Is it a strike of Ignorance, or Just Control of Desire!
Fatwa Regarding Having Eid Al-Adha in a different day than the day of Sacrifice of Hujjaj In Makkah.
Fatwa:
It is a major Bida'a to have Eid on the day after the day of sacrifice, claiming that there is no connection between Eid day and the day of Arafat!! This is but a satanic trick to promote such split between Muslims. In the authentic Hadith of Al-Termizie: A’isha (RA) said: the Prophet PUBH said: Iftar (meaning Eid Al-Fitr) is the day when people break their fast, and Adha (meaning Eid Al-Adha) is the day when people sacrifice. This is a clear definition of Eid Al-Adha. It is, for those who have a hard time understand logic on their own, the day when people (meaning the people of Makkah) make the sacrifice. It is a consensus that the sacrifice is made at the morning that follows the day of Arafat. Muslims who are not attending Hajj are merely sharing the event with the Hujjaj (pilgrims). The Eid is primarily their feast as they make their Tahalul (removal of Ihram clothing) after completion of the pillar of Hajj: standing on Arafat. We, who do not attend the Hajj, share this event and can sacrifice, if we want, to be more closer to the event. This means that this feast is tied to Hajj rituals. It is not a “Stand Alone” feast that is connected to the day of Zul-Hijjah, although it will be on the 10th anyways. But the definition that the Prophet PUBH gave is crystal clear: the feast of Adha is to be celebrated on the day when people (Hujjaj) make their sacrifice. Some little brain might say: “well, we can say the Eid is when any 'people' make the sacrifice, so we make the sacrifice a day after they make it on Arafat!!. We then say: “so, according to that, Eid is the day when any people, any where in the world decide to make the sacrifice! It can be any day of the year! The 10th of Zul-hijjah is the day of Eid as it is the day that follows the day of Arafat not visa versa!”.
This issue is different than the difference of opinion over the “unity/difference of moon-sighting” approach. Eid al-Fitr is meant to happen after people break their fast on the day that ends Ramadan. Although it is a weak argument, but an excuse to have it different is that the moon did not appear at a certain location and hence these specific people have to wait untill they confirm the break of the fast. But the case of Eid Al-Adha is different as it is totally dependent on the Hujjaj standing on Arafat, and nothing else.
Such twisted interpretation only serves to divide Muslims, and those who adopt the concept of “Al-Shu’oubiyah”1.
Based on that, the Fatwa for having the Eid prayer on Friday is that it is Haram (forbidden). Any Bida'a prayer can not be accepted by Allah SWT, no matter what some people who want to make every practice in Islam is correct, say.
It is rather important to distinguish between the practice of the rituals of Eid and whatever Political inferences that the Saudis' decision is based on or might have. In this Fatwa, we do not justify the decision nor we falsify it. Mixing the two issues is wrong. If Muslims are standing on Arafat Wednesday, and Making Zabiha (Sacrifice) on Thursday, the Eid that Muslims should share with them is on Thursday; period. The alternative is to invalidate the Hajj of all these Muslims for the sake of the argument put forward by a fraction that is less than 0.1% of the Muslim World is totally wrong.
Again, we urge Muslims to follow Sunnah and to search inside their souls for the real reason behind such Bida’a. Victory from Allah SWT will never be reached unless the Ummah adheres completely and holistically to Sunnah.
Discussion of an Online Fatwa:
In an internet Fatwa[2], it was argued that the sacrifice is Haram to perform on Friday, but the Prayer is acceptable to do on the second day of Eid (i.e. Friday)! Although most of the analogy for the Fatwa is correct, Dr. Salah Sultan missed a crucial point in his argument/judgement; namely the factor of intention. In the second part of the Fatwa, he stated that:
(Some travelers came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (in the afternoon) and they testified that they had seen the hilal (new moon) (for the end of Ramadan) the previous night. So the Messenger of Allah “commanded everyone to break their fast and go out to the `Eid Prayer the next morning” (An-Nasa’i, Abu Dawud, and Darqutni with a good chain of narration). For this reason the majority of Muslim jurists, with the exception of the Malikis, see that it is permissible to have the `Eid Prayer on the second day if there is an excuse. Others, like the Hanafis, even held the opinion that it is permissible on any of the Days of Tashreeq (the two or three days after Dhul-Hijjah 10) because it is permissible to throw the stones and make the sacrifice on those days).
The case that he used to correct performing Eid prayer is completely wrong and confusing issues. As we stated above, the case of Al-Adha is different than Eid Al-Fitr. Using evidence from the issue of Eid Al-Fitr is a poor analogy and mixing evidences. The excuse that the Jurists talk about is the lack of knowledge of the sighting the moon or the standing of the Hujjaj (pilgrims) on Arafat. This excuse does not hold in this case. The intention of going against the Muslim standing on Arafat, knowing that they are standing on Arafat, is established and has no reason for it. In the Authentic Hadith, the prophet PBUH said: "Actions are not but by intentions".
Comment:
It is rather awkward that those who are promoting the concept of “unity” between Muslims under any circumstances and with no condition[3] are the same people who adopt the “Difference in moon sighting” approach, or “Ikhtilaf Al-Matali'e” rather than “Unity in Moon Sighting” approach”, or “Wihdat al-Matali'e”!
The North American Muslim community probably represents less than 0.01% of the total population of Muslims and nearly 0.25% of the Muslims in the Middle East area. If we want to promote unity, shouldn’t we be the first to join the vast majority of Muslims in celebrating the only two feasts in Sunnah; Al-Adha and Al-Fitr Eids! Should we be that fussy about a Fiqh-related point and create such divide in a celebration whose aim in Shariah is to unite! How come, then, when Ahlul Sunnah take a firm stand with those who adopt Bida'a, the people of “Unity” claim that we should be “tolerant” and we have to unite no matter what differences we have??!! Is Bida'a, to these people, less important than a Fiqh issue that actually has evidence for both sides of the matter? Does Aqeeda matter less than a Fiqh problem? Is that what Sunnah means to these people?
It is, in the final analysis, just a proof of how Hawa “Desire” controls these people. When one is away from Sunnah, the desire drives his vision and controls his decisions.
I personally think that it is the urge to be different that promotes such deviation and separation from the main stream. If this was due to an Aqeeda basis, we would understand and appreciate the stand as Aqeeda is the untouchable part of our beloved religion. However, to divide and create such havoc based on a disputed Fiqh problem shows an acute lack of knowledge, even if those who promote it sit on councils of imams and boards of directors somewhere in this continent.
A message to the people of “Unity” on Bida'a: Be Consistent … you will answer to Allah SWT and have to explain your contradictions.
1) The motive behind such practice can be traced back in history to the time of Bani Umaayah era, and later to the Abbasiyoon era. It is known as “Al-Shu’oubiyah”[1] or Nationalism. It is a movement that was adopted by some of the non-Arab who hated the Arab race as Islam never got to their soul. Their old religions were still alive. That hate was transformed to hate of the race that Islam was first revealed within. Many Famous Persians characters in history used to be amongst those who adopt this movement, which was at its peak at the time of the Abbasiyoon. Shait was the nest for such approaches. Hate promotes contradiction and conflict with whom a person hates. Those who hate Arabs, which is basically hidden racism, want to be different from them no matter what they sacrifice for that cause!
1 Read the "Statement by the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA) Regarding Blessed Eidul-Adha"
2. Online fatwa by Dr. Salah Sultan
3. Please read our article "Yes to Unity… No to Bida'a"