Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question Summary
With regards to calculating the zakat, which app or website should we follow when seeking out the Hijri date?
Question Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
It is common to find that different apps, websites, and even mosques have differences regarding stipulating the Hijri date. There are many reasons for this phenomenon.
The advice we have heard from some of our teachers is as follows:
It is ideal to follow whichever method your local community follows, whether that applies to the beginning and end of Ramadan, the days of ‘Eid, and, as in this case, the anniversary of one’s zakat.
Keeping track of the Hijri calendar is a communal obligation, and most mosques post the Hijri date on their prayer schedules. It is sufficient for you to follow your local mosque.
In the absence of that, you can follow any app or website you feel is led by competent and trustworthy scholars – and preferably based on local sightings, not merely calculations and projections of the moon’s cycle.
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani