[Video] The BIG Discussion: 18° Prayer Timetable

When it comes to moon sighting we continue to follow Saudi for sake of unity despite it being the clear wrong opinion and here this opinion is clearly on the wrong and it is creating unnecessary division especially when it is clear it is minority incorrect opinion so why spread this and confuse people and yet you ignore the moon sighting issue where the wrong is clear

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/139757/they-differ-concerning-the-timings-of-the-prayer-who-should-they-follow

Assalam alaykum,
The issue here is not who is right but who is responsible of dividing the community and creating an immense confusion among the Muslims. What kind of unity are our scholars showing the common Muslims if they can’t even agree on the time to start the fast! Even if there is a difference of opinion, the scholars should be more concerned about the unity of the ummah than proving their point. Allah will reward the scholar even if he makes a mistake so whatever time the ummah follow Allah will accept it in shape Allah. So why are you making Islam so difficult for us!! I really wonder if Allah is happy with those divisions…

Assalamualaikum,

I pray that you’re well.

Dear Sheikh I was wondering if you had had a look at the OpenFajr Project (http://openfajr.org)? To summarise – the project involved the use of an all-night camera designed for astrophysics research with a ‘”CCD detector” mounted at a site in Birmingham UK. The camera took photos every minute to determine the time for true dawn throughout the year. Furthermore they assembled a specialist panel, comprising of religious scholars, academics etc, who voted for the image they perceived to correspond most closely with the time of fajr. The results were analysed to produce an annual timetable.” Birmingham Central Mosque has adopted this new timetable. All the data and photographs are available online on the aforementioned website. Additionally a research paper is available here: http://openfajr.org/docs/research_paper.pdf

This project corroborates my own findings around Birmingham and those of some other brothers. 18 degrees (1:20am for fajr or thereabouts) just seems to early too early for true dawn according to what we have seen. I think the brothers at OpenFajr have done a lot of meticulous work and have a I feel it would be difficult to easily ignore their research. Would the brothers at MRDF consider mounting their own camera?!

As Muslims we all want to pray Fajr and close our fasts at the legislated time. I’d value your comments greatly on this matter based on the above research. May Allah reward you and help us all to worship Allah in the manner most befitting to him.