Basing one's Ibaadaat upon the sighting of the Moon
Question
Is youmul Arafah on Friday or Saturday in South Africa. Please provide me with a shari response to those who say it is the actual day the haajis will be in Arafah and not the date.
Answer
We are not commanded in Shari'ah to follow Arafaat. However we are commanded to base our Ibaadaat upon the sighting of the Moon. Similarly we should understand that the laws of Arafaat, Mina, Muzdalifa, etc. during the days of Hajj are exclusive for those in the state of ihraam, not for Muslims residing in other countries.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
- Answered by
- Mufti Zakaria Makada
- Checked & approved by
- Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Mufti Online — Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, ask the issuing Darul Ifta directly.