3110 Eastside Street The Islamic Society Houston, TX 77098 Phone: (713) 524-6615 of Greater Houston Email: [email protected] Website: www.isgh.org
Friday, April 9, 2021
RAMADAN MOON SIGHTING MEETING
On Wednesday, April 7th 2021, the ISGH Fatwa Council chaired by Dr. Salah AsSawy, ISGH Imams, Imams and Scholars of various Islamic Centers and Organizations met to align on the methodology used for determining the beginning of Ramadan and Eid in the greater Houston metropolis. The ISGH Fatwa Council outlined the below methodology that was adopted unanimously by the esteemed attendees. The Houston Moon Sighting Committee will meet on Sunday the 29th of Shaaban (April 11th 2021) to verify moon sighting reports and determine the beginning of the month based on the agreed upon methodology. An official communication will be released on Sunday with the committee’s announcement Insha’a Allah.
Moon Sighting Methodology Adopted
The default principle is not to consider variant moonsighting. If the moon is sighted in any Muslim state not known to deviate from the consensus, then it is incumbent of the rest of Muslims who share part of the night with that state to fast. Moonsighting is the basis for the commencement of the lunar month but cannot be considered reliable if there were doubts surrounding it, such as when the moon sighting contradicts reliable scientific calculations of reliable experts. Due to the unique situation of the USA and its wide geographic area, it can be divided into time zones. Each time zone that has not received credible news of moon sighting by the time of Ishaa may consider the following day as the completing day of Shaaban. A time zone does not need to wait for other states west to it. The minority of people in every city in the US should follow the opinion of the majority in order to achieve unity and prevent divisions regardless of whether the minority follows the methodology of moon sighting or calculation. This is based on the permissibility of enacting a less optimal ruling to alleviate hardship and permissibility to reconcile between different schools of thoughts in time of necessity or need or valid excuse. If following variant moonsighting opinions would sometimes lead to unity, then it is ok to do that after exhausting the effort. As such, transitioning from one school of thought of Ahlu-sunnah is allowable.
Houston Moon Sighting Committee
Dr. Salah AsSawy Imam Hafiz Iqbal Dr. Waleed Basyouni Dr. Muhammed Chairman, ISGH Fatwa Madrasah Islamiyah Clear Lake Islamic Center Nisarul Haq Council Asia Center
Dr. Main Alqudah Justice Shezado Shaikh Dr. Basem Hamid Guidance College ISGH Fatwa Council ISGH Fatwa Council
ISGH Executive Body 3110 Eastside Street The Islamic Society Houston, TX 77098 Phone: (713) 524-6615 of Greater Houston Email: [email protected] Website: www.isgh.org
Friday, April 9, 2021
Houston Moon Sighting Meeting Attendees (4/7/2021)
MADRASAH Hafiz Iqbal ISLAMIAH
KLEIN Imam Hamza Ghia ISLAMIC CENTER Dr. Irfan Wadiwala
KINGWOOD Imam Ahmad Siddiqui ISLAMIC CENTER Mufti Shibli Siddiqui
CLEAR LAKE ISLAMIC CENTER Imam Dr. Waleed Basyouni (CLIC)
Imam Dr. Muhammad ASIA CENTER Nisarul Haq
MASJID Imam Qasim Khan AT-TAWHEED
ISLAMIC Ameer Abuhalimeh DAWAH CENTER
TAJWEED Imam Dr. Ra'ed Alrosan INSTITUTE
ISLAMIC CIRCLE OF NORTH AMERICA Mohammed Sami (Secretary) (ICNA)
FATWA COUNCIL MEMBERS IMAM COUNCIL Dr. Salah AsSawy MEMBERS ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF Imam Tauqeer Shah Imam Sayed Abouelhassan GREATER HOUSTON Dr. Basem Hamid Imam Daniel Hernandez Sh. Mamdouh Mahmoud Imam Mohammed Elfarooqui (ISGH) Dr. Rihabi Mohamed Imam Ahmed Khan
IMAM DR. MAIN ALQUDAH EXECUTIVE BODY MEMBERS