Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The timing of Islamic acts of worship related to months—such as the fasts of Ramadan, the fasts of Sha‘ban, the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the Day of ‘Ashura, Hajj, the months of Hajj, ‘Eid al-Fitr, and ‘Eid al-Adha—will be determined by the sighting of the moon, as is stated in the word of Allah, the Exalted: {یَسْئَلُوْنَکَ عَنِ الْأَھِلَّۃِ قُلْ ھِیَ مَوَاقِیْتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ} … “They ask you about the new moons. Say: They are measurements of time for the people (for their acts of worship) and for the Hajj season…” (Surah al-Baqarah: 189). The Islamic calendar can be estimated in advance, but it cannot be definitively determined; therefore, every act of worship related to a month requires that the decision be made anew by sighting the moon for that month. The method of moon sighting that was prevalent during the era of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and which continued until the invention of modern machines, should still be the basis for decision-making today. Making films of the horizon and searching for the moon in them, arranging to look for it in the sea water, using extremely sensitive telescopes, and reporting the sighting or non-sighting of the moon two hours after sunset, or making efforts through various means despite clouds on the horizon—Allah, the Exalted, knows best, but apparently all these methods involve unnecessary affectation.