Celebration of Eid
It happens during the start of Ramadan and celebration of two Eids. Some people in Bangladesh start fasting two days earlier and celebrate Eid-ul -Fitr and Eid -ul-Azha, as claimed by them, keeping similitude with Saudi Arabia or international moon sighting committee also two days earlier. They have no respect for or faith on our own government decision and moon sighting committee.
A good number of wise people also expressed concurrence with them through the columns of newspapers. Might be any repudiation escaped my eyes or no one dared to say anything against it.
Though I had a number of questions in my mind, I did not like to make any ado with it. I thought the learned people of religion and the competent authorities for it would take up the matter and solve the problem once and for all. But it did not happen and the matter crept up to the extent that I got a tremendous jolt on 8 December 2008 listening to a sermon delivered by an Imam of most probably Malibag area of Dhaka city who observed Eid -ul - Azha on that day, a day earlier. The Imam meant to say that the majority people of this country are guilty of not fasting for two days, they miss the glorious night of Lailatul Qadr and keep fasting on Eid days.
If this is true then it is a very serious matter and who is to take the responsibility of it is a pertinent question. And if the Imam is wrong then what should we do? The story could be concluded here but I wish to put up the following questions :-
--Are there any concrete directives in the Holy Quran, Siha Sitta (six authentic books of Hadith) and agreed upon practices of Islam & or opinions of recognized Imams or Ulemas about starting of fasting and celebration of Eid on the same day all over the world? If not, then what is the guideline for it?
--If we leave aside the difference of time of China, Japan, England, America with Saudi Arabia and consider the case of Bangladesh only, then it should stand to at least two and a half hours. It means, those who maintain similarity with Saudi Arabia and I believe they must be maintaining it in all respect, obviously offer their prayers 2.50 hours later, start fasting 2.50 hours later, break fasting 2.50 hours later and then observe Eid two days earlier (Otherwise they cannot do it). Think of taking Sehri at 7:00am. and performing other things accordingly!
--Now questions arise; do they offer prayers in time, start and break fasting in time as ordained in the Holy Quran? I don't mean to say, they are doing these wrong things living in Bangladesh but one thing I must mention that they might be missing one or two fasting days at the end of the Ramadan observing Eid-Fitr one or two days earlier and not performing the Eid-ul-Azha and Qurbani on proper days meant for them. Then who is right?
--This is not a conclusion itself but a starting point to come to a conclusion once and for all through proper discussions in right forums.
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