The following was a question and answer session executed by Br Yasir Butt. Copy of it has been hereby enclosed as forwarded to us. (Portion of it may be slightly modified for flow by islaminaction.wordpress.com)

Q:Did you start Shabaan right? Some people started shaban on the 23^rd of July (Thursday) while some on the 24^th of July 2008 (Friday)?

A: Since the Rasool SAW says: “safeguard the sighting of shabaan so can start Ramadhan right” hadith is authentic in mustadrak hakim volume 1 page 586 published by dar kutub ilmiyya in 1990 edition.

?????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ? ??? ???? ?? ???? ? ???? ??? ?????? ? ?? ???? ?? ???? ? ?? ??? ???? ? ?? ??? ????? ???: ??? ???? ????: «?????? ?????? ???????? ?????????». ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??????.

???????? ??? ????????

??? 1

???? 586

The 24^th of July 2009 is the 1st of Shabaan no doubt, Insha Allah. Consider what the scholars say so we do not fall prey to our emotions.

It is IMPOSSIBLE TO DESIGNATE THURSDAY the 23^rd of July 2009 as the first day of Shaban according to Sheikh ibn Othaymeen (Allah have mercy on him) because the day before it the 22^nd of July 2009 was a total solar eclipse (when the moon is between the earth and the Sun)

In Arabic this news was covered by Al Jazeera News Service http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/749BC8B0-3BEB-450A-BDAB-9D084CD817DB.htm

In English it was covered by NASA: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009.html

BBC in its coverage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8161578.stm

Sheikh ibn Othaymeen (Allah have mercy on him)

“??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ????? ???? ????? ?? ????

????? ?????? ??? ??? ???? …..?? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???…….???”

“If a Solar eclipse takes place after sunset in any part of the earth then it is unacceptable that the next day is the 1^st day of a new month…….anyone who claims that is like the one who claims that a baby cries before it exits the womb…”

Full fatwa link with translation: http://www.wifaqululama.co.uk/fatwaspdf/FATWA_FROM_MUHAMMAD_ASSALEH_ALOTHAIMEEN.pdf

Source http://www.wifaqululama.co.uk/index.html

Also Sheikh Abdallah al Mani (Senior Scholar)

??? ??????? ?????? (???? ???? ???????)

As stated in a editorial published in the Arabic news paper called “Al-Muslimoom” volume 622 published on 3 January 1997.

Read the last paragraph

Arabic link of the article: http://www.geocities.com/mhmdahmdt/mn.gif

Translated by Yasir Butt withan added note: “I would like to request the higher judicial council to revise its methodology in announcing new months and to distance our country from perpetual criticism with evidence when we announced new months while there was a solar eclipse that night.”