Salam Alaykum,

Inshallah, for the first time, the Muslim Student Association will be holding Eid Prayers on campus for students who are away from home. The Muslim Student Association will be celebrating Eid al Adha on Sunday, October 5th 2014, in accordance with the localized sighting of the Dhul Hijjah crescent moon.

As a masjid independent organization, the Muslim Student Association is not required to declare Eid on a certain day just because certain community masjids have done so. Although we respect their opinion and their right to do so, we have a responsibility to our members to consult with the Ulema and declare a day based on the rules of Sharia for sighting the Hilal.

There is a misconception that the day of Eid al Adha is dependant on the Days of Hajj. For this reason, many Muslims are under the impression that Eid al Adha must take place on the day after the Hujjaj perform their rites on Mount Arafat, which occurs on Saudi Arabian 9th of Dhul Hijjah.

However, this correlation is unfounded in Islam.

According to both Imam Nawawi and Imam Hagar al-Asqalani, the first Eid al Adha was inaugurated in the 2nd year of Hijra (al-Nawawi, Sharh Shahi’h Muslim, 1, 154). Imam Nawawi further cites that the Hajj was made mandatory in the 6th year of Hijra (Al-Nawawi, Yahya, Sharh Sahih Muslim, 1, 154).

This shows us that between the 2nd and 6th year of Hijra, the date of Eid al Adha was being determined without the Hajj as a guide. Furthermore there is no hadith that shows that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) ever attempted to determine the day of Hajj before celebrating Eid al Adha. There is, however, a hadith in Tirmidhi that He (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) celebrated Eid al Adha after determing the first of Dhul Hijjah (Tirmidhi, 5, 61).

Therefore, it is clear that the day of Hajj is determined by the sighting of the Dhul Hijjah Hilal, and not by the days of Hajj. And Allah knows best.

The On-Campus Eid Prayers will take place on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, Sunday October 5th, in Student Union Room 210 at 10am. There will be only one Jam’at. It will be open to Brothers and Sisters.

WaAlaykum AsSalam,
Mohammed Shariff

President, Muslim Student Association