NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas SAHIH MUSLIM HADITH_No 2392 We are givining te Arabic text of the hadeeth: صحيح مسلم - كتاب الصيام - باب بيان أنه لا اعتبار بكبر الهلال وصغره - حديث : ‏1885‏ حدثنا أبو بكر بن أبي شيبة ، حدثنا محمد بن فضيل ، عن حصين ، عن عمرو بن مرة ، عن أبي البختري ، قال : خرجنا للعمرة ، فلما نزلنا ببطن نخلة قال : تراءينا الهلال ، فقال بعض القوم : هو ابن ثلاث ، وقال بعض القوم : هو ابن ليلتين ، قال : فلقينا ابن عباس ، فقلنا : إنا رأينا الهلال ، فقال بعض القوم : هو ابن ثلاث ، وقال بعض القوم : هو ابن ليلتين ، فقال : أي ليلة رأيتموه ؟ قال فقلنا : ليلة كذا وكذا ، فقال : إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، قال : " إن الله مده للرؤية ، فهو لليلة رأيتموه " * NARRATOR Abdullah Ibn Abbas - SAHIH Muslim- HADITH_No AbulBakhtari reported: We went out to perform Umrah and when we encamped in the valley of Nakhlah, we saw the hilal. Some of the people said: It was three days old, and others (said) that it was two days old. We then met Ibn Abbas and told him we had seen the hilal, but that some of the people said it was three days old and others that it was two days old. He asked on which day we had seen it; and when we told him we had seen it on such and such day, he said the Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had said Verily Allah has made it for observation, so the one you saw is to be reckoned from that day you saw it. From the above hadeeth, we would like to ask the following:

1. On seeing what, the people said that it belongs to 2nd day or 3rd day ? Obviously not the 1st hilaal. 2. If the phases of the moon are not lunar dates, why did the people contradicted on the moon phase? 3. If the phase of moon did not belong to that day, why Ibn Abbas (RA) asked on which day they saw it? 4. The Prophet (Sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said that a month has 29 or 30 days. On which basis he said this sentence - Sun or moon Or star or earth? 5. In some places the phases of the moon in first few days will not be visible. In some other places the moon will not be visible in any day of the month. On such places what should those muslims do?

6. According to the the basis of visibility criteria, propagated by the Majority Muslims, a month may have 28 days or 27 days or 26 days or 25 days or 23 days or even 0 days in places like Antartic and Artic regions. How will the Muslims, ascertain their months? 7. According to the basis of your visibility criteria, you are following sidereal not synodic month. 8. To insist the Synodic month, Ibn Abbas (RA) said that Almighty Allah has made it in a such a manner. 9. So therefore the phase we see indicates the date for us. If we did not consider the phase as dates of that day, a single day will have two dates but the phase will be the same.

It is crystal clear from his Hadees that they were not trying to find out the beginning of the month, but they were trying to estimate the date by observing the waxing crescent when they camped there. Their dispute was whether it was second or third. They knew about the moon ages. They were sure that it was not the first day of the month. Certainly they were not looking at the end of the month. Ibn Abbas (RA) clearly informed us through this hadeeth that the Prophet (Sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) told him "Fahuva lilailathin ra'aithumoohu". Ibn Abbas (RA) who knew the method of observation told them that the Hilaal they saw was for the day they saw it. Not for THE COMING DAY

It is clearly known from this Hadees that the Hilaal that we see denotes the date for that day. It is not the date for the next day. People have the wrong idea that day begins at sun set and the crescent they see shows the dates for the next day. If the day begins at sun set when will the night begin? Will it begin at sun rise? Quran (36:40) refutes such wrong ideas of the Jews and Christians by “Walallailu saabiqun nahaari” “night is not the forerunner of the day”. We have seen this Hadees in the English translation of Sahih Muslim. It is written in it:” Verily Allah has deferred it till the time it is seen. So, it is to be reckoned from the night you saw it”. These translations which are carried out by people without knowledge in the subject mislead the readers. “Defer” means ‘delay’ which is not congruent with Almighty Allah SWT. The Heading of the chapter itself is misleading. These people have no idea about the wonderful arrangement of Almighty Allah SWT - the moon and its phases which show the mankind the dates fixed by Allah SWT on the very day of creation. They never see the moon, then how can they admire the wonders of Allah.

As said, In the above hadith, they (RA) were not discussing about the First hilaal. More over, from the Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Chapter 91:2) it is clearly understood that Ibn Abbas (RA) knew very well the truth of when the hilaal rose on the first day and how it followed the Sun and became visible when the sun sets in the evening. So, it is obvious that Ibn Abbas (RA) would never ask the Sahaba (RA) to reckon from the night one sees it !!! Islamic calendar is based on Ahillah (phases of moon). No one on this earth has been given the authority to change the dates fixed by Almighty Allah on the very day He created the heavens and the earth. Hope now you are convinced that the phases are the dates for mankind. If you still have any doubts, please write to us. Once, the doubts are cleared on this topic we will proceed to the other hadeeths which you have quoted in support to your concept of starting the new month after seeing the hilaal. May Almighty Allah keep all of us in the Right Path. Aameen Wa Salaam, For HIJRI COMMITTEE OF INDIA