new crescent moon in a city can be used to determine the beginning of the new month in that city and its vicinity. According to the view of His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayid Ali Al-Sistani, if the new crescent moon was sighted in one area, the sighting can also be used to determine the beginning of the month in areas sharing the same curve of sighting. In such areas, the altitude and size of the new crescent moon is close to one another. (To find out altitude and size of the new crescent moon at any location, please refer to the following site: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/alt-az-us).
IN CONCLUSION
Based on the astronomical data http://www.crescentmoonwatch.org/nextnewmoon.htm North America most likely will be divided to several areas. We ask the believers to try the sight the new crescent tonight Thursday 09/09/2010 at sunset. In case the New Crescent is sighted please contact and join the Crescent Committee on the toll free conference call number:
* (712) 451-6100 (pass code 1074957#)
* From 7:00 PM (EST) till 7:30 PM (PST) to submit your reports
The Crescent Committee of the Council of Shia Muslims Scholars in North America will be announcing the details of the beginning of the Month of Shawwal, by the end of the night insha Allah.
We ask the Almighty God to bless you and accept your fasting and prayer during this Holy Month, and to shower you with His Mercy and advance you further in your work.
Salam Alikum
I.M.A.M.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Preparing for the End
Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
The blessed month of Ramadan will be over in a few days, and so it is fitting to repost this from last year. On the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) delivered a sermon in which he said:
“O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which is similar to the one on which you shall be standing (before your Lord). Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of your prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you (your souls) shall come out of your bodies to go to your Lord. When you stand on places of your prayer, remind yourselves of your standing in the presence of your Lord (on the day of Judgment). And when you return to your homes (after prayer), remind yourselves about your returning to your homes in Paradise. O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted (during Ramadan), is an Angel, who calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadan (saying): O SERVANTS OF ALLAH! REJOICE THE GLAD TIDING THAT ALL YOUR PREVIOUS SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN…”
- From the Nahjul-Balaghah.
Eid-ul-Fitr is a unique festival. It has no connection with any historical event nor is it related to the changes of seasons or cycles of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly affairs. Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when Muslims thank God for having given them the will, the strength and the endurance to observe the fast and obey His commandments during the holy month of Ramadan.
Alhamdulillah! May Allah bless us all, and grant that we use this Eid as a lens to focus the sun of good works, which have shone so brightly during Ramadan, to light the way through this coming year until the next Ramadan. Amin! Amin!
Eid Mubarak!
A few more prayers you may wish to try before this month is over:
From an e-mail I received:
salaams:
another gem of worship i found in one of my dua collections...
Namaz/Amaal for any one day in the Holy Month of Ramadhan:
Recite 12 rakat salah in sets of twos (like 6 fajr).
In each rakah after Surah al-Hamd, recite suratul Ikhlaas 25 times.
After finishing this prayer recite 70 times:
"Subhana lahi wal hamdulillahi wa la ilaha illal lahu wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wala quwwata illa billahil aliyyul azeem.
next, recite 70 times:
"Astaghfirul lahal ladhi la illaha illa rahmanur raheemul hayyul Qayyum, wa atoobu ilaih."
The reward is given as soon as one lifts his or her head from the last sajdah:
1. all your sins are forgiven
2. sawab of going to 700,000 Hajj
3. sawab of going to 700,000 Umrah
4. sawab of 700 nights of tahajjud
5. sawab of having kept 700 fasts
6. keeps away the calamities of this life and of the hereafter
7. one will always say the correct religious things
8. if the person dies the same year, he/she will get the status of a martyr
9. assurance that one will get safely into paradise after death.
INSHA'ALLAH!!!!
This next one can be done anytime but if one achieves forgiveness in the month of Ramadan it may be more readily beneficial for your family right now:
As Salaam Alaikum wa Ramadan Mubarak:
Following, is the method for Salatel e Hadiya Waaledain or salat for one's parents. Many of you converts might be interested in doing this for your parents, many of whom remain non-Muslim.
it consists of two rakahs.
In the first rakah after suratul Fatiha, recite this dua 10 times in qunoot, hands raised:
"Rabbanaghfirlee wa lay waaledaiyya wa lil momineena yauma yaqumul hisab" (Quran: 14:41: "Our Lord! cover us with Thy forgiveness; me, my parents and all believers on the Day of Reckoning will be established.")
Finish the rakah as normal.
In the second rakah, after Suratul Fatiha, recite this dua ten times in qunoot with hands raised:
"Rabbighfirlee wa lay waaledaiyya wa lay mun dekhala baitee momeenan wa lil momineena wal mominaat." (Quran 71:28) "Our Lord! forgive me and my parents and those who enter my house with belief and men who believe and women who believie."
Then finish the salat as normal.
After salah, in prostration, recite the following dua ten times:
"Rabbir ham homa kama rabbayanee sagheera." (Quran 17:24)
"Our Lord! Forgive them both for they have brought me up in my childhood."
These are just a few prayers we might want to do before these precious days are gone - who knows if we will have another chance?
And when Eid does come, insha'allah, let us stay united and keep something of what we have tried to gain in this month. What will you keep from the month? Will you keep reading the Qur'an a little every day? Will you keep fasting on a regular basis? Will you be kinder to other people or more patient? It will only stay with you if you make it stay with you!
Here is an article written last year about Eid calculations and unity - let us leave the month in peace.
This year, the crescent for Shawwal was sighted in South America and South Africa on Saturday night. Based on this, Eid in North America was on Sunday for the followers of Ayatollah Khoei and a few other Maraja Taqleed (Religious Authorities), and on Monday for the followers of Ayatollah Sistani and some other jurists.
Naturally, all hell broke loose. "Why can't we have a united Eid?" "Why are these Maraja dividing us?" "They are causing our families to split!" Forums were flooded, angry text messages were sent, and chain emails are still being forwarded. Once again, Marjaiyyat stands accused for having causing yet another crushing blow to the oh-so-fragile Western Shia community. Even the rare well-wishers who do not harbor any particular animosity towards the Maraja cannot help but scratch our heads...
"Sharing the Night" vs. "Sharing the Horizon"
In regards to moonsighting, there is a slight difference of opinion among our Maraja. A few scholars, the most notable among them being the late Ayatollah Abul Qasim al-Khoei, are of the opinion that as long as the moon is sighted in one place, all other locations "sharing the night" (Wahdat al-Ufoq) will also rely on that sighting. For example, if the moon is sighted in the United Kingdom, then it will also apply to places like New York and Detroit, because sunset time in New York and Detroit is before the break of dawn in the UK. Hence, they "share a night". (Ayatollah Khoei: Islamic Laws, ruling #1744)
However, the majority of our Religious Authorities (including Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Sistani and Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei) follow the principle of Ta'adad al-Ufoq ("sharing the horizon"). According to this principle, each location has its own curve of sighting that is distinct and separate from others, unless the two locations "share a horizon", meaning if the moon is sighted in one location, there must be a significant probability it would have also been sighted in the other location had it not been for adverse weather conditions, etc. (Ayatollah Sistani: Islamic Laws, ruling #1744; Ayatollah Khamenei: Practical Laws of Islam, Q. 835)
On the Farsi section of his website www.sistani.org, Ayatollah Sistani is asked if Hasa and Qatib (in Saudi Arabia) share a horizon with Tehran. In the Arabic section, the same question is asked about Najaf and Bahrain. In both cases, the answer is affirmative.
Furthermore, as explained by Ayatollah Sistani: "If the new moon is sighted in the East, it also applies to the West, as long as the latitude of the two locations are not greatly further away from one another. If the new moon is sighted in the West, it does not apply to the East, unless it is proven – even by the moon staying on the first [Western] horizon for the length of time that is longer than the difference between the sunset of the two locations. [For example, if the sunset in the Eastern city was half an hour before the Western city where the moon was sighted, and the moon stays on the horizon longer than half an hour – the Eastern city can follow the moon sighted in the Western city.]" (A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West, ruling #115)
Lastly, if a person does not know whether it is the last day of Ramadan or the first of Shawwal, (s)he should observe fast on that day, and if (s)he comes to know during the day that it is the first of Shawwal, (s)he should break the fast. (Ayatollah Sistani: Islamic Laws, ruling #1746; Ayatollah Khoei: Islamic Laws, ruling #1746; Ayatollah Khamenei, Newly Asked Questions, section on "Fasting" at www.leader.ir)
Also See: Ask the Experts by Shaikh Saleem Bhimji
Scientific Predictions
So why can't we use scientific methods to determine the new moon and forget about moonsighting all together? Surely with current scientific developments, this would solve the whole problem.
