causation or co-relation? substance or hubris? http://chasingthescream.com/ a call for legalizing all drugs? and then what else (since pornography and alcohol are legal anyways)? haven't read the book. the author has a past too: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jan/10/independent-editor-johann-hari-scandal
If it is then I take back my words above. Please keep in my mind I attended some meetings as an observer while still in high school. I do remember each member making an individual and silent prayer which we kept out of. I did not observe any type of religious dogma being imparted. My father (alayhi rahmah) on the other hand chose to advise people from our home instead.
JazakAllah for the info brother. so you mean to say that, christian dogmas are not a necessary part of AA?
Ma sha Allah! Good pick! I didn't think of that before. Re AA: I think it's good. I used to attend their meetings when I was in high school (not that I used to consume alcohol! ). I used to attend just about anything that involved the community back then. Many members used to visit my home back then and seek advice from my late dad [alayhi rahmah]. He nurtured many of them into giving up alcohol.
Alcoholics Anonymous. What you think of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br21rihKsIQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy_QaymkWpA there are a whole lot of 'related videos' too. Its amazing how the sahaba dropped it 'just like that'.
@sherkhan I did not imagine anything. You on the other hand are imagining, or perhaps you are certain, that the person in question is following the (right or wrong) Saudi 'sighting'. You seem to have missed my point that what needs to be investigated is that if the imam in question is actually following the Saudi sighting, or perhaps his declaration of the months is based on a methodology that he follows (calculations, local sighting, global sighting, etc.) and the dates are only coincidentally overlapping with the Saudi declarations, and THEN comment on THAT particular methodology and how it fits in with the fiqh of one of the 4 madhabs. The fundamental flaw with that argument is that the "possibility" in itself is based on calculations. If one rejects calculations altogether, then he has no moral authority to impress this calculated "possibility" on others and/or nullify their "sighting" based on this calculated "possibility"! If you're not referring to a "possibility" based on calculations, then you need to explain thoroughly what exactly you mean by "possibility" here. As for the rukhsa issue, I don't know what you're on about. Maybe you can explain better. Anyway, this is digressing from the course of the thread.
I really don't need to respond to this. I am at peace with myself and know for sure that I will never compromise on the rigthful aqeedah. Interesting words ... there is a huge overwhelming consensus or in other words there is 'Jamhur' within the Ahle Sunnah UK community that the Regents Park moonsighting announcements are erroneous at times. I am glad to see that you acknowledge that a minority opinion can still be valid even though it goes against the vast overwhelming majority.
The issue is not as grey as you imagine and there's hardly any scope for benefit of doubt. It's common knowledge that Saudi moon is 'usually' (not always) born long before any astronomical possibility of such conjunction. In any case, Islamic month never starts with moon birth (mahaaq), but with moon-sighting (hilal). No school of fiqh (to my knowledge) commences month with mahaaq, and even if a body of scholar agree to do so nobody in his right mind would allow the month to commence even before mahaaq. Interestingly it's the jews who practice commencing month with mahaaq. How can there be a moonsighting declaration when there's no possibility of sighting (or even birth)? It may not be "core" or "fundamental", but it is "basic". The Imam in question is a hanafi imam. You can't even argue that there's an excuse of rukhsa (extreme extenuating circumstance), since such Imams are not looking to save their (or anyone elses) lives but only their jobs!
This is not nitpicking. One needs to see his stance on the moon-sighting issue and it is a fiqhi issue. If he holds a certain position to be valid, and he is following that position, then he is in no way "compromising" on the fundamental act itself, but rather he follows a different ruling on how to do that act. It's like both Hanafis and Shafi3iys say that wudu is necessary for namaz. But see the integrals of wudu in Hanafi madhab and Shafi3iy madhab. No one says that the other "compromises" on a fundamental act of Islam. I don't live in the UK and I don't know the person in question, but your objection is based on false premises. If it is a difference on a matter of furoo3, then you simply can't say things like "he's compromising" on deen without ascertaining that he is in fact leaving the ijma3 of the Ahlus Sunnah and violating usul too. ----- I also find it strange that someone like you, who doesn't even care much for differences in 3aqidah of the Ahlus Sunnah and the ahlul bid3ah, had to say this.
