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May 16, 2021

A Brief Look at Moonsighting

By Mufti Uzair Ashraf Usmani & Mohammed Khalid
Moonsighting has always been the center of debate amongst Muslim communities around the world. This is because two of the pillars
of the Islamic faith, fasting and hajj, amongst other acts of worship depends on the proper sighting of the moon. This makes this task
a very important communal responsibility amongst Muslims.

Allah ‫ ﷻ‬states in the Qur’an in Surah Al Baqarah, verse 189

This is translated as, "They ask you [O Muhammad] about the new moons, Say, 'They are indicative of time for the people and for
hajj (pilgrimage).

In one of the hadith,

" ‫ﱯ ﺻﲆ ﷲ ‹ﻠﯿﻪ وﺳﲅ ﻗَﺎَل‬U ِ U‫ن اﻟﻨ‬U~• - ‫ رﴇ ﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ‬- ،‫ َﻋْﻦ •~ِﰊ ُﻫَﺮْ•َﺮَة‬- ‫ُﻦ ِزَ|ٍد‬cْ‫ َوُﻫَﻮ ا‬- ،‫ﻤٍﺪ‬U‫ َﻋْﻦ ُﻣَﺤ‬- ‫َﻦ ُﻣْﺴ ِ ٍﲅ‬cْ‫ ﯾ َْﻌِﲏ ا‬- ،‫ﺮِﺑﯿُﻊ‬U‫ﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ اﻟ‬URَ ،‫ﻲ‬l‫ﻼٍم اﻟُْﺠَﻤِﺤ‬U‫ُﻦ َﺳ‬cْ ‫ﺮ ْ َﲪِﻦ‬U‫ﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ َﻋْﺒُﺪ اﻟ‬URَ
.” ‫ُﺻﻮُﻣﻮا ِﻟُﺮ ْؤﯾ َِﺘِﻪ َو•~ﻓِْﻄُﺮوا ِﻟُﺮ ْؤﯾ َِﺘِﻪ ﻓَﺎْن ُ ِّﲽَﻲ ‹َﻠَْﯿُْﲂ ﻓَ—• ْ ِﳈﻠُﻮا اﻟَْﻌَﺪَد‬
“
Abu Huraira(may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬as saying:
Observe fast on sighting it (the new moon) and break (fast) on sighting it (the new moon), but if the sky is cloudy for you, then
complete the duration (of thirty days). (Sahih Muslim 1018b)

Having the right knowledge of the crescent moon and physically sighting it is the way to achieve this. The principle explained by the
jurists is that if something is used to determine the obligatory(fardh) and necessary(wajib) acts, then that act itself becomes
necessary(wajib) according to some scholars and recommended(mustahab) according to others.

Common methods of moonsighting

Moonsighting by Muslim countries or organizations in Muslim minority countries falls in these three categories:

1. Those that place complete reliance on astronomical data, negating any role of actual sighting. According to this group, new
month will begin as forecasted by astronomical data, irrespective of whether actual sighting took place or not. This view goes
against the following hadith of Prophet Muhammad(‫)ﷺ‬

‫ﺸﻬُْﺮ ِ«ْﺴٌﻊ‬U‫ ِ¡ ﺻﲆ ﷲ ‹ﻠﯿﻪ وﺳﲅ ﻗَﺎَل " اﻟ‬U ‫ن َرُﺳﻮَل ا‬U~• ‫ِﻦ َُﲻَﺮ ـ رﴇ ﷲ ﻋﳯﲈ ـ‬cْ ¡ِ U ‫ َﻋْﻦ َﻋْﺒِﺪ ا‬،‫ِﻦ ِدﯾﻨَﺎٍر‬cْ ¡ِ U ‫ َﻋْﻦ َﻋْﺒِﺪ ا‬،£ٌ ِ ‫ﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ َﻣﺎ‬URَ ،‫ُﻦ َﻣْﺴﻠََﻤَﺔ‬cْ ¡ِ U ‫ﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ َﻋْﺒُﺪ ا‬URَ
." ‫ﺪَة ﺛََﻼِﺛَﲔ‬U‫ﰬ ‹َﻠَْﯿُْﲂ ﻓَ—• ْ ِﳈﻠُﻮا اﻟِْﻌ‬U ُ ‫ ﻓَﺎْن‬،‫ََﺮْوُﻩ‬³ ‫ﱴ‬U‫ ﻓََﻼ ﺗَُﺼﻮُﻣﻮا َﺣ‬،-ً َ ‫ﴩوَن ﻟ َْﯿ‬
ُ ْ ‫َوِﻋ‬
“
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "The month (can be) 29 nights (i.e., days), and do not fast
till you sight the moon, and if the sky is overcast, then complete the duration as thirty days."(Sahih al-Bukhari 1907)

2. Those that place complete reliance on actual sighting allowing astronomical data no influence. According to this group, the
ultimate decision will be based on the reliability of witness bearing testimony of moonsighting. If they are reliable, then
their testimony will be accepted, and a ruling passed accordingly, irrespective of whether such a testimony appears reasonable
or logical, and whether it is acceptable in terms of astronomical predictions or not.

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 This group seeks support of their view from the hadith discussed above and this hadith.

،‫ٌﺔ‬UÄ‫~ِّﻣ‬Ã ‫ﻣٌﺔ‬U~Ã ÂU ‫ُﻪ ﻗَﺎَل " ا‬U ‫ ِ ِ ّﱯ ﺻﲆ ﷲ ‹ﻠﯿﻪ وﺳﲅ •~ﻧ‬U‫َﻦ َُﲻَﺮ ـ رﴇ ﷲ ﻋﳯﲈ ـ َﻋِﻦ اﻟﻨ‬cْ‫ُﻪ َ ِﲰَﻊ ا‬U ‫ •~ﻧ‬،‫ُﻦ َْﲻٍﺮو‬cْ ‫ﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ َﺳِﻌﯿُﺪ‬URَ ،‫ُﻦ ﻗَ¾ٍْﺲ‬cْ ‫ﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ ا•½ْﺳَﻮُد‬URَ ،‫ﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ ُﺷْﻌَﺒُﺔ‬URَ ،‫ﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ ~ َٓدُم‬URَ
“
.‫ﺮًة ﺛََﻼِﺛَﲔ‬U‫ َوَﻣ‬،‫ﴩ•َﻦ‬ ِ ْ ‫ﺮًة ِ«ْﺴَﻌًﺔ َوِﻋ‬U‫ ﯾ َْﻌِﲏ َﻣ‬." ‫ﺸﻬُْﺮ َﻫَﻜَﺬا َوَﻫَﻜَﺬا‬U‫ُﺐ َوَﻻ َ ْﳓُﺴُﺐ اﻟ‬Èُ‫َْﻜ‬Æ ‫َﻻ‬
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "We are an illiterate nation; we neither write, nor know accounts. The month is like this and this,
i.e. sometimes of 29 days and sometimes of thirty days."(Sahih al-Bukhari 1913)

One compelling argument for those who use this method is that Islam uses simple and natural ways of living. Islam is a
religion that covers every part of the world including far flung villages and small towns to big towns. It is noteworthy that
astronomical data or tools are not available to everyone, and for them, a simple way to find the new moon is from the
naked eyes. Just like if a masjid is built in a small town or village where no data is available on the direction of the qibla,
Islam says we can always adopt the qibla direction of the nearest biggest masjid without having to use a compass or data to
establish the qibla direction.