According to most of our scholars, the first day of a month cannot be proven through scientific predictions. However, if an individual derives full satisfaction and certitude from such findings (or through any other source), (s)he is welcome to act upon them. (Ayatollah Sistani: Islamic Laws, ruling #1741)
In the past few years, there has been increasing emphasis on the use of scientific calculations for the purposes of determining the new moon by a growing portion of our community. However, what we must keep in mind is that science is not the end-all-be-all answer to all questions. Scientific predictions about moonsighting are based on calculations, and those could easily be incorrect or based on incorrect models or theories. In the past, there have been several instances of differences among scientists and observatories over the possibility of moonsighting, usually because they subscribed to differing models or theories. While we can use scientific data for the purposes of determining probability and such, it cannot therefore be a substitute for actual moonsighting by the human eye.
Interestingly, the US Naval Observatory itself notes on its website, "The date and time of each New Moon can be computed exactly, but the time that the Moon first becomes visible after the New Moon depends on many factors and cannot be predicted with certainty."
"But how can we have two Eids?"
The answer: why not?!
Instead of making mountains out of molehills, let's try to resolve such issues with a little bit of common sense. If Ramadan ended on Saturday for the parents and on Sunday for the children, surely the parents can wait just one day to wear their new clothes or cook up all sorts of ethnic delicacies! If the other members of your family are fasting today, and you are not, just drink a glass of water in the morning – you don't have to eat a four-course meal in front of them! In regards to Eid prayers, most places have services to accommodate both situations, and even if your community doesn't, keep in mind that Eid prayers are not obligatory during the occultation of the Twelfth Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance) and can also be offered individually (Ayatollah Sistani: Islamic Laws, ruling #1525).
Furthermore, even if we see the Lebanese community celebrating Eid on one day, the Pakistanis the next days, and the Khojas after them, what exactly is the big deal? In many parts of the Muslim world, people celebrate Eid for a whole week. The more, the merrier! I for one fail to see the problem with being able to dress up, visit friends, and gorge out on delicious food for three days instead of just one!
Instead of panicking and rushing to hurl the vilest accusations at our religious scholars, let us try to be a bit more reasonable. Unity does not mean uniformity. Instead of becoming upset at such minor differences, let us learn to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of variety and diversity.
Also, we must realize that even if we ignore all jurisprudential differences, we still would not be able to avoid the issue of multiple Eids. Indeed, we see that during the caliphate of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), a man once came and told him that he had sighted the crescent for the month of Shawwal, while no one else had. The Imam told him that since he has sighted the moon himself, it was Eid for him the next day, but for the rest of the community, since there were not two reliable testimonies (as required by Shariah), it would be the 30th of Ramadan. So while it was haram for the man to fast the next day, it was in fact wajib upon everyone else! (Wasail ash-Shia, volume 10, chapter on Fasting)
Hence, for those who have proper knowledge and understanding of Islamic jurisprudence, this is really a non-issue. In all honesty, the moonsighting drama has nothing to do with unity or keeping our families intact. The Shia world has had multiple Eids for centuries now, so it has hard to fathom why this has become such a divisive issue. The fact of the matter is that this is a simple jurisprudential technicality which certain nefarious elements have hijacked and used to attack our Maraja Taqleed, and many simple-minded Shias are sadly following suit. If we are really so concerned about maintaining unity, let us keep in mind that the one institution that has safeguarded and protected Shi'ism for the past 1200 years and the only platform that is capable of uniting us is the same Marjaiyyat which we so quickly rush to accuse of causing disunity amongst us!
On a final note, in the 13th century, as Mongol armies were about to overrun Baghdad, the Muslim world was too busy fighting among itself over apparently a far more pertinent matter: whether it is permissible to consume owl meat or not! Today, as we face enemies and calamities from all sides, let us learn from our own history, let us cease from wasting so much time and energy complaining about such trivial matters, let us unite under the banner of the Marjaiyyat, and let us focus on the greater problems that threaten to overrun our communities and the Muslim Ummah today.
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