Most parts of the worlds are having their Eid today. I’ll have mine tomorrow. I was in the dilemma whether to raya today or not. This raya issue has driven the Malays in ChCh apart.
We have a close knit Malay community here. I treat them as one big family. A week ago through our mailing list, some of the heads of the Malays announced the decision to have the Eid on Thursday and already arranged prayer and gathering for the Raya celebration on Thursday morning. At the same time the ChCh Mosque also plan for the Eid celebration and decided to have Moon Sightings to determine the Eid… if no moon seen, the Eid will be on Friday.
Earlier, part of the Malay community already have their final breaking fast and takbir to celebrate Thursday’s Raya while the other Malays decided to join other ChCh’s muslims waiting for the final decision from the mosque. Now the moon is nowhere in sight, the mosque committee announced that Eid will be on Friday. So there’ll be two groups celebrating Eid on different days in the same city.
I have no knowledge on hisab or rukyah or whatever method that people use to determine the Eid. I’m ignorant on that. But when I have to choose between the two, whether to follow the Malay gang or the mosque, I choose to follow the Christchurch Mosque decision. I don’t mean to show any disrespect towards the elders of the Malay community, I just decided to not to follow their decision this time. I’ll still join them in any future events. Just not today’s Eid. I mean, I just don’t see the justification why we have to detach ourselves from other Muslims (within the same area) and make separate decision when it comes to religious matters. There is only one Mosque in Christchurch, so I see the mosque as the centre of any decision regarding religious matters. I’ve made my decision, but just to make sure I’m doing the right thing I’ve been making calls asking opinions from family and ustaz in M’sia.
So I’ll be joining the mass Eid Prayer at the Hagley Park tomorrow… together with other Malays who are still fasting today and other brothers and sisters in Islam.
I really hope this disagreement among the Malays would not end up with masam muka.. after all Aidilfitri is supposed to be a day of forgiveness and to strengthen ukhuwah. Let us be one big family again.
Selamat Hari Raya & Maaf Zahir Batin.