Eid Crescent Moon Sighting: But how can we have more than one Eid?" The answer: why not?!

امیر المؤمنین علی ابن ابیطالب علیہ السلام نے عید فطر کے ایک خطبے میں ارشاد فرمایا: اے لوگو! یہ دن وہ ہے جس میں نیک لوگ اپنا انعام حاصل کرتے ہیں اور برے لوگ ناامید اور مایوس ہوتے ہیں اور اس دن کی قیامت کے دن کے ساتھ کافی شباھت ہے اس لۓ گھر سے نکلتے وقت اس دن کو یاد جس دن قبروں سے نکال کرخدا کی کی بارگاہ میں حاضر کۓ جاؤ، نماز میں کھڑے ہونے کے وقت خدا کے سامنے کھڑے ہونے کو یاد کرو اور اپنے گھروں میں واپس آنے میں اس وقت کو یاد کرو جس وقت بہشت میں اپنی منزلوں کی طرف لوٹو گے۔ اے خدا کے بندو ! سب سے کم چیز جو روزہ دار مردوں اور خواتین کو رمضان المبارک کےآخری دن عطا کی جاتی ہے وہ یہ فرشتے کی بشارت ہے جو صدا دیتا ہے : اے بندہ خدا مبارک ہو ! جان لے تمہارے پچھلے سارے گناہ معاف ہو گۓ ہیں اب اگلے دن کے بارے میں ہوشیار رہنا کہ کیسے گذارو گے On the day of Eid al-Fitr, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as) delivered a sermon in which he said: "O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which is similar to the one on which you shall be standing (before your Lord). Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of your prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you (your souls) shall come out of your bodies to go to your Lord. When you stand on places of your prayer, remind yourselves of your standing in presence of your Lord (on the day of Judgment). And when you return to your homes (after prayer), remind yourselves about your returning to your homes in Paradise. O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted (during Ramadhan), is an Angel, who calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadhan (saying): O Servants of Allah! Rejoice the Glad Tiding that all your previuos sins have been forgiven . Therefore, watch out in those things which serve as your re-creation (on this day and days to follow)" ============ One will be able to sight Eid Crescent only on 8th After Sunset, it will be 4% Bright and Eid will be next day: 9th Aug Eid in San Jose will be on 9th Aug, 2013 ========================= Yes, there's a formula from spherical trigonometry for this. Suppose one object has coordinates (alpha1, delta1) and the second is (alpha2, delta2). (Alpha is right ascension, and delta is declination). Then the angular distance theta between them is given by theta = arccos (sin(delta1) * sin(delta2) + cos(delta1) * cos(delta2) * cos(alpha1-alpha2)) By the way, you should be careful about units -- e.g., do everything in decimal degrees. For instance, if an object has a right ascension of 4 hours, then alpha = 60 degrees. If it has a right ascension of 4 hours 17 minutes 5 seconds, then alpha = 64.27083 degrees A simpler method - Elongation is the apparent separation between the Moon (in this case) and the Sun. Between the Moon's New Moon phase and Full Moon, the Moon is seen in the sky east of the Sun and follows it westward through the day. Between Full Moon and its return to New Moon phase the Moon is west of the Sun and proceeds it through the sky. More details on elongation can be read at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elongation_... . The separation between the two objects is continually changing as the Moon travels eastward through along its orbit. The rate of change is approximately 13.18° per day on average. A simple, but low precision method of calculating elongation is to take the age of the Moon in days past New Moon and multiply it times 13.18°. This will give the elongation east of the Sun. If the Moon is past Full Moon phase you can calculate the Moon's elongation west of the Sun by first subtracting the Moon's age from 29.53 days. Then multiply the result by 13.18° for the elongation west value. Again this is a quick but low precision result. The 29.53 days is the Moon's Synodic Period or the average time it takes to travel from New Moon to New Moon. This period is also a measurement taken with respect to the Sun. You can read more about synodic periods at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synodic_mon... . =================== But how can we have more than one Eid?" The answer: why not?! Instead of making mountains out of molehills, Muslims should try to resolve such issues with a little bit of common sense. If Ramadan ends on Wednesday for some people (i.e. Thursday Eid) and on Thursday for muqallids of Ayt. Khui (i.e. Friday Eid) and on Friday or Saturday for the muqallids of Ayt. Seestani in Europe (i.e. Saturday/Sunday Eid), surely there is nothing wrong in it. Each one interprets the 'Sighting of New Moon' according to the verdict of his religious authority and their interpretation of the verdict. This is a sign of a healthy & mature community which is prepared to think and lead rather than follow others without understanding. If the other members of your family are fasting on the day you are celebrating Eid, and you are not, just drink a glass of water in the morning – you don't have to eat a four-course meal in front of them! In regards to Eid prayers, most places have services to accommodate various situations, and even if your community doesn't, keep in mind that Eid prayers are not obligatory during the occultation of the Twelfth Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance) and can also be offered individually (Ayatollah Sistani: Islamic Laws, ruling #1525). Remember in Islam, the Day of Eid is a day of Ibadat and not merry making and Ibadat should be performed according to its religious rules and regulations and not as we think fit or for our own pleasure or as others do. In days long gone by, the same things used to happen, only we did not know because we as a community, we all mostly followed only one Marja and we lived in a small towns or villages - so we all used to celebrate Eid together, thinking that the whole world celebrated it with us. Today, with Ilm, education, outlook and our circumstances we re spread around the globe and so we find this phenomena a bit vied. Furthermore, even if we see the Arab community celebrating Eid on one day, the Pakistanis the next days, and as usual the mature Khoja community after them, what exactly is the big deal? In many parts of the Muslim world, people celebrate Eid for a whole week. The more, the merrier! I for one fail to see the problem with being able to dress up, visit friends and having delicious meals in the evening for three days instead of just one! Talking to Non-Muslims, whenever they ask me about Eid Day, I tell them that we celebrate Eid over 3 days - everyone at their convenience and this avoids many questions from them. Instead of panicking and rushing to hurl the vilest accusations