I agree with sherkhan it's not aimed at Imam Asim but in general to those in a similar situation where they are having to go against the Ahle Sunnah majority. I'm sorry but allowing people to consume food on a day of obligatory fasting or doing qurbani a day before ... fundamental practices of our religion cannot be compromised. I do like the Imam Saheb and so it pains to see him compromise on such fundamental issues.
You mean to say that forgoing your fast on the last day of Ramadhan (just to go along with Saudi "sighted" Eid moon) is not an issue? You mean to say it doesn't matter if an Imam misleads (under pressure or whatever) his whole congregation on the start date of Ramadhan (either starts a day earlier, i.e. fasting on last day of Shaban, or starts a day later, i.e. forgoes 1st fasting day of Ramadhan). You might nitpick about matters that relate to usul and furu, but I have no respect for people who can't speak up or stand up for truth (which is invariably never with Regents Park or saudi). Either it's lack of knowledge or lack of courage. An Imam without courage should rather stand aside and join the congregation (which he can't guide or over-rule), than just be led (or misled). An Imam needs to walk the talk, than simply give talk. I don't say this specifically for Imam Asim (to be clear, I'm not making an all-out judgement on Imam Asim) but for every other Imam who's in a similar bind. I don't know the circumstances forcing Imam Asim to go with Regents Park. I don't know him well enough but I do know that Barking Masjid follows Regents Park in such matters (which is a shame, whether or not it's matter of aqida). and who knows better? Saudis and Regents Park? Their moon is born long before any possibility of such happening. At the very least, moonsighting is declared only when the moon is determined to have been born and there is a finite probability of visibility. Better than following umm-ul-qura.
SubhanAllah. Jazakallah. May Allah bless the shaykh. I've been waiting for something like this for a while now. Particularly Facebook. I'm horrified by whats happening on there. I'm not speaking of brothers from UK or USA. Its Desis! They know only as much English as is needed to make yourself appear 'cool' and yet their pages are enough to make any respectable person's head spin. Most of them are not even 'convent' educated, they're from schools run by muslims, and they're cousins and neighbors. I've requested a scholar to give an official fatwa or atleast take up the issue in a Friday sermon. I hate those parents who allow all this to happen right under their noses. I've already posted this link on a friends 'wall'. InshaAllah I'll distribute copies in my neighborhood as well.
Since when did moonsighting and eid become an aquida issue?? Some of those who are on the moonsighting boards and prayer timings are corrupt and don't know fiqh or astronomy. When they say they follow the observatory they follow a website and calculations.
I share your reservations. I don't know what constraints he operates under (a number of masajids in London have a written constitution which binds them to follow Regent's Park mosque. Harrow Masjid is another example, probably so is Hounslow). Still for an Imam to have credibility, he should be bound by the Qur'an & sunnah and not committee-drafted constitutions. The venerable Imam of my local masjid (also in East London) put his foot down (when this fitna of saudi moon-sighting first reared its head more than a decade ago) and dared the committee to make their own whimsical announcement. The committee had no choice but to tow his line.
No doubt Imam Sahebs talks are enlightening and relevant for our youth today. I have a question though, why doesn't Imam Saheb follow the majority Eid/Ramadan decisions? The mosque that he leads in East London chooses not to follow the decision of the East London Mosque Forum (Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaat mosques) rather choose to follow Regents Park Mosque. It hurts when you see such an influential young scholar move away from the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaat mainstream mosques/scholars in his local area. If the committee insist on following Regents Park then he should move away in my opinion.
Code: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OH-0XKM1kkg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> youtube: http://youtu.be/OH-0XKM1kkg This is an absolutely brilliant talk which deals with the REAL ISSUES which we face today and should be heard by all. The first two or three minutes have low sound then it gets okay. Allah bless Imam Asim and give him a long life. He is a real star of the young scholars and a future star of Ahle Sunnat insha Allah.
