Alas, we have a North American body dissenting from the Fiqh Council’s decision to use calculations. The Hilal Sighting Committee of North America has announced that they will use “naked eye” observations to determine the start of Ramadan.
The Hilal Sighting Committee has released two versions of a report expressing their dismay at the Fiqh Council’s earlier decision entitled:
A Refutation to ISNA/Fiqh Council’s Decision to Disregard the Qur’an and the Sunnah and to follow Astronomical Calculations for Beginning an Islamic Month.
Now, one might ask as I did, “Who are the members of the Hilal Sighting Committee”? The dissenting opinion was signed by:
Mawlana Muhammad G. Nadvi, Ph.D – North American Ulema Council, CA
Mufti Hidayatullah Farooqi – Jamat Ahle Sunnat of America, Chicago, IL
Mawlana Abdullah Kapodrawee – Jami’atul ‘Ulama Canada, Toronto, Canada
Mufti Muhammad Jamaluddin – Darul ‘Uloom/Baitul Hamd, New York, NY
Mufti Ruhul Amin – Shari’ah Board of New York, NY
Mawlana Mohammad Tayyab Qasmi – Islamic Shari’ah Council of B.C., Canada
Mufti Mumtaz Qasmi – Islamic Shari’ah Council of California, CA
Mufti Noman Vazir – Shari’ah Board of New York, NY
Mawlana Muhibur Rahman – Ulama Council of America, NY
Shaikh Syed Muhammad Rizvi – Shi’a Association of America, Toledo, OH
Imam Ashrafuz Zaman Khan – Ulama Council of America, NY
Mawlana Khaleel Ahmad – Hilal Committee of Metropolitan Toronto
Ify Okoye 