at our religious scholars, and turning and twisting their research and presentations to suit our needs, let us try to be a bit more reasonable. Unity does not mean uniformity. Instead of becoming upset at such minor differences, let us learn to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of variety and diversity. Also, we must realize that even if we ignore all jurisprudential differences, we still would not be able to avoid the issue of multiple Eids. Indeed, we see that during the caliphate of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), a man once came and told him that he had sighted the crescent for the month of Shawwal, while no one else had. The Imam a.s. told him that since he has sighted the moon himself, it was Eid for him the next day, but for the rest of the community, since there were not two reliable testimonies (as required by Shariah), it would be the 30th of Ramadan. So while it was haram for the man to fast the next day, it was in fact wajib upon everyone else! Hence, for those who have proper knowledge and understanding of Islamic jurisprudence, this is really a non-issue. In all honesty, the moonsighting drama has nothing to do with unity or keeping our families intact. The Shia world has had multiple Eids for centuries now, so it is hard to fathom why this has become such a divisive issue. The fact of the matter is that this is a simple jurisprudential technicality which certain nefarious elements have hijacked and used to attack our Maraja-e-Taqleed, and many simple-minded Shias are sadly following suit. If we are really so concerned about maintaining unity, let us keep in mind that the one institution that has safeguarded and protected Shi'ism for the past 1200 years and the only platform that is capable of uniting us, is the same Marjaiyyat which we so quickly rush to accuse of causing disunity amongst us! On a final note, History tell us that in the 16th century, as Mongol armies were about to overrun Baghdad, the Muslim world was too busy fighting among itself over apparently a far more pertinent matter: whether it is permissible to consume owl meat or not! While they were busy discussing this issue, Baghdad was captured and run over. Today, as we face enemies and calamities from all sides, let us learn from our own history, let us cease from wasting so much time and energy complaining about such trivial matters, let us unite under the banner of the Marjaiyyat, and let us focus on the greater problems that threaten to overrun our communities and the Muslim Ummah today. Remember the famous statement of Ayt. Khomeini (r.a.) who used to say: "Muslim world is fighting whether to keep hands open or closed during prayers, forgetting that enemies are ever ready and waiting for the chance to chop those hands." http://www.islamicinsights.com/religion/religion/the-neverending-moonsighting-debate.html Article on completion of the Holy Month We leave the month of seeking nearness to Ar Rahmaan, the school of Imaan and an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries. In the previous nights, we prayed, offered charity and attended lectures. What will happen now? Have we fulfilled the requirements of Taqwa and graduated from this school with the diploma of the God Fearing? The night of Eid ul fitr is a majestic night. It is beneficial to keep awake for Ibadah as this night is of equal importance as the night of Qadr. Eid must not just mark the ‘end’ of Ramadhan. Rather, it should be a new beginning, where we emulate our character and Islamic values, which we have focused upon for the past 30 days. We are like a child out of the womb, pure and innocent. Eid is the day of victory as we have succeeded in subduing our desires and purified ourselves. Lets not wash away our good deeds and revert to our merry old ways. Let the masjid still overflow with worshippers, let the Quran be the most essential part of our lives instead of letting it gather dust on our shelves. Our condition should be better than before Ramadhan month. Eid is not just a ritual that provides us with an excuse to enjoy ourselves. It represents important values and participating in them, we seek to please the Almighty and attain nearness to Him. Eid al-Fitr is a great day of festival for Muslims. It is a day of rejoicing and being happy. But for whom? Is it the day of rejoicing for those who simply put on new clothes and wear perfume? Or is it the day of being happy for those who were eagerly waiting for the release of the greatest enemy of mankind, Satan, from his captivity so that they all revert to committing sins? Unfortunately, many Muslims abstain from sins during the month of Ramadhan, but come Eid, they go back to what they were before! Cassettes of prayers, which were in their cars during the holy month, are thrown back into their cases and replaced with those, which are unlawful, by Shari'ah. The forbidden places from which they had abstained for month long, are infact the same places they go to celebrate Eid. Just as, when a person goes to a college, or a university and at the completion of his course, he receives his award marking his achievement, we must understand that, the holy month of Ramadhan is a spiritual university where we are being trained to achieve Taqwa i.e. piety. The day of Eid al-Fitr is when Allah (SWT) is awarding us for our achievements. from academyofislam@gmail.com قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدًا لِأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا وَآيَةً مِنْكَ Qāla ‘Īsa-bnu maryama allāhumma rabbanā anzil ‘alayjnā mā’idatam-minas-samā’i takūnu lanā ‘īdan li-awwalinā wa-ākhirana wa-āyatam-minka Isa, son of Mary, said: O Allah, Lord of us! Send down for us a table spread with food from heaven, that it may be an Eid for us, for the first of us and for the last of us and as a sign from You. . Sūratul Mā’idah (No. 5), Āyat 114 The disciples of Nabi ‘Īsā (a) asked him to request Allah to send them food from heaven. Nabi ‘Īsa (a) questions them about the motives of their request, and when satisfied with their answers, he prays to Allah. He asks that Allah send down food from Heaven for them, so that it should be an Eid for them. His prayer is quoted in the above verse of the Holy Qur’an. The following questions can be asked after reading the verse: 1. Why does Nabi ‘Īsa say it would be an Eid for them if the food came from heaven? 