The Office of the Mufti in Singapore has issued an advisory on how Eid al-Adha and the Day of Arafat are determined in response to discussion regarding whether they should be the same as in KSA.
Traditionally, the Day of Arafat is 9 Dhulhijjah, the day Hajj pilgrims go to Mount Arafat, and marks a traditional day of fasting for Muslims elsewhere. It is also the eve of Eid al-Adha. However, because the beginning of any Islamic month depends on the sighting of the new moon, 9 Dhulhijjah can occur on different days in different countries. In KSA, 9 Dhulhijjah is 20 August; in Singapore it is 21 August. Eid therefore falls on 21 August in KSA but on 22 August in Singapore.
"In this instance, it is important to note that determining the dates of the months of hijri (editor's note: the Islamic calendar) is a religious issue. Determining it would have to be in accordance with the sighting of the new moon at the horizon, on the 29th day of the preceding month.
"If the new moon is not sighted on the night of the 29th day, the preceding month will then be extended for one more day; making it 30 days in total. The following day (after the 30th day) will then be considered to be the beginning of a new month, and this is based on the religious guidance found in the hadiths and practices of the Muslim ummah (editor's note: hadiths refer to sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, passed down over time; and the ummah is the population of all Muslims)", the Office of the Mufti said in a statement.
The Office of the Mufti further explains that KSA is located to the west of Singapore, and there is a significant timing difference between the two. "Due to these reasons, the position of the new moon when it was sighted in Saudi Arabia is higher than when it was sighted in this region. Hence, it becomes an individual responsibility for Muslims to follow the date that has been determined by their respective countries," the organisation added.
"If the first of Dhulhijjah has been determined in Singapore, then the 9th of Dhulhijjah – which is the Day of Arafat – would then have to be based on the date that has been determined earlier."
The Office of the Mufti further said that being five hours ahead of KSA meant that even if KSA did enter a new Islamic month based on a new moon being sighted a few hours later, Singapore would not have entered that month at the traditional time of sighting as based on the methods of rukyah (رؤية, personally sighting) and khisab (حساب, calculation).
"However, for countries located to the west of Makkah, if it has been determined that the new moon has been sighted, then all the countries will be subjected to Makkah’s decision (on the beginning of the new hijri month)," the organisation concluded.
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