Announcement of the Sighting of the New Moon for the Month of Ramadan 1446 AH

Bismillahi Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the best of messengers, our master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

Al-Bukhari extracted in his Sahih through Muhammad bin Ziyad, who said: I heard Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Prophet (saw), or Abu Al-Qasim (saw), said: «صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ فَإِنْ غُبِّيَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شَعْبَانَ ثَلَاثِينَ»“Observe fast on sighting it (the new moon) and break it on sighting it. But if (due to clouds) the actual position of the moon is concealed from you, you should then complete the thirty days of Sha’ban.”

After investigating the new moon of the blessed Ramadan, this eve of Saturday, the sighting of the new moon was confirmed in some Muslim countries according to the Shariah sighting requirements, and therefore tomorrow, Saturday is the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan for this year 1446 AH.

On this occasion, I extend my congratulations, as well as those 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 esteemed scholar Ata Bin Khalil Abu Ar-Rashtah, asking Allah to grant him victory and to hasten victory and empowerment at his hands.

This year, Ramadan arrives while the Ummah, more than ever before, is searching within itself for the issue of reinstating ruling according to what Allah has revealed. It is on the verge of proceeding with the matter but then hesitates, as the West threatens it to retreat from it. Egypt is like embers under the ashes, watching Gaza and almost ready to explode. The rulers of the Arab Maghreb are trying to absorb and diffuse the energy of the Muslims. Central Asia is preoccupied with the strife (fitna) woven by the colonialist, disbelieving (kafir) West, so that it does not catch its breath and turn towards establishing Islam despite the presence of agents within it.  In East Asia, the West is trying to separate the sentiments of its Muslims from the rest of the Islamic Ummah. The Arabian Gulf is being forcibly pushed into complete secularism by normalizing immorality (fujoor) and accelerating normalization with the Jewish entity, in an attempt to remove Islam from the political affairs of its people.  As for Ash-Sham, its eyes are on the new rulers in Damascus, trying to force them onto the path of Islam, while they attempt to evade it.

The entire Ummah is witnessing and processing these actual events simultaneously. Today, the Ummah has its nerves so intertwined, and it sees and hears all events and its public opinion on key issues implementing Sharia, unity of the Ummah, the issue of Palestine, and Western ambitions, has become increasingly unified. One of the manifestations of this phenomenon today is that we see that public opinion in our Ummah is the growing frustration with delays in the issue of implementing Islamic Shariah, and has even begun to reject secularism and its proponents with an explicit and unequivocal rejection.

O Muslims!

There are only moments between you and the Khilafah (Caliphate), in which the people of power and influence among you to contract the bayah (pledge) to the upcoming Khalifah Rashid (rightly guided caliph), just as the people of Medina al-Munawwarah contracted to our master Muhammad (saw). Hold them accountable to this duty and do not let Ramadan pass without the establishment of the second Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate) upon the method of Prophethood.

O Muslims… O Shapers of Public Opinion!

To all those who hold positions on platforms (minibars), websites, and media outlets, you have accepted the responsibility of forming public opinion, and betraying this trust is a grave sin, if you only know. Fulfill your duty properly and do not mislead the Ummah’s compass. Strengthen its resolve so it may take its final step toward the Khilafah, not tomorrow, but today. Make the return of the Khilafah the central theme in your discussions on the affairs of Muslims.

O People of Power and Protection!

In this blessed month, we call upon you to grant victory to Allah by establishing the Khilafah so that He grants you victory by upholding it and firmly rooting your position within it. You are most informed that this transformation can happen in an instant; an instant that is in your hands. Allah has entrusted you with protecting the Ummah from traitors and enemies, thus it is not permissible for you to leave it being tossed around by the West and the agent rulers right and left, and to be killed by criminals morning and evening.

Therefore, establish the Khilafah (Caliphate) today, and the Ummah will stand behind you in prayer and praise (takbeer).

And know that the Ummah is already racing towards this goal, and the return of the Khilafah is inevitable, by the promise of Allah Azza wa Jal and the glad tidings of the Prophet (saw). So be its champions, not those who abandon it. Otherwise, Allah will replace you, and then there will be only regret. Allah Almighty says:

[وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْماً غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لا يَكُونُوا أَمْثَالَكُمْ]

“And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you.” [Surat Muhammad:38].

The eve of Saturday is the first of the blessed month of Ramadan, in the year 1446 AH.