2. What does the word Eid actually mean? 3. Is good food a condition for Eid? In Tafsīr-e Namune, Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi explains what Eid really means. The word Eid comes from a wada, meaning to return. For example, the day when a nation becomes free of its difficulties and returns to its original state of ease and comfort, it is a day of Eid for them. Nabi ‘Īsā (a) said it would be a day of Eid for them because the witnessing of food being sent from heaven would instill certainty and faith in the heart of the disciples. They would then return to the original fitrat of the human being, in which there is no doubt and skepticism. Eating good food is a manifestation of the happiness felt by the believer at his return to the state of original purity. The day of Eid thus has the following significances for the believer: 1) A return to purity: The original state of the soul of the human beings is pure and tranquil. In the world a lot of dirt and corruption changes it. When after a period of cleansing and purifying, it returns to its original state, the day becomes an Eid for the human being. Thus Eid-ul-Fitr is a return to original purity after the period of fasting and worship during the month of Ramadan. Imam Ali (a) says: Every day that you do not commit a sin in is a day of Eid for you. (MH, H. 14304) 2) A cause of happiness: The believer is happy that he has been able to fulfill the commands of Allah and is promised the reward of forgiveness and mercy. This gives great joy to his heart. The happiness is then manifested in good clothes, delicious foods, and meeting with fellow believers. Every believer rejoices on the day of Eid, for having being given the tawfīq and chance to worship and fast for Allah. The happiness is not because the month has ended. 3) An occasion for gratitude. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an about completing the month of fasting; . . . that you should complete the number and exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you, and that you may give thanks. (2:185): Believers are grateful for the strength given to them by Allah to have fasted and prayed during the holy month. As you prepare for Eid feel happy and grateful for the right reasons. Then it will truly be an Eid for you as ordained by Allah. Sources: Tafsīir-e Namune, Aytaullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzi (ed); Mīzānul Hikmah, Muhammadi Rayshahrī ================================ Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Sistani [HA] Question : What is the proof of sighting the moon? Answer : The evidence could be one or more of the following: 1. You have sighted it yourself. 2. The testimony of two men of impeccable character, provided that you do not have any knowledge of instances that they may be wrong, and that you do not dispute their testimony. 3. The lapse of thirty days on the month of Sha’ban, thus reaching certitude that Sha’ban has come to an end and that Ramadhan shall commence. 4. When the news of the birth of the moon of Ramadhan becomes commonplace that you are sure of the sighting. Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Sistani [HA] After investigating the crescent moon of Shawwal and according to the available data, sighting of the moon crescent is not possible tonight (Thursday) in the United Kingdom, Europe and Scandinavian countries except in the far south of Spain and the surrounding region. Therefore Eid al-Fitr al Mubarak will be on Saturday 10August 2013 We pray to the Lord Almighty to unite the word of Muslim and bring back this Eid with goodness and blessing He is All Hearing and [He] Answers Prayers. ========== ====================== Sun 7-Aug-13 3:41 AM 7:38 PM 4:11 AM 7:08 PM 4:39 AM 6:39 PM 5:04 AM 6:15 PM 71° 288° 13h 11m 18s − 1m 10s 11:40 AM 81.0° 94.271 8-Aug-13 3:42 AM 7:37 PM 4:11 AM 7:07 PM 4:40 AM 6:39 PM 5:04 AM 6:14 PM 72° 288° 13h 10m 07s − 1m 11s 11:40 AM 80.8° 94.256 9-Aug-13 3:42 AM 7:36 PM 4:12 AM 7:06 PM 4:41 AM 6:38 PM 5:05 AM 6:14 PM 72° 288° 13h 08m 55s − 1m 12s 11:39 AM 80.5° 94.241 7-Aug-13 5:21 AM 6:22 PM 78° 280° 11:54 AM 73.9° 248,488 0.40% New Moon at 12:51 AM Moon 8-Aug-13 6:14 AM 6:59 PM 82° 275° 12:38 PM 69.9° 246,683 2.30% 9-Aug-13 7:07 AM 7:35 PM 87° 271° 1:23 PM 65.6° 244,646 6.30% So in Doha, Eid will be on Fri, 9th Aug., 2013. hances of moon-sighting on Thursday extremely high: Met Department By Web DeskPublished: August 6, 2013 Share this articlePrint this page Email If Eid falls on August 9, it would make Ramazan a 29-day month.PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE The Pakistan Meteorological Department has said that chances of sighting the moon on Thursday night were extremely high in both Sindh and Balochistan, Express News reported. According to the Met department, chances of Eidul Fitr taking place on Friday, August 9, were a 100 percent. The Met department said that the moon would be clearly sighted in interior areas of Sindh including Hyderabad and Karachi. Chances of sighting the moon in Punjab on August 8 were 50 percent, the department said. Pakistan will celebrate Eidul Fitr on August 9 if the moon is sighted on August 8. The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will formally convene on August 8 for the sighting of the Eid-ul-Fitr moon. =================== The Astronomical New Moon was on August 6, 2013 (Tuesday) at 21:51 UT. This moon is not visible anywhere on August 6. On August 7, it may be visible by naked eye in South America and Polynesian Islands. On August 7, with optical aids, it is possible to see in South Africa, and in Guyana South America. On August 7, with telescope, it is even possible to see in San Diego area. On August 8, it is visible everywhere except Northern Asia and Europe. 1st Day of Shawwal in Different Countries Wednesday, 7 August 2013: 1.India (Only Hijri Committee of India - Calicut/Kozhikode, in Kerala - Birth of moon) 2.Indonesia (South Sulawesi (Celebes) of Indonesia, a considerably large community) 3.Niger (Local Erroneous Sighting) Thursday, 8 August 2013: 1.Algeria (Calculations) 2.Bosnia and Hercegovina (Follow Turkey) 3.Canada (FCNA/ISNA - Fiqh Council of North America/Islamic Society of North America) 4.China (Following MeccaCalendar.org) 5.Cosovo (Follow Turkey) 6.Croatia (Follow Turkey) 7.Egypt - Moon Born before sunset & moon sets at least 5 minutes after sunset 8.France (CFCM - Conseil Français du Culte Musulman) Altitude > 5°, elongation > 8° [www.lecfcm.fr/?p=3314] 9.Indonesia (Some groups follow calculations) Age > 8 hours, altitude > 2°, elongation > 3° 10.Ireland (ECFR - European Council for Fatwa and Research, Dublin, Ireland: Altitude > 5°, elongation > 8° somehwre on the globe) 11.Lebanon (Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah's Announcement) 12.Luxembourg (ECFR - European Council for Fatwa and Research, Dublin, Ireland: Altitude > 5°, elongation > 8° somehwre on the globe) 13.Macedonia (Follow Turkey) 14.Malaysia (Some follow Calculation - Elongation > 3° or Alt. > 2° or Age > 8 hours) 15.Montenegro (Follow Turkey) 16.Russia (Follow Turkey) 17.Serbia (Follow Turkey) 18.Slovenia (Follow Turkey) 19.Sri Lanka (Some follow erroneos sighting) 20.Tunisia (Criteria of age, or altitude, or sunset-moonset lag) 21.Turkey (Calculations) 22.USA - Fiqh Council of North America/Islamic Society of North America. The criteria are Moon must be born before Sunset in Makkah, and moonset after sunset in Makkah. These criteria are not applicable for Eid-al-Adha, for which it is relied on Saudi Announcement of Hajj. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, 9 August 2013: 1.Australia (Local Sighting) 2.Indonesia (Some follow 30 days completion) 3.Malaysia (Some follow 30 days completion) 4.Sri Lanka (Some follow 30 days completion) ==================================================================== Wednesday, 7 August 2013: •Australia: 1.Not Seen: Abbas Aly (MCW member) from Annangrove NSW reported No moon sighted in Sydney; furthermore heavy cloud and rain. No sighting has been reported from other areas as yet. Observatory information can be found on http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/category/astronomy/information/ No moon sighting in NSW, VIC, and QLD either. 2.Not Seen: Engr Manzoor A Mian (MCW member) from Melbourne, VIC reported: Hilal is not sighted in Perth and anywhere in Australia, Eid will be on Friday the 9th of August 2013. Wassalam 3.Not Seen: Dr. Shabbir Ahmed (MCW member) Imam of Rooty Hill Mosque Sydney, NSW reported: On Wednesday, 7th August 2013, the Hilal of SHAWWAAL 1434 has not been sighted anywhere with in Australia. Therefore, the Hilal Committee and Majlisul Ulama' of Australia have declared that the month of SHAWWAAL will commence as of Friday, 9th August 2013. •Brunei: 1.Not Seen: Dr. Mohammed Hussain Ahmad (MCW member) from Brunei Darussalam reported: The new moon was not sighted from Brunei (4° 55' North and 114° 55' East) on the evening of Wednesday, 07 August 2013. This was officially announced through the National TV and Radio stations. Therefore, tomorrow, Thursday, 08 August 2013 is the completion of 30 days for the month of Ramadan in Brunei. Hence, 1st of Shawwal 1434 will commence on Friday, 09 August 2013. •India: 1.Seen: In Kappad, Kerala, India, they officially announced as moon is sighted and hilal committees and qazis declared Eid as Thursday in Kerala. [Moonsighting.com thinks these are erroneous sightings] 2.Not Seen: M. Siddik Nadvi (MCW member) from Ahmedabad, Gujrat reported: Today Monday 7th August, 2013 = 28 Ramdan. 1434, we tried to see the crescent of Shawal 1434 Hijri at our Institute JAMIA KANZUL ULOOM at 7.30 pm up to 7.55 pm horizon was clear but the crescent was not seen and there is no positive reporting from all over India. 3.Not Seen: Abdurrahman R. Shaikh (MCW member) from Patan, Gujrat reported: Today, 7 Aug, 2013, here 28 Ramadan, I tried to see the moon in our Islami institute Madrasa Kanze Marghoob, Patan around 7:30 to 7:45, but could not see the moon. The sky is also clear. •Indonesia: 1.Not Seen: Ahmad I. Adjie (MCW member) from Bandung reported: Hilal was NOT SEEN from the northern hills of Bandung today, 7 August 2013, as reported also by Indonesian Crescent observation organization RHI. Regardless of negative sighting, the government has decided by way if Ithbat Court to accept a handful of positive sightings from across Indonesia, mostly said to be by naked eye, although some are using image-processed from optical aid photographs of the sky, showing a hint of the moon-disc with very slight crescent to one side. [Moonsighting.com thinks these are either false witnesses or CCD imaging that has not been accepted by Ulamaa' yet] For those who follow dating by moonsighting in Indonesia, today Maghrib was 29 Ramadhan so we will be setting 1st Shawwal to be Friday, 9th August 2013. Ied Mubarak! •Malaysia: 1.Not Seen: Kamri Paee (MCW member) from Kota Kinabalu Sabah reported: On wednesday August 07, 2013 , Me myself and 3 of my colleaque try to look for the crescent at observation point Kota Kinabalu sabah, Malaysia. The moon cannot be seen due to thick clouds..As usual and official anouncement from our Local authority body Eid will fall on 8th august 2013 ) 1st Shawal 1434. 2.Not Seen: Mohamad Zafir Nadzri (MCW member) from Telok Kemang reported: Reporting from BaitulHilal, Teluk Kemang, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia (02:26:43.0 N , 101:51:16.0 E). The skies are too cloudy, very hard to see crescent visibility. We together do a observation with In a presence of The Eminence YAM TUNKU BESAR SERI MENANTI.; in a presence of Negeri Sembilan's Mufti; and many officials officer, and public. Government Of Malaysia, using "Imkanurrukyah"; (moon age > 8hours OR altitude > 2°, elongation > 3°). So, tomorrow, Thursday 8 August is a first Syawal. •Saudi Arabia: 1.Seen: Mrs. Lubna Shawly (MCW member) from Jiddah reported: Saudi Arabia has declared in its courts that the new moon was seen by many citizens in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the 1st day of Shawwal (Eid)1434 Hijrah, will be corresponding to Thursday the 8th of August 2013. [Moonsighting.com thinks these are erroneous sightings] 2.Seen: Muhammad H Zulqarnain (MCW member) from Riyadh reported: Saudi Arabia announces sighting of Shawwal moon and Eid tomorrow, Thursday. •South Africa: 1.Not Seen: Shakil Vayani (MCW member) from Witbank reported: At 6.15pm 7th August 2013, in Witbank, South Africa, the Moon has NOT been sighted. •Sri Lanka: 1.Not Seen: Mr. Mohamed Shakir (MCW member) from Galle reported: We tried to see the Crescent of Shawwal. The crescent was not seen by us, but According to Sri Lanka Thouheedh Jamaath (SLTJ) the Cresent was seen in Kinniya and Puttalam and they have declared the Eid tomorrow. [Moonsighting.com thinks these are erroneous sightings] 2.Not Seen: Haji Muhammad Suhail Omar Patel reported: On Wednesday, 7th August 2013, the Hilal of SHAWWAAL 1434 has not been sighted anywhere with in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the Hilal Committee and Memon Hilal Committee have declared that the month of SHAWWAAL will commence as of Friday, 9th August 2013. ====================================================== The Sermon on the `«d al-Fi§r Day PDF This sermon (khutbah) is delivered by the imam (leader) of the Congregational `Eid Prayer. In his book of man-la-yahzuruhul-faqih, Shaykh al-Saduq has reported the following sermon from Imam `Ali Amir al-Mu'minin, peace be upon him: Transliteration font | Najaf Arabic font اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَٱلارْضَ alhamdu lillahi alladhi khalaqa alssamawati wal-ar¤a All praise is due to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth وَجَعَلَ ٱلظُّلُمَاتِ وَٱلنُّورَ wa ja`ala al¨¨ulumati walnn£ra and made the darkness and the light; ثُمَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٱ بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ thumma alladhina kafar£ birabbihim ya`dil£na yet, those who disbelieve set up equals with their Lord. لاَ نُشْرِكُ بِٱللَّهِ شَيْئاً la nushriku billahi shay'an We set up n0 partner with Allah وَلاَ نَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِهِ وَلِيّاً wa la nattakhidhu min d£nihi waliyyan nor do we betake ourselves any guardian save Him. وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ walhamdu lillahi alladhi lah£ ma fi alssamawati All praise is due to Allah Whose is what is in the heavens وَمَا فِي ٱلارْضِ wa ma fi al-ar¤i and what is in the earth. وَلَهُ ٱلْحَمْدُ فِي ٱلآخِرَةِ wa lah£ alhamdu fi al-akhirati To Him is due all praise in the hereafter; وَهُوَ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ wa huwa alhakimu alkhabiru and He is the Wise, the Aware. يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي ٱلارْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا ya`lamu ma yaliju fi al-ar¤i wa ma yakhruju minha He knows that which goes down into the earth and that which comes out of it, وَمَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا wa ma yanzilu min alssama'i wa ma ya`ruju fiha and that which comes down from the heaven and that which goes up to it; وَهُوَ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٱلْغَفُورُ wa huwa alrrahimu alghaf£ru and He is the Merciful, the Forgiving. كَذٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ لاَ إِلٰهَ إَِلاَّ هُوَ kadhalika allahu la ilaha illa huwa Thus is Allah; there is no god save Him. إِلَيْهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ilayhi alma¥iru To Him is the eventual coming. وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي يُمْسِكُ ٱلسَّمَاءَ walhamdu lillahi alladhi yumsiku alssama'a All praise is due to Allah Who withholds the heaven انْ تَقَعَ عَلَىٰ ٱلارْضِ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ an taqa`a `ala al-ar¤i illa bi'dhnihi from falling on the earth except with His permission. إِنَّ اللّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَؤُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ inna allaha bilnnasi lara'£fun rahimun Most surely, Allah is Compassionate, Merciful to men. اَللَّهُمَّ ٱرْحَمْنَا بِرَحْتَمِكَ allahumma irhamna birahmatika O Allah, (please) have mercy upon us through Your mercy وَاعْمُمْنَا بِمَغْفِرَتِكَ wa`mumna bimaghfiratika and cover us totally with Your forgiveness. إِنَّكَ انْتَ ٱلْعَلِيُّ ٱلْكَبِيرُ innaka anta al`aliyyu alkabiru Most surely, You are the All-high, the All-great. وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي لاَ مَقْنُوطٌ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ walhamdu lillahi alladhi la maqn£§un min rahmatihi All praise be to Allah; there is no despair of His mercy, وَلاَ مَخْلُوٌّ مِنْ نِعْمَتِهِ wa la makhluwwunmin ni`matihi there is no existence without His bounties, وَلاَ مُؤْيِسٌ مِنْ رَوْحِهِ wa la mu'iyasun min rawhihi there is no despondency from His endowment with rest, وَلاَ مُسْتَنْكَفٌ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ wa la mustankafun `an `ibadatihi and there is none to disdain serving Him. بِكَلِمَتِهِ قَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتُ ٱلسَّبْعُ bikalimatihi qamat alssamawatu alssab`u By His Word, the Seven Skies rose, وَٱسْتَقَرَّتِ ٱلارْضُ ٱلْمِهَادُ wastaqarrt al-ar¤u almihadu the plain lands settled, وَثَبَتَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ ٱلرَّوَاسِي wa thabatat aljibalu alrrawasi the firm mountains became steady, وَجَرَتِ ٱلرِّيَاحُ ٱللَّوَاقِحُ wa jarat alrriyahu allawaqihu the fertilizing winds blew, وَسَارَ فِي جَوِّ ٱلسَّمَاءِ ٱلسَّحَابُ wa sara fi jawwi alssama'i alssahabu the clouds moved in the atmosphere of the heavens, وَقَامَتْ عَلَىٰ حُدُودِهَا ٱلْبِحَارُ wa qamat `ala hud£diha albiharu and the oceans were established on their boundaries. وَهُوَ إِلٰهٌ لَهَا وَقَاهِرٌ wa huwa ilahun laha wa qahirun He is the god of all these and He is All-prevalent. يَذِلُّ لَهُ ٱلْمُتَعَزِّزُونَ yadhillu lah£ almuta`azziz£na Those claiming mightiness humiliate themselves before Him. وَيَتَضَاءَلُ لَهُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ wa yata¤a'alu lah£ almutakabbir£na Those claiming pride diminish themselves before Him. وَيَدِينُ لَهُ طَوْعاً وَكَرْهاً ٱلْعَالَمُونَ wa yadinu lah£ §aw`an wa karhan al`alam£na All the worlds are subservient to him willingly and unwillingly. نَحْمَدُهُ كَمَا حَمِدَ نَفْسَهُ nahmaduh£ kama hamida nafsah£ We praise Him just as He has praised Himself وَكَمَا هُوَ اهْلُهُ wa kama huwa ahluh£ and in the quantity of praise that He deserves. وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَسْتَهْدِيهِ wa nasta`inuh£ wa nastaghfiruh£ wa nastahdihi We seek His help, forgiveness, and guidance; وَنَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ ٱللَّهُ wa nashhadu an la ilaha illa allahu and we bear witness that there is no god save Allah; وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ wahdah£ la sharika lah£ One and Only and having no partner. يَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفِي ٱلنُّفُوسُ ya`lamu ma tukhfi alnnuf£su He knows whatever is hidden by inner selves وَمَا تُجِنُّ ٱلبِّحَارُ wa ma tujinnu albiharu and whatever is concealed under oceans. وَمَا تَوَارِي مِنْهُ ظُلْمَةٌ wa ma tuwari minhu ¨ulmatun No darkness can screen against Him. وَلاَ تَغِيبُ عَنْهُ غَائِبَةٌ wa la taghibu `anhu gha'ibatun No unseen thing can hide itself against Him. وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ wa ma tasqu§u min waraqatin min shajaratin There falls not a leaf وَلاَ حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلْمَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعْلَمُهَا wa la habbatin fi ¨ulmatin illa ya`lamuha nor a grain in the darkness but He knows it; لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ la ilaha illa huwa there is no god save Him, وَلاَ رَطْبٍ وَلاَ يَابِسٍ wa la ra§bin wa la yabisin nor anything green nor dry إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ illa fi kitabin mubinin but it is all in a clear book. وَيَعْلَمُ مَا يَعْمَلُ ٱلْعَامِلُونَ wa ya`lamu ma ya`malu al`amil£na He knows what the doers do, وَايَّ مَجْرَىً يَجْرُونَ wa ayya