Press Release

We members of National Ru-uyatul Hilaal Committee comprising the Muslim Association of Malawi, The Qadria Muslim Association of Malawi, The Supreme Council of Ulama in Malawi, Ulama Council, Bilal Trust, Al_Tariqatul-Qadria, Sunni Association, Association of Sunni Madrassah,Blantyre Islamic Mission,Islamic Relief Council, Al-Furqan Charity Trust,Q.E.C, Imarat, Majils T.S, Bilal Darul Uloom(Limbe),Limbe Muslim Jamaat, Area 9 Jamaat, Al-ssalam Complex(Mangochi), Lilongwe Sunni Foundation,Anjuman Himayatul islam and Islamic Information Bureau-met for our extra ordinary meeting at Victoria Hotel on 2nd February,2014, to discuss the challenges of moon sighting in Malawi.

The NRHC as a committee mandated to coordinate the Hilaal sightings in Malawi invited all the stakeholders from the Muslim Community to critically analyse the challenges of moon sighting in Malawi with a view to generate inputs that will help to get rid of differences amongst the Muslim groupings regarding performance of Eid Festivals.

After an exhaustive discussion about the prons and cons of the matter, Muftis,Maulanas,Sheikhs,Muallims and all present, came up with the following resolutions and agreed that:

1. For the month of Ramadan, all Islamic groupings should accept and adopt the local hilaal sightings conducted in accordance with the Shariah and duly verified its authenticity by the Ulamas. In this regard, therefore, Muslims in Malawi must commence and break fasting(conduct Eid-ul-fitr prayers) on the dates determined by the local hilal sightings.
2. For the local hilaal sighting and the sightings of Makkah with regard to the commencement and conduct of Eid al-Adha,they all unanimously agreed that the two views as expounded by our learned Ulama with references made to the holy Qur’an, Ahadith and teachings of the great scholars of Islam, laudable and acceptable without one being preponderant over the other.  However, for the sake of unity, they all agreed that all Islamic groupings should accept and adopt the local hilaal sightings also.
3. They unanimously agreed that the NRHC should continue adopting the hilaal information received from neighbouring countries and other countries living in the same region with Malawi.
   4. They unanimously agreed that the local hilaal sightings will continue to be adopted in other months other than the month of Ramadan.

5. They also unanimously agreed that individual consciousness with regard to the observance of the day of Arafat and nahr as in Makkah should not be discouraged provided that the Eid festival shall be conducted according to the local hilaal sighting.
6. Finally,they reminded each other that the positions they are holding are on trust. Therefore, as Ulamas, they should be serious with issues of national concern.