Muslims around the world strove to sight the crescent overnight in compliance with the command of the Messenger of Allah (saw) to begin and end fasting by the sighting of the crescent. By the grace of Allah (swt), the crescent was sighted in multiple countries. Two sightings in particular were confirmed and verified personally by the global Central Media Office of Hizb ut-Tahrir:
- In Syria: sighting confirmed in rural district of Idlib (reef Idlib) at 7:52 pm local time, five minutes after sunset and 8 minutes before moonset.
- In Indonesia: sighting confirmed in Sumatra at 3.92 degrees above horizon.
This is in addition to what has been announced in various areas of the Muslim world of confirmed sightings after their respective sunset times on Sunday 05/06/2016 including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the Emirates, South India, Nigeria, Mauritania, Canada, Chile and Peru.
Therefore, today, Monday 6 June 2016, is the first day of Ramadan 1437 AH.
Alhamdulillah, virtually the entire Muslim world and the vast majority of Muslims globally will start Ramadan together today, albeit by coincidence and not by the unity that Islam demands of us.
Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia conveys a heartfelt Ramadan Mubarak, on behalf of all the brothers and sisters of the Hizb in Australia and on behalf of the Amir of Hizb ut-Tahrir, Sh. Ata’ ibn Khalil – may Allah protect him and grant him the nusrah – to all the Ummah around the world but in particular our beloved Muslim community in Australia.
The Prophet (saw) said:
“On the first night of Ramadan, the Shayateen are shackled, the evil jinn are restrained, the gates of the Fire are shut such that no gate among them is left open, the gates of Paradise are opened such that no gate among them is left closed, and a caller calls out: ‘O seeker of the good, come near!’ and ‘O seeker of evil; refrain!’ and Allah decrees salvation from the Fire for some people. This happens every night (of the month).” (Tirmidhi, 682)
May Allah give us all the tawfiq to make the most of this blessed month. May He accept our fasts and night prayers and make the month a means of blessing and opening for the Ummah. May He lighten the burden of all our brothers and sisters facing severe difficulty in places like Central Africa, Burma, and Syria…and may He make it the last Ramadan in which the Ummah is without her leader and shield, the Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah (saw), without whom she is divided, weak and easy pickings for the disbelievers left, right and centre, in the heart of the abode of the believers, the blessed lands of al-Sham. Ameen.