majran yajr£na which course they are taking, وَإِلَىٰ ايِّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ wa ila ayyi munqalabin yanqalib£na and to which direction they are turning. وَنَسْتَهْدِي ٱللَّهَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ wa nastahdi allaha bilhuda We seek from Allah the true guidance. وَنَشْهَدُ انَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَنَبِيُّهُ wa nashhadu anna muhammadan `abduh£ wa nabiyyuh£ We also bear witness that Muhammad is His servant, prophet, وَرَسُولُهُ إِلَىٰ خَلْقِهِ wa ras£luh£ ila khalqihi messenger to His creatures, وَامِينُهُ عَلَىٰ وَحْيِهِ wa aminuh£ `ala wahyihi and trustee on His revelations; وَانَّهُ قَدْ بَلَّغَ رِسَالاَتِ رَبِّهِ wa annah£ qad ballagha risalati rabbihi and that he has conveyed perfectly the messages of his Lord, وَجَاهَدَ فِي ٱللَّهِ ٱلْحَائِدِينَ عَنْهُ wa jahada fi allahi alha'idina `anhu striven for the sake of Allah against those who swerved from Him ٱلْعَادِلِينَ بِهِ al`adilina bihi and those who set up equals with him; وَعَبَدَ ٱللَّهَ حَتَّىٰ اتَاهُ ٱلْيَقِينُ wa `abada allaha hatta atahu alyaqinu and that he served Allah until death came upon him. صَلَّىٰ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ¥alla allahu `alayhi wa alihi wa sallama May Allah send peace and blessings upon him and upon his Household. اوصِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَىٰ ٱللَّهِ £¥ikum bitaqwa allahi I advise you (all) to be pious to Allah ٱلَّذِي لاَ تَبْرَحُ مِنْهُ نِعْمَةٌ alladhi la tabrahu minhu ni`matun Whose bounties never cease, وَلاَ تَنْفَدُ مِنْهُ رَحْمَةٌ wa la tanfadu minhu rahmatun Whose mercy never runs out, وَلاَ يَسْتَغْنِي ٱلْعِبَادُ عَنْهُ wa la yastaghni al`ibadu `anhu with Whom the servants can never dispense, وَلاَ يَجْزِي انْعُمَهُ ٱلاعْمَالُ wa la yajzi an`umah£ al-a`malu and Whose favors can never be recompensed by any deed. ٱلَّذِي رَغَّبَ فِي ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ alladhi raghghaba fi alttaqwa It is He Who has prompted piety, وَزَهَّدَ فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا wa zahhada fi alddunya egged on abstinence from worldly pleasures, وَحَذَّرَ ٱلْمَعَاصِي wa hadhdhara alma`a¥iya warned against acts of disobedience (to Him), وَتَعَزَّزَ بِٱلْبَقَاءِ wa ta`azzaza bilbaqa'i brought almightiness to Himself through eternal existence, وَذَلَّلَ خَلْقَهُ بِٱلْمَوْتِ وَٱلْفَنَاءِ wa dhallala khalqah£ bilmawti walfana'i and humiliated His creatures by death and extinction. وَٱلْمَوْتُ غَايَةُ ٱلْمَخْلُوقِينَ walmawtu ghayatu almakhl£qina Death is thus the end of all created beings, وَسَبِيلُ ٱلْعَالَمِينَ wa sabilu al`alamina the course taken by all the worlds, وَمَعْقُودٌ بِنَوَاصِي ٱلْبَاقِينَ wa ma`q£dun binawa¥i albaqina and it is marked on the foreheads of all the living ones. لاَ يُعْجِزُهُ إِبَاقُ ٱلْهَارِبِينَ la yu`jizuh£ ibaqu alharibina It cannot be defeated by the running away of the fugitive. وَعِنْدَ حُلُولِهِ يَاسِرُ اهْلَ ٱلْهَوَىٰ wa `inda hul£lihi ya'siru ahla alhawa When it befalls, it captures the people of lustful desires, يَهْدِمُ كُلَّ لَذَّةٍ yahdimu kulla ladhdhatin demolishes all pleasures, وَيُزِيلُ كُلَّ نِعْمَةٍ wa yuzilu kulla ni`matin moves away all bounties, وَيَقْطَعُ كُلَّ بَهْجَةٍ wa yaq§a`u kulla bahjatin and cuts off all delights. وَٱلدُّنْيَا دَارٌ كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَهَا ٱلْفَنَاءَ walddunya darun kataba allahu laha alfana'a This world is an abode upon which Allah has decided extinction وَلاهْلِهَا مِنْهَا ٱلْجَلاَءَ wa li'ahliha minha aljala'a and upon whose inhabitants He has decided banishment. فَاكْثَرُهُمْ يَنْوِي بَقَاءَهَا fa'aktharuhum yanwi baqa'aha Nevertheless, most of them intend to survive forever وَيُعَظِّمُ بَنَاءَهَا wa yu`a¨¨imu bina'aha and to consolidate its construction. وَهِيَ حُلْوَةٌ خَضِرَةٌ wa hiya hulwatun kha¤iratun It is yet sweet and fresh. قَدْ عُجِّلَتْ لِلطَّالِبِ qad `ujjilat lil§§alibi It has been speeded up for that who desires for it وَٱلْتَبَسَتْ بِقَلْبِ ٱلنَّاظِرِ waltabasat biqalbi alnna¨iri and it has confused the heart of him who looks on it. وَيُضْنِي ذُو ٱلثَّرْوَةِ ٱلضَّعِيفَ wa yu¤n£ dh£ alththarwati al¤¤a`ifa In it, the wealthy are tiring up the weak وَيَحْتَوِيهَا ٱلْخَائِفُ ٱلْوَجِلُ wa yahtawiha alkha'ifu alwajilu and the afraid and fearful are trying to include it wholly. فَٱرْتَحِلُوٱ مِنْهَا يَرْحَمْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ fartahil£ minha yarhamukumu allahu So, try to leave it—may Allah have mercy upon you— بِاحْسَنِ مَا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ bi'ahsani ma biha¤ratikum carrying the best of what is with you. وَلاَ تَطْلُبُوٱ مِنْهَا اكْثَرَ مِنَ ٱلْقَلِيلِ wa la ta§lub£ minha akthara min alqalili Do not seek more than the little of it. وَلاَ تَسْالُوٱ مِنْهَا فَوْقَ ٱلْكَفَافِ wa la tas'al£ minha fawqa alkafafi Do not ask it for more than sufficiency. وَٱرْضَوْٱ مِنْهَا بِٱلْيَسِيرِ war¤aw minha bilyasiri Satisfy yourself with the little amount of it. وَلاَ تُمُدُّنَّ اعْيُنَكُمْ مِنْهَا إِلَىٰ مَا مُتِّعَ ٱلْمُتْرَفُونَ بِهِ wa la tamuddunna a`yunakum minha ila ma mutti`a almutraf£na bihi Do not strain your eyes after that through which the luxurious have been given enjoyment. وَٱسْتَهِينُوٱ بِهَا wastahin£ biha Rather, belittle it, وَلاَ تُوَطِّنُوهَا wa la tuwa§§in£ha do not stick to it, وَاضِرُّوٱ بِانْفُسِكُمْ فِيهَا wa a¤irr£ bi'anfusikum fiha and be vigilant against it. وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَٱلتَّنَعُّمَ وَٱلتَّلَهِّيَ وَٱلْفَاكِهَاتِ wa iyyakum walttana``uma walttalahhiya walfakihati Beware of throwing yourselves into enjoyment, diversion, and joking, فَإِنَّ فِي ذٰلِكَ غَفْلَةً وَٱغْتِرَاراً fa'inna fi dhalika ghaflatan waghtiraran because these things lead to inattention and deception. الاَ إِنَّ ٱلدُّنْيَا قَدْ تَنَكَّرَتْ ala inna alddunya qad tanakkarat Verily, the world has been confusing, وَادْبَرَتْ وَٱحْلَوْلَتْ wa adbarat wahlawlat has turned away, expired, وَآذَنَتْ بِوَدَاعٍ wa adhanat biwada`in and bid farewell. الاَ وَإِنَّ ٱلآخِرَةَ قَدْ رَحَلَتْ ala wa inna al-akhirata qad rahalat While the Hereafter has been imminent, فَاقْبَلَتْ وَاشْرَفَتْ fa'aqbalat wa ashrafat has approached, overlooked, وَآذَنَتْ بِٱطِّلاَعٍ wa adhanat bi§§ila`in and declared arrival. الاَ وَإِنَّ ٱلْمِضْمَارَ ٱلْيَوْمَ ala wa inna almi¤mara alyawma Verily, the racetrack is this day وَٱلسِّبَاقَ غَداً walssibaqa ghadan and the race will be tomorrow. الاَ وَإِنَّ ٱلسُّبْقَةَ ٱلْجَنَّةُ ala wa inna alssubqata aljannatu Verily, the prize of the winner will be Paradise وَٱلْغَايَةَ ٱلنَّارُ walghayata alnnaru while the losers’ will be Hellfire. الاَ افَلاَ تَائِبٌ مِنْ خَطِيئَتِهِ قَبْلَ يَوْمِ مَنِيَّتِهِ؟ ala afala ta'ibun min kha§i'atihi qabla yawmi maniyyatihi Is there now any one to repent from his sins before the day of his death? الاَ عَامِلٌ لِنَفْسِهِ قَبْلَ يَوْمِ بُؤْسِهِ وَفَقْرِهِ؟ ala `amilun linafsihi qabla yawmi bu'sihi wa faqrihi Is there now any one to work for himself before the day of misery and neediness? جَعَلَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَإِيَّاكُمْ مِمَّنْ يَخَافُهُ وَيَرْجُو ثَوَابَهُ ja`alana allahu wa iyyakum mimman yakhafuh£ wa yarj£ thawabah£ May Allah include you and us with those who fear Him and hope for His reward. الاَ إِنَّ هٰذَا ٱلْيَوْمَ يَوْمٌ جَعَلَهُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ عِيداً ala inna hadha alyawma yawmun ja`alah£ allahu lakum `idan Behold! This day has been made feast for you by Allah وَجَعَلَكُمْ لَهُ اهْلاً wa ja`alakum lah£ ahlan Who has also made you celebrate it. فَٱذْكُرُوٱ ٱللَّهَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ fadhkur£ allaha yadhkurkum So, remember Allah, He will remember you; وَٱدْعُوهُ يَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ wad`£hu yastajib lakum and pray Him, He will respond to you. وَادُّوٱ فِطْرَتَكُمْ فَإِنَّهَا سُنَّةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ wa add£ fi§ratakum fa'innaha sunnatu nabiyyikum Defray your fast breaking poor-rate, for this is the tradition of Your Prophet وَفَرِيضَةٌ وَاجِبَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ wa fari¤atun wajibatun min rabbikum and it is a duty made obligatory by your Lord. فَلْيُؤَدِّهَا كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِنْكُمْ falyu'addiha kullu imri'in minkum Each and every individual must thus defray it عَنْهُ وَعَنْ عِيَالِهِ كُلِّهِمْ `an nafsihi wa `an `iyalihi kullihim on behalf of himself and all of his dependants; ذَكَرِهِمْ وَانْثَاهُمْ dhakarihim wa unthahum male and female, وَصَغِيرِهِمْ وَكَبِيرِهِمْ wa ¥aghirihim wa kabirihim little and old, وَحُرِّهِمْ وَمَمْلُوكِهِمْ wa hurrihim wa maml£kihim and free and slave. عَنْ كُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ مِنْهُمْ صَاعاً مِنْ بُرٍّ `an kulli insanin minhum ¥a`an min burrin For each individual, a ¥a` (a measure) of wheat, اوْ صَاعاً مِنْ تَمْرٍ aw ¥a`an min tamrin a ¥a` of dates, اوْ صَاعاً مِنْ شَعِيرٍ aw ¥a`an min sha`irin or a ¥a` of barley should be defrayed. وَاطِيعُوا ٱللَّهَ فِي مَا فَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ wa a§i`£ allaha fima fara¤a `alaykum Obey Allah in what He has deemed obligatory upon you وَامَرَكُمْ بِهِ مِنْ إِقَامِ ٱلصَّلاَةِ wa amarakum bihi min iqami al¥¥alati and ordered you to do, such as performing of the prayers, وَإِيتَاءِ ٱلزَّكَاةِ wa ita'i alzzakati defrayment of the poor-rate, وَحِجِّ ٱلْبَيْتِ wa hijji albayti going on pilgrimage to the (Holy) House, وَصَوْمِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ wa ¥awmi shahri rama¤ana observance of fasting in the month of Rama¤an, وَٱلامْرِ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ wal-amri bilma`r£fi enjoining the right, وَٱلنَّهْيِ عَنِ ٱلْمُنْكَرِ walnnahyi `an almunkari forbidding the wrong, وَٱلإِحْسَانِ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ ايْمَانُكُمْ wal-ihsani ila nisa'ikum wa ma malakat aymanukum and acting nicely towards your women and those possessed by your right hands (i.e. servants). وَاطِيعُوا ٱللَّهَ فِي مَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ wa a§i`£ allaha fima nahakum `anhu Obey Allah with regard to what He has prohibited you to do, مِنْ قَذْفِ ٱلْمُحْصَنَةِ min qadhfi almuh¥anati such as accusing a free woman falsely, وَإِتْيَانِ ٱلْفَاحِشَةِ wa ityani alfahishati committing acts of indecency, وَشُرْبِ ٱلْخَمْرِ wa shurbi alkhamri drinking intoxicants, وَبَخْسِ ٱلْمِكْيَالِ wa bakhsi almikyali diminishing the measures, وَنَقْصِ ٱلْمِيزَانِ wa naq¥i almizani giving short weights in scales, وَشَهَادَةِ ٱلزُّورِ wa shahadati alzz£ri swearing falsely, وَٱلْفَرَارِ مِنَ ٱلزَّحْفِ walfirari min alzzahfi and absconding from battles. عَصَمَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَإِيَّاكُمْ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰ `a¥amana allahu wa iyyakum bilttaqwa May Allah safeguard you and us through piety وَجَعَلَ ٱلآخِرَةَ خَيْراً لَنَا وَلَكُمْ مِنَ ٱلاولَىٰ wa ja`ala al-akhirata khayran lana wa lakum min al-£la and may He decide the Hereafter to be better for you and us than the worldly life. إِنَّ احْسَنَ ٱلْحَدِيثِ inn ahsana alhadithi Certainly, the most excellent discourse وَابْلَغَ مَوْعِظَةِ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ wa ablagha maw`i¨ati almuttaqina and the most eloquent preachment for the pious كِتَابُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ kitabu allahi al`azizi alhakimi is the Book of Allah the Almighty and All-wise. اعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَانِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ a`£dhu billahi min alshshay§ani alrrajimi I seek protection of Allah against Satan the accursed. «بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ bismi allahi alrrahmani alrrahimi “In the Name of Allah; the All-beneficent, the All-merciful. قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ احَدٌ. qul huwa allahu ahadun Say: He, Allah, is One. ٱللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ. allahu al¥¥amadu Allah is He on Whom all depend. لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ. lam yalid wa lam y£lad He begets not, nor is He begotten. وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً احَدٌ.» wa lam yakun lah£ kufuwan ahadun And none is like Him.” Upon accomplishment, the deliverer of the sermon may sit down for a while and then stand up for delivering the second sermon, which Imam `Ali Amir al-Mu'minin (`a) used to deliver on Fridays immediately after the position of sitting that he made after delivering the first sermon. This sermon is as follows: اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ alhamdu lillahi All praise be to Allah. نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ nahmaduh£ wa nasta`inuh£ We praise Him, seek His help, وَنُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ wa nu'minu bihi wa natawakkalu `alayhi believe in Him, and put our trust in Him. وَنَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ wa nashhadu an la ilaha illa allahu We also bear witness that there is no god save Allah; وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ wahdah£ la sharika lah£ One and Only and having no partner, وَانَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ wa anna muhammadan `abduh£ wa ras£luh£ and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. صَلَوَاتُ ٱللَّهِ وَسَلاَمُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ ¥alawatu allahi wa salamuh£ `alayhi wa alihi Allah’s blessings and benedictions be upon him and his Household. وَمَغْفِرَتُهُ وَرِضْوَانُهُ wa maghfiratuh£ wa ri¤wanuh£ So be His forgiveness and pleasure. اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ allahumma ¥alli `ala muhammadin O Allah, (please) bless Muhammad عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ وَنَبِيِّكَ `abdika wa ras£lika wa nabiyyika Your servant, messenger, and prophet, صَلاَةً تَامَّةً نَامِيَةً زَاكِيَةً ¥alatan namiyatan zakiyatan with blessings that are perfect, ever-increasing, and ever-growing, تَرْفَعُ بِهَا دَرَجَتَهُ tarfa`u biha darajatah£ due to which You raise his rank وَتُبَيِّنُ بِهَا فَضِيلَتَهُ wa tubayyinu biha fa¤lah£ and make known His excellence. وَصَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ wa ¥alli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin And (please) send blessings to Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad وَبَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ wa barik `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin and send benedictions to Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ وَبَارَكْتَ وَتَرَحَّمْتَ kama ¥allayta wa barakta wa tarahhamta just as You sent blessings, benedictions, and mercy عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ `ala ibrahima wa ali ibrahima to Abraham and the household of Abraham. إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ innaka hamidun majidun You are verily worthy of all praise and full of all glory. اَللَّهُمَّ عَذِّبْ كَفَرَةَ اهْلِ ٱلْكِتَابِ allahumma `adhdhib kafarata ahli alkitabi O Allah, chastise the infidels from among the Scripturists ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِكَ alladhina ya¥udd£na `an sabilika who hinder people from Your way, وَيَجْحَدُونَ آيَاتِكَ wa yajhad£na ayatika deny Your signs, وَيُكَذِّبُونَ رُسُلَكَ wa yukadhdhib£na rusulaka and belie Your Messengers. اَللَّهُمَّ خَالِفْ بَيْنَ كَلِمَتِهِمْ allahumma khalif bayna kalimatihim O Allah, bring into discord their words, وَالْقِ ٱلرُّعْبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ wa alqi alrru`ba fi qul£bihim cast horror in their hearts, وَانْزِلْ عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزَكَ wa anzil `alayhim rijzaka and send down upon them Your pestilence, وَنَقِمَتَكَ وَبَاسَكَ wa naqimataka wa ba'saka punishment, and wrath ٱلَّذِي لاَ تَرُدُّهُ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ alladhi la tarudduh£ `an alqawmi almujrimina that is not averted from the guilty people. اَللَّهُمَّ ٱنْصُرْ جُيُوشَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ allahumma un¥ur juy£sha almuslimina O Allah, give victory to the armies, وَسَرَايَاهُمْ وَمُرَابِطِيهِمْ wa sarayahum wa murabi§ihim brigades, and troops of Muslims فِي مَشَارِقِ ٱلارْضِ وَمَغَارِبِهَا fi mashariqi al-ar¤i wa magharibiha in the east and west sides of the earth. إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ innaka `ala kulli shay'in qadirun Verily, You have power over all things. اَللَّهُمَّ ٱغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ allahumma ighfir lilmu'minina walmu'minati O Allah, (please) forgive the believing men and women وَٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَٱلْمُسْلِمَاتِ walmuslimina walmuslimati and the Muslim men and women. اَللَّهُمَّ ٱجْعَلِ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ زَادَهُمْ allahumma ij`al alttaqwa zadahum O Allah, (please) cause piety to be their provisions, وَٱلإِيِـمَانَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ wal-imana walhikmata fi qul£bihim fix faith and wisdom in their hearts, وَاوْزِعْهُمْ انْ يَشْكُرُوٱ نِعْمَتَكَ wa awzi`hum an yashkur£ ni`mataka and arouse them to be thankful for Your bliss ٱلَّتِي انْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ allati an`amta `alayhim that You have bestowed upon them وَانْ يُوفُوٱ بِعَهْدِكَ wa an y£f£ bi`ahdika and to fulfill their covenant ٱلَّذِي عَاهَدْتَهُمْ عَلَيْهِ alladhi `ahadtahum `alayhi that they have made with You. إِلٰهَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَخَالِقَ ٱلْخَلْقِ ilaha alhaqqi wa khaliqa alkhalqi O God of the truth and Creator of all creatures! اَللَّهُمَّ ٱغْفِرْ لِمَنْ تُوُفِّيَ allahumma ighfir liman tuwuffiya O Allah, (please) forgive all those who were taken (by You) مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ min almu'minina walmu'minati from the believing men and women وَٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَٱلْمُسْلِمَاتِ walmuslimina walmuslimati and Muslim men and women وَلِمَنْ هُوَ لاَحِقٌ بِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ wa liman huwa lahiqun bihim min ba`dihim minhum as well as every one who shall join them (in faith) after them. إِنَّكَ انْتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ innaka anta al`azizu alhakimu Verily, You are the Almighty and All-wise. «إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَامُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ inna allaha ya'muru bil`adli wal-ihsani wa ita'i dhi alqurba “Surely, Allah enjoins the doing of justice, the doing of good (to others), and the giving to the kindred; وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَاءِ وَٱلْمُنْكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْيِ wa yanha `an alfahsha'i walmunkari walbaghyi and He forbids indecency, evil, and rebellion. يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ.» ya`i¨ukum la`allakum tadhakkar£na He admonishes you that you may be mindful.” اذْكُرُوا ٱللَّهَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ udhkur£ allaha yadhkurkum Remember Allah, He will remember you. فَإِنَّهُ ذَاكِرٌ لِمَنْ ذَكَرَهُ fa'innah£ dhakirun liman dhakarah£ Verily, He always remembers those who remember him. وَٱسْالُوٱ ٱللَّهَ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَفَضْلِهِ was'al£ allaha min rahmatihi wa fa¤lihi Ask Allah of His mercy and grace, فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَخِيبُ عَلَيْهِ دَاعٍ دَعَاهُ fa'innah£ la yakhibu `alayhi da`in da`ahu for any prayer that is said to Him shall never be disappointed. رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً rabbana atina fi alddunya hasanatan Our Lord, grant us good in this world وَفِي ٱلآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً wa fi al-akhirati hasanatan and good in the hereafter وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ wa qina `adhaba alnnari and save us from the chastisement of the fire.