Moonsighting the Wifaq ul Ulama Way

Found this booklet ('Moonsighting the Wifaq ul Ulama Way: The Cautious Way – a detailed explanation of why the Wifaq ul Ulama has chosen not to follow the Saudi Hilal authorities of Riyadh', compiled by the scholars of Wifaq ul Ulama UK) on the kitchen table and thought I'd give it a read. (One of those days: hungry for short booklets to read!) Found the emotive language at times a bit hard to swallow given the aims of the booklet, i.e. a scholarly document, but found some of the points rather persuasive. Would be curious to hear the other side at some point. Here are some of the main (non-emotive) arguments:

• If in the future the Hilal authorities in Riyadh Saudi Arabia were to adopt the 'cautious and strict' method followed by Wifaq ul Ulama UK, then Wifaq ul Ulama UK would have no objection listing them in the names of countries that can be followed.
• We should revive the forgotten Sunnah of making effort to sight the moon every month locally.
• If the hilal is sighted in clear conditions (meaning: the skies are clear and there are no obstructions such as clouds, mist or pollution), then a testimony of a large group (such that they can’t be lying) of Muslims will be needed to accept a claim of a sighting.
• The Wifaq ul Ulama UK will only commence the new Islamic month after receiving testimonies of actual and reliable sighting with the naked eye.
• If the hilal is not sighted locally, then Wifaq ul Ulama UK will take the news of a sighting from another country on the condition that Wifaq ul Ulama UK's 'strict' moon sighting criteria is met.
• Experts in astronomy may be used (but only) as a 'guide' or 'help' (to eradicate false or mistaken sighting claims).
• The majority of Arab countries including Saudi Arabia are believed to follow a pre-calculated calendar based on a moon birth time formula. For proof of this: the dates of 'Ummul Qura' and the 'Central Moonsighting Committee' of the past years can be compared and shown to match on every single month.

The Knowledge of Current Affairs

Found this booklet ('The Knowledge of Current Affairs' by Shaikh Muhammad Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaanee) on my shelf and thought I'd give it a (skim-) read. Quite a frustrating read. Doesn't seem to cover what the title/blurb implies, not very well structured and quite vague at times. At the end of reading it I still don't know what 'Fiqh ul-Waaqi' is! (which is the main point of discussion and a term used repeatedly throughout the booklet.) Definitely needed more edited before it went to publication.

Righteousness and Sin

Response I got from my 'Daily Dose' today which I really liked and thought I should Blog...

"Righteousness is good character and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about."

Source provided: Nawawi Number 27.