Clarification of Understanding the Evidences on Moonsighting - The Narration of Kuraib-Ibn Abbas

Transcription of the Lectures of Ash-Shaykh Yahya Silmy As-Saylani As Salafi (May Allah Preserve Him)

The second evidence they rely upon is the Hadith of Kuraib and Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه ).

The second evidence is the Hadith of kuraib, Ibn Abbas and Mu’awiyyah( رضي الله عنه), where an incident occurred in which Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه and kuraib discussed the matter of moon sighting.

Mu’awiyyah was the governor in Sham. Sham is the area, in geographical terms, that today encompasses Jordan, Syria, and surrounding regions. Mu’awiyyah was governing that area.

Kuraib was sent by Umm Al-fadl bint harith to complete certain of her duties in the area of Sham which means Syria, Jordan, and the areas that constitute them today.

This Hadith is used as an evidence by those who claim that the moon must be sighted by each country based on its own local sighting.

Let me read to you the text of this Hadith and also look into its meaning. The Hadith states:

أَنَّ أُمَّ الْفَضْلِ بِنْتَ الْحَارِثِ، بَعَثَتْهُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ بِالشَّامِ

Umm Fadl, the daughter of harith sent him(kuraib) to Mu’awiyyah in sham.

قَالَ فَقَدِمْتُ الشَّامَ فَقَضَيْتُ حَاجَتَهَا

"I came to sham and completed the duties for which she had sent me."

وَاسْتُهِلَّ عَلَىَّ رَمَضَانُ وَأَنَا بِالشَّامِ

"Ramadan was witnessed while I was in sham”

Kuraib is saying, Ramadan was witnessed – meaning the hilal of Ramadan was sighted – while I was in sham

فَرَأَيْتُ الْهِلاَلَ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ

"I witnessed the hilal, night previous to Jum’ah ”

ثُمَّ قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فِي آخِرِ الشَّهْرِ

then I came to madinah

at the last portion of the month

فَسَأَلَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ - رضى الله عنهما

ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْهِلاَلَ

Abdullah ibn Abbas(Allah be pleased with him) in a discussion with me, he mentioned about the hilal(new moon of Ramadan) and asked me,

فَقَالَ مَتَى رَأَيْتُمُ الْهِلاَلَ

Ibn Abbas asked(to kuraib): ‘When did you sight the hilal?’

فَقُلْتُ رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ

I(Kuraib) said:

We sighted in the night previous to Jum’ah.

فَقَالَ أَنْتَ رَأَيْتَهُ

He(Ibn Abbas) asked(to Kuraib):

(Did) you see it yourself?

فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ وَرَآهُ النَّاسُ وَصَامُوا وَصَامَ مُعَاوِيَةُ

(Kuraib replied):

Yes, the people sighted it, they fasted upon it and Mu’awiyyah fasted upon it.

فَقَالَ لَكِنَّا رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ السَّبْتِ

Ibn Abbas said: But we sighted to the night previous to saturday.

فَلاَ نَزَالُ نَصُومُ حَتَّى نُكْمِلَ ثَلاَثِينَ أَوْ نَرَاهُ

we will continue to fast

until we complete thirty or until we sight it

فَقُلْتُ أَوَلاَ تَكْتَفِي بِرُؤْيَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَصِيَامِهِ

then Kuraib said: Is it not sufficient enough for us, (to act upon) the sighting of Mu’awiyyah and his fasting?

فَقَالَ لاَ هَكَذَا أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم

(Ibn Abbas said:) No, this is the way Rasoolullah salallahu alaihi wa sallam ordered us

From this entire discussion that took place between Ibn Abbas and Kuraib – a dialogue between them –

– the last part, where Ibn Abbas said, "No, this is how رسول الله ordered us," is used as a point of evidence by those who advocate for local sighting.

When they argue that the moon must be sighted by everyone in a specific area, they only cite the very last text of this dialogue.

What is that dialogue(statement)?

(Ibn Abbas saying) "No, this is how رسول الله ordered us."

this statement, "No, this is how رسول الله ordered us,"

where he said "this is how(this is the way)," indicates a Hadith, indicating a specific way of Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم

We must understand what way he is indicating.

Is it to his discussion with Kuraib above, or to a hidden narration? We must ascertain this.

Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali Ash-Shawkani رحمه الله تعالى

when discussing this Hadith, says: Very carefully, Ibn Abbas, in his dialogue, when he said at the end,

"No, this is how Rasoolullah ordered us "

the point he is indicating by saying "this is how" refers to the statement he made to Kuraib:

لَكِنَّا رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ السَّبْتِ فَلاَ نَزَالُ نَصُومُ حَتَّى نُكْمِلَ ثَلاَثِينَ أَوْ نَرَاهُ

(statement of Ibn Abbas)

"But we sighted it the night before Saturday, so we will complete fasting for thirty days or we sight the Hilal."

