Press Release
Announcement of the Result of the Sighting of the New Moon of the Blessed Month of Ramadhan for the year 1439 AH
(Translated)

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan,

(شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِيَ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُواْ الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ)

“The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.” [Al-Baqara: 185]

All Praise is due to Allah and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, companions, allies, and those who followed in his path making the Islamic Aqeedah the basis for their thoughts and the Ahkaam Shari’ah (Legislative Rulings) the measure for their actions and source for their rulings.

Al-Bukhari extracted in his Sahih from Muhammad Bin Ziyad that he said: I heard Abu Hurairah (ra) say, “The Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, said, or he said, Abu Al Qasim (saw) said:

«صوموا لِرُؤيتِهِ وأَفْطِرُوا لرؤيتِهِ فإنْ غُـبِّيَ عليكم فأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شعبانَ ثلاثين»

“Start fasting upon seeing it [the new moon of Ramadan], and give up fasting upon it [seeing the new moon of Shawwal], and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha’ban.”

After investigating the new moon of the blessed Ramadan on this night, the eve of Wednesday, the sighting of the new moon is not confirmed according to the Shariah sighting requirements, therefore tomorrow, Wednesday, is the conclusion of the month of Sha’ban inshaAllah, and Thursday, after tomorrow, will be the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan...

Dear Beloved Muslims:

This blessed month descends upon us while we witness Kufr nations unite (and call) each other to attack us, together with the evil rulers from our own people, who rush to support them in their plots against Islam and its people. This reminds us of the Sahih Hadith: The Prophet (saw) said:

«يُوشِكُ الْأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الْأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا» فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ: وَمِنْ قِلَّةٍ نَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ؟ قَالَ: «بَلْ أَنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ وَلَيَنْزَعَنَّ اللَّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوِّكُمْ الْمَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَيَقْذِفَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ الْوَهْنَ» فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَمَا الْوَهْنُ؟ قَالَ: «حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ»

“The people will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their dish.

Someone asked: Will that be because of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and last enervation into your hearts. Someone asked: What is wahn (enervation). Messenger of Allah (saw): He replied: Love of the world and dislike of death.”

But we also know that Ramadan is the month of patience; and patience is the key to relief (from suffering). We recall what was narrated by al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him): On the authority of Abu Abd Allah Khabbab ibn al-Arat (may Allah be pleased with him):

«شَكَوْنَا إِلَى رسولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُو مُتَوسِّدٌ بُردةً لَهُ في ظلِّ الْكَعْبةِ، فَقُلْنَا: أَلا تَسْتَنْصرُ لَنَا أَلا تَدْعُو لَنَا؟ فَقَالَ: قَد كَانَ مَنْ قَبْلكُمْ يؤْخَذُ الرَّجُلُ فيُحْفَرُ لَهُ في الأَرْضِ فيجْعلُ فِيهَا، ثمَّ يُؤْتِى بالْمِنْشارِ فَيُوضَعُ علَى رَأْسِهِ فيُجعلُ نصْفَيْن، ويُمْشطُ بِأَمْشاطِ الْحديدِ مَا دُونَ لَحْمِهِ وَعظْمِهِ، مَا يَصُدُّهُ ذلكَ عَنْ دِينِهِ، واللَّه ليتِمنَّ اللَّهُ هَذا الأَمْر حتَّى يسِير الرَّاكِبُ مِنْ صنْعاءَ إِلَى حَضْرمْوتَ لاَ يخافُ إِلاَّ اللهَ والذِّئْبَ عَلَى غنَمِهِ، ولكِنَّكُمْ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ»

“We complained to the Messenger of Allah (saw) while he was reclining on a garment in the shade of the Ka’ba, and asked him: why don’t you ask Allah to help us? Why don’t you pray for us? He (saw) replied: Among those who were before you a (believer) used to be seized and, a pit used to be dug for him and then he used to be placed in it. Then a saw used to be brought and put on his head which would be split into two halves. His flesh might be combed with iron combs and removed from his bones, yet, all that did not cause him to revert from his religion. By Allah! This religion (Islam) will be completed (and triumph) till a rider (traveler) goes from San’a’ (the capital of Yemen) to Hadramout fearing nobody except Allah and the wolf lest it should trouble his sheep, but you are impatient”.

This is Allah's promise of empowerment and victory for his Deen even after a while, and we only have to be sincere to Allah and have patience and steadfastness in obeying Him (swt), and be optimistic and hopeful in achieving the promise of Allah without doubt or hesitation. And Allah does not break His promise, He is the Truth and His promise is the Truth.

We in Hizb ut Tahrir call upon the entire Muslim Ummah to take the great position, which pleases its Lord, and clears and liberates it from this great sin and great conspiracy, a position that removes the abomination on its shoulders, and restores glory throughout its lands...

We urge Muslims to put their hands (purified by wudu) in our hands in Hizb ut Tahrir, which is engaged in an intellectual struggle of thought and the fervent struggle of politics. It exposes the plans of the cunning West, and shows you the straight path of Islam. Perhaps Allah will decree that by your and our hands will come the victory and empowerment; by the establishment of the Khilafah Rashida state (rightly guided Caliphate) on the method of the Prophethood. May Allah decree the victory by the hand of the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir, the great scholar Ata Bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, and that you may give him the pledge of allegiance to be your Khaleefah (caliph) and rule you by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His noble Prophet (saw), and you live in the Khilafah state which implements the Shariah of Allah, and you carry the call of Islam, the beacon of guidance to the whole of humankind...

O officers of the armies of Muslims, know that Allah will make His Deen victorious, if not by your hands then by the hands of other sincere men whom He (swt) will honour with dignity, so do not miss this great honour and side by the Ummah to gain Allah’s pleasure and the glory of this world and the Hereafter.

It is also my pleasure to relay my greetings and that of the Head of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir and all those working in it to the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir, the eminent scholar Ata Bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, and to all the Muslims for this blessed month, asking Allah Almighty to redeem us from the Hellfire in the month of mercy and forgiveness, and we ask Him (swt) to allow us to witness Laylatul Qadr and bless us with its rewards...

Oh Allah, the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, honor us with pledging allegiance to the Khaleefah of the Muslims in the second Righteous Khilafah (Caliphate) on the method of Prophethood, sooner than later... Allahuma ameen ameen ameen.

Wassalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh

The eve of Wednesday is the 30th of Sha’ban for the year of 1439 AH.

Dr. Osman Bakhach
Director of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir