Dr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti (MCW member) Oxford UK reported: Tathbit of Hilal based on a Credible Easterly Sighting Negative sighting. The three of us attempted to perform the obligatory sighting of Dhu l-Hijja after Maghrib on Friday 28 November (the 29th day of Dhu l-Qa’da for the UK). Unfortunately, the horizon is completely overcast as the area is foggy. We received news of positive sightings to the East of the UK from South Africa. This news, despite not being able to sight locally, makes it sufficient for those in the UK to begin their month of Hajj tomorrow, on Saturday 29 November, by following the basic rule [dabita] in Islamic Law in this matter that whenever it is known that the crescent has been positively sighted in the East, local sighting inevitably follows, but not the other way round. Therefore, the first day of ‘Id al-Adha in the UK should fall on Monday 8 December. Takbir!

Let us remember all our brothers and sisters who have left for the blessed Hajj 1429. May Allah allow them to perform their hajj smoothly and with ease, and accept their intentions and actions.

Ya Rabb! make this task an easy one for them all………..ameen summa ameen!

Donation of all kinds of acts of worship, among them Qur’an-recital, can and do benefit the dead, just as the simple supplication of a Muslim does. The Salaf believed the dead were helped and relieved by the living, as shown by the du`a of Abu Hurayra for the dead: allahumma in kana muhsinan fa zid fi ihsanihi wa in kana musi’an fa tajawaz `an sayyi’atihi — “O Allah, if he did good, then increase his goodness, and if he did evil, then forgive his evil deeds.” Malik narrated it. Moreover it is established that the best supplication is the Fatiha itself. We present in the following pages the authentic teaching of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama`a whereby recitation of the Qur’an for the dead and over them is ordered by the Prophet, especially Surat Ya Seen, and donation to the deceased Muslims of the reward of acts of worship such as the recitation of the Qur’an is not only permitted but recommended………continue reading

Deobandies make a stance against the blind following of saudi moonsighting decisions. Alhamdulillah, the wifaq-ul-ulama of the [UK] and many other senior ulama of the [UK] have agreed that following Saudi sighting is incorrect. A positive step has been taken to rectify the wrong.

The Criteria - Fatwa from Deoband -  another deobandi fatwa - and another - Contemporary deobandies standing up to deobandi elders who blindly follow saudi decisions/announcements

see more on UK deobandi efforts on the issue here.

One thing which the deobandies have overlooked is, one of the reasons why saudi decisions lost their credibility amongst sunnies in UK many many years ago was due to incidents such as that mentioned below, which have become very much prevalent with the saudi officials nowadays.

Dr. Salman Zafar Shaikh (of New Jersey, USA) reported from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: About Official Saudi Report Ramadan 1427  I am currently in Riyadh. Yesterday - Wednesday, Dec 20 evening I went with the official Riyadh Moon sighting committee. Of course there was no chance of Hilal anywhere here and the 6 Official Hilal sighting committees of Saudi Arabia (near near Makkah, Riyadh, Qassim, Hail, Tabuk and Asir), each of which includes an Islamic Scholar, an Astronomer, a City council representative and volunteers) all reported negative sighting, as expected. Even the Moonset was before Sunset in Saudi and that is why even the Ummul Qura Calendar also put DhulHijja start for Friday, Dec. 22 and Eid ul Adha for Dec. 31, 2006.

They think that Islam is practiced in its best form in Saudi Arabia and they want to follow it. But their practice is wrong because it does not have a solid basis. If we were to extend their practice to its logical conclusion, we should offer prayers according to the timings in Saudi Arabia, rather than our own timings. Thus, we should import Saudi calendars and follow the timings indicated in them. Similarly, we should fast the same number of hours as fasting is indicated in Saudi Arabia. This is easy nowadays, because of satellite television. We can always watch the time in Saudi Arabia and follow it. Needless to say, no one will agree to this although some logical argument could be presented in its support, such as the unity of all Muslims.

In recent years this has been a debate that has always popped up from the brothers of the so-called salaf. The debate has been done and dusted but we continue to hear it coming from our dear BORN AGAIN MUSLIM brothers and sisters. So, i thought i’d just put this up anyway. 

………the vast MAJORITY of the scholars of hadith, Fiqh, and even the four Mujtahid Imams are in agreement that 20 rak’ahs are the most appropriate, followed by 3 rak’ahs of witr, and this is also the opinion of the Imam of the “Salafiyya”, Ahmad ibn Taymiyya! 

 

……it should be said that the hadith reported from Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) about 11 rak’ahs is not at all to do with taraweeh, according to the majority of scholars, but in fact concerns the number of rak’ahs of TAHAJJUD prayer! [..read on..]

Evidence for 20 rak’ahs of Taraweeh from authentic ahadith

The prophet (saw) said: “When Adam committed the sin (mistake) he made, he raised his head toward the Throne and said: ‘I am asking You by the right of Muhammad (saw) to forgive me.’ Allah Most High revealed to him:

‘What is Muhammad? Who is Muhammad?’ 

He replied: ‘Glorified be Your Name! When You created me I raised my head toward Your Throne and saw there was written on it: LA ILAHA ILLALLAH MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH. I knew that there was no one more magnificent in Your sight than him whose name You placed next to Your Name.

Allah Most High revealed to him: ‘O Adam, truly He is the last of the Prophets from your seed and his Community are the last of all Communities from your seed. Were it not for him, O Adam, I would not have created you.’”    read full here.

since creation was created for the benefit of humanity, and since humanity was created to know and worship Allah, and since perfection of this knowledge, worship and servitude was made manifest in the Prophet, peace be upon him, it can rightly be said that he is the ultimate purpose for creation being brought into existence. This, then, is the classical appreciation of the law låka tradition, despite recent protestations to the contrary. O Allah, shower abundant blessings of peace upon our master, Muhammad; the paragon of human perfection, the best of all creation. more…….

another discussion on the topic

The reputation of Shaykh Ahmad Zayni Dahlan grew and he became sought after by the seekers of knowledge particularly so in the Indian Ocean. Indeed, Dahlan’s connection with the Indian Ocean world was close and multi-faceted, and his impact on East African Sufi practices and Islamic scholarship was to be long-standing. Firstly, he himself studied with a number of Hadrami Alawis, many of whom had family branches in East Africa as well as in the wider Indian Ocean. Then, he became a teacher for new generations of ulama from Indian Ocean lands - both Alawi and non-Alawi…….[continue]

The best mawlid gathering i have been to in many years, and i have been to many mawlids throughout the UK and some at non-uk locations too but after a long time it actually felt like i was at a mawlid, praising the beloved (saw) and thinking about him (saw), hearing about him and praying for him (saw). It was a spiritual treat, i actually felt something in my heart. O’ Allah show me your beloved (saw) and our beloved (saw) in my dreams, i have gained an urge to see him (saw) so vast that it is unexplainable. Ya Allah! Ya RasulAllah!

I love the mawlid al-barzanji, i had never gone throught the whole of it before. truly, it is amazing and most of all beautiful! you can get it from here.