This is what Ibn Abbas is indicating;

(by the words)’this is how رسول الله ordered us’.

Because this statement, which Ibn Abbas told to Kuraib – "we will complete fasting for thirty days or until we sight the moon" – is what Rasoolullah had already commanded.

رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم It is available in the Hadith. Ibn Abbas himself narrated it from in the Hadith of

الإمام الترمذي: صوموا لرؤيته وأفطروا لرؤيته

فإن غم عليكم فاقدروا ثلاثين

"Fast upon its sighting, break your fast upon its sighting; if it is cloudy for you, then complete the month as thirty [days]."

This is the same thing Ibn Abbas said to Kuraib: "We will continue fasting until we complete thirty [days] or sight the moon."

This is what Ibn Abbas said to Kuraib: "This is how رسول الله has ordered us."

So, in the dialogue between Ibn Abbas and Kuraib, there is nothing to suggest that رسول الله ordered us not to accept your moon, nor to accept my moon.

What is being assumed by the people of a certain school of thought – an assumption that has been refuted by the very scholars of that same school of thought,

especially the scholars of Hadith – is that

"no, this is how رسول الله ordered us."

The assumption is:

"No, we cannot accept your moon, kuraib. Rasoolullah ordered us to remain with our own moon(local sighting).

This is what is being assumed. We say in Arabic, this is the (Mafhoom)مفهوم. This is the understanding these people are deriving.

But this is not the (Mantook) منطوق;

these are not the explicit words of Ibn Abbas

(May Allah be pleased with him)

Ibn Abbas never said such words. He conveyed a general theme. What he said is,

"No, this is how رسول الله ordered us."

Now, what does this "no" mean? "This is how رسول الله ordered us."

What does that way of Rasoolullah mean?

We must find out. The way of رسول الله should be found in the narrations.

If someone cannot prove it from a narration, then he should know that he is not aware of رسول الله's way;

he is only assuming.

If someone were to say that the statement of Ibn Abbas, where he said, "No, this is how رسول الله ordered us," meant, "Ya kuraib, I cannot accept your moon. Rasoolullah has ordered us to remain with our moon and you with your moon

then if this is what someone is trying to say Ibn Abbas meant by his statement, it becomes his duty to bring forth and narrate to us, from the Hadith narrations in any Hadith book, that رسول الله said

that a moon sighted in one area is not to be accepted by another area. This type of talk, these specific wordings, this kind of message, is not available in any of the narrations in the Hadith books

– neither in authentic narrations, nor in weak narrations, nor in fabricated narrations, nowhere in the world.

Throughout the arguments, no one has presented such evidence. So, we must know that in the narrations, there is nothing to suggest that a moon sighted in one area should not be accepted in another area.

Conversely, there are many narrations where Rasoolullah, through his words and actions, accepted the moon sighting from other areas.

When travellers came, he accepted it.

And he also said, as in the Hadith of Sunan An-Nasai:

"If two witnesses come, fast upon it, and break your fast upon it."

Without regard for geographical differences, he clearly and frankly said: "If two witnesses come, fast upon it, and break your fast upon it."

And Allah also said:

"Whoever among you witnesses the month, let him fast it."

Whether the witnessing happens through a message from a local or international source.

So, looking upon all these,

the statement of Ibn Abbas

لا هكذا أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

No, "this is how رسول الله ordered us."

It is nothing more than what he discussed with Kuraib above (refer the narration of kuraib)

When he asked Kuraib,

متى رأيتم الهلال?

"When did you sight the moon?"

And when Kuraib said

رأيناه ليلة الجمعة.

"We sighted it the night before Juma’ah."

And then, to emphasize and ascertain the fact, Ibn Abbas asked:

هل رأيته أنت?

"Did you sight it yourself?"

Then he said, "Yes,

نَعَمْ وَرَآهُ النَّاسُ وَصَامُوا وَصَامَ مُعَاوِيَةُ

Yes, and the people also saw it and they fasted and Mu'awiya also fasted

So, this questioning by Ibn Abbas was to ensure that the sighting had indeed occurred.

And Imam Abu Jaffar at-tahawi رحمه الله تعالى, in Sharh Muskhil Al-Athaar شرح مشكل الآثار

– a book specifically written to elaborate on the difficulties in narrations

شرح (explanation),

مشكل (difficulties),

آثار (narrations)

The book

شرح مشكل الآثار

is named as 'Explaining the Difficulties of the Narrations.' He compiled it in 16 volumes.

