Message Concerning Eid Al-Adha at Masjidullah
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Message Concerning Eid Al-Adha at Masjidullah
In the name of Allah, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer
He it is Who made the sun a shining brightness and the moon a light, and measured out stages for her; that you might know the number of years and the count (of time). Allah did not create it but with truth; He makes the signs manifest for those who understand.
Quran 10:5
Asalaamu Alaikum,
Wehave received some questions as to why Masjidullah has established the date of Monday, June 17th as Eid Al-Adha. This is a response to those questions intended to educate our community on the subject matter and our position.
Masjidullah follows local moon sightings to mark the beginning and ending of the Islamic months. Local has been defined as within the continental United States. As such, we adhere to local sightings for all 12 months of the islamic calendar; not just to mark the beginning and ending of Ramadan. While naked eye sighting is the standard established in the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saw), we also use modern tools such as moon visibility charts to help determine when and where in the world a naked eye sighting is possible.
On the evening of June 6th 2024, there were no reputable sightings reported in the continental United States and most of the world to mark the beginning of the month of Dhul-Hijjah. Therefore, we completed 30 days of the month of Dhul-Qadah and began the 1st of Dhul-Hijjah on Saturday June 8th, 2024. Therefore, Monday June 17th is the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah for those who follow local sightings; the day we will celebrate Eid Al-Adha inshaAllah. We are aware that there was a reported sighting on the evening of June 6, 2024 in Saudi Arabia. However, we do not consider it a reputable sighting for the following reasons:
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The new moon needs to age approximately 16 hours before it can be seen by the naked eye. According to the US Naval Observatory, the new moon was born at approximately 3:38pm (AST - Arabian Standard Time) on June 6th, 2024 which made it a little over 3 hours old at the time of sunset (7:01pm) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Due to this fact, we can safely conclude that any reported sighting from that area of the world is inaccurate.
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Prophet (saw) advised his companions to perform the rites of hajj after sighting the moon. The Saudi Arabian government does not adhere to moon sighting as the standard to start and end a month but rather has established the Umm Al-Qura calendar which uses astronomical calculations that determine the phases of the moon. These calculations are not based upon visibility.
If we look further into the history of Al-Islam, we find that Prophet Muhammad (saw) established Eid Al-Adha the 2nd year after Hijrah. The Hajj, as we know it, was not established until the 9th year after Hijrah. So while Eid Al-Adha coincides with Hajj season, it is clear from the history that it is not dependent on Hajj as it was celebrated for several years before there was a Hajj or pilgrims standing on Mount Arafah. Furthermore, when the Hajjis come down from Arafah they do not celebrate Eid Al-Adha but rather continue on with the rites of Hajj. Simply put; if youre on Hajj, you dont celebrate Eid Al-Adha. If youre celebrating Eid Al-Adha, youre not on Hajj. Together but separate.
We humbly ask that if you are moved to share this information with others, do so in the spirit of sincerity and goodness. No matter what day you choose to celebrate Eid Al-Adha, we pray its full of blessings and joy. Eid Mubarak!
Imam Idris Abdul-Zahir
Resident Imam
Masjidullah: The Center for Human Excellence
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