In it, he addresses this issue. This narration, which states, "No, this is how رسول الله ordered us,"(the statement of Ibn Abbas in the quoted narration) has been understood by the Ummathul Islamiyyah with different concepts of meaning.

The difficulty associated with it arises when one considers:

When Ibn Abbas asks Kuraib,

"When did you sight the moon?"

Ibn Abbas was an Imam and a Mufti of that time.

Kuraib was a normal man, a traveller, a tabi’ee.

A Mufti asked a normal man,

"When did you sight the moon?"

What is the significance of this?

The point is very clear.

The people of madinah had completed that month as thirty [days - meaning, they are fasting] because they did not sight the moon.

So, now they were observing every traveller and questioning, "When did you sight the moon?" to ensure they hadn't missed anything.

At this point, Ibn Abbas questions. And he finds out that they had sighted the moon a day before them.

And then, upon hearing that, he further emphasizes and asks to confirm, "Did you sight it yourself?" He(kuraib) said, "Yes, I sighted it. The people sighted it. The people fasted, and mu’awiyyah fasted."

Two things are being conveyed by Kuraib there:

witness of sighting &

witness of the authority's acceptance.

The ruler had approved that the moon(sighting) was worthy of acceptance.

So, Mu’awiyyah, the ruler, approved it, and the people also fasted. So, both things are being conveyed by Kuraib.

Yes, it was not only witnessed, but also the authority of that area approved that it was worthy enough to be fasted, and the people fasted. Action was taken.

Then Ibn Abbas says what happened in madinah. He says:

لكنا رأيناه ليلة السبت.

"But we sighted it the night before Saturday."

فَلاَ نَزَالُ نَصُومُ حَتَّى نُكْمِلَ ثَلاَثِينَ أَوْ نَرَاهُ

he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So, we will continue to fast till we complete thirty (fasts) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal).

Now, here, Imam At-tahawi takes up the discussion very beautifully. He cautions us: Here is where the problem arises.

Now, Ibn Abbas's statement to Kuraib, "But we sighted it before the saturday night,"

does it indicate that he is refuting Kuraib's narration?

Or is he merely indicating what happened in madinah? What is he saying?

Is he refusing, "Kuraib, I cannot accept your sighting; this is what happened here"? Or

Or is he indicating with ‘ولكن’ (but)...

Is the word 'but' refuting or emphasizing the fact of madinah?

There is no refutation.

He is stating what happened in madinah.

He is saying, "Although you all sighted earlier, we sighted a day later."

And then he says, "These are Islamic rules."

What are they?

"We will complete the month as thirty [days] or sight the moon."

This is what he said last; this is the way Rasoolullah ordered, Rasoolullah’s Hadith. For he had ordered to complete the month as thirty [days] or sight the moon. He truly emphasized it.

Now, the question arises:

Will Ibn Abbas complete the month as thirty [days], counting from the beginning of the madinah sighting or from Kuraib's sham sighting?

This is where the question arises.

If he were to accept Kuraib's Sham sighting, then they would unite in their thirty [days] and have a festival together.

Or

if they sight the moon, they will also have the festival together.

But if Ibn Abbas differs from Kuraib and does not accept the sighting from Sham, then his counting will start from madinah, and he will be a day delayed from the people of Sham and Kuraib.

Where the festival will differ, and two festivals will occur. That is what Imam at-tahawi says:

"If Ibn Abbas had not accepted Kuraib's narration of sighting, there should have been two festivals in madinah."

There should have been two festivals in madinah.

One festival according to the sighting of Kuraib in Sham,

and another festival according to the sighting of the people of madinah in madinah.

Two festivals occurring has never happened in history.

Imam at-tahawi says:

"History does not record to us of two festivals happening in the same year, at the same place, for the same festival. It has never happened."

That means, for the same hajj festival or Ramadan festival in the same year, in the same place of madinah, a two-day festival never occurred.

Yes, due to a lack of information, different areas could have had different festivals, etc. But in the same place, in the same year, for the same festival, two festivals being prayed never happened.

وجزاكم الله خيرا وإن أصبت فمن الله وإن أخطأت فمن نفسي ومن الشيطان والله أعلم

If I have said anything good, that is from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala's mercy and blessing upon me. If I have made any mistake, that is from myself and Shaitan.

know that at all times, the evidence is the Quran and Sunnah as understood by the Sahabah Radhiyallahu Anhum Ajma'in.

هذا ما عندي والله أعلم والعلم عند الله سبحانه وتعالى