3. Those that give astronomical data, persuasive influence but not conclusive authority. This group purports that issuing a
ruling solely based on actual sighting even though it may be contrary to reason and logic is against the teachings of Islam.
They purport that although certain aspects or rulings of our deen may be supralogical, they will never be illogical and just
as Islam has embraced simplicity and a natural way, it also embraces logic and reason. According to this group, actual
sighting of the moon will still be the basis of issuing a ruling (and not astronomical data). Astronomical data will merely be
used to authenticate the veracity of testimonies given. If testimonies are given that are impossible according to astronomical
data, they will be rejected unless the testimonies are given in such a large number, that it is impossible to doubt them
anymore. Once testimonies are received, this group uses their methodology which includes verifying it against the shariah
conditions and the Nisab-e-Shahadah to validate them, and a decision is reached accordingly. These conditions will be
discussed in the sections ahead. A question may arise as to how the testimony of a few reliable Muslims can be rejected
based on astronomical data whilst the astronomers are at variance amongst themselves. In response to this, certain
astronomical information can be proven conclusively (like time of conjunction) and some not as in the case of the minimum
altitude at which moonsighting is possible. Therefore, if a group of individuals testify to sighting the moon before
conjunction time, then their testimony will be rejected. The time of conjunction as presented by astronomical data is absolute
and if contradicted by something which is not absolute and just a mere probability, then preference will be given to the
absolute. By way of example: if sunset is predicted (by astronomical data) to be 6.30pm and a group of individuals testify
under oath that they had performed Maghrib at 6.15pm as they witnessed sunset, then their collective testimony will be
rejected. This rejection will be on the basis that astronomical data, which is conclusive regarding sunset, is being contradicted
by that which is not absolute. However, if astronomical data which is not absolute, such as the minimum altitude for
moonsighting is 5 degrees is contradicted by the testimony of a few individuals, example moonsighting at 4 degrees, then
their testimony will not be rejected on mere contradiction (as both sides are of equal strength). Rather, either side will give
preference due to outside factors.

Astronomical Data and its relevance in the Shariah

Allah ‫ ﷻ‬states in the Qur’an in Surah Al Rahman, verse 5

This may be translated as “The sun and moon are (bound) by the (fixed) calculation”

In commenting about this verse, Mufti Ebrahim Desai mentions that Allah after creating the sun, the earth and the moon has not
left them to wonder at random, rather they move within an organized, fixed pattern without any scope or margin for error or variance
as a basis for the calculation of time and calendar. Appreciating this fact (movement of the moon, earth and the sun are the basis of
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calculating time and passing thereof), the question that arises is that to what extent has astronomy secured this information? how
reliable it is? and what components thereof can be proven conclusively without a reasonable doubt?

The experts in this field have proven that the undermentioned aspects can be established conclusively, without any shadow of doubt
with relative ease:
1. The time of conjunction (when the moon, the sun and the earth are in a straight line) can be calculated to the degree;
2. Altitude of the moon in relative to the horizon or observer can be calculated to the degree;
3. Azimuth – the direction of the moon, measured clockwise around the observer’s horizon from the north. So, when the
moon is due north, it has azimuth of 0 degrees, when due east 90 degrees, south 180 degrees and West 270 degrees.
4. Elongation of the moon, i.e., its angular separation from the sun.
5. The phase, width and age of the moon; and
6. Astronomical sunrise and sunset and moonrise and moonset times (some of which are already relied upon for selective
purposes such as prayer times).

After the birth of the moon, as it moves away from the sun, sunlight falls on the moon’s surface at the rate of 15.41km per hour. The
moon requires about 275km of light on its surface for it to be visible from earth. This calculates to about 15-18 hours from the birth
of the moon, according to astronomy. This time is called “Imkaan al-Ruyat” or visibility time. Anyone seeing the moon before this
is either mistaken or breaching the truth. At this stage, the moon will be visible from the earth and is called the waxing crescent.
With the above being established conclusively, certain aspects that are pertinent and critical to the issue of moonsighting cannot be
conclusively proven and are facts of personal experience and research which may be questioned or debated. This includes:

1. Danjon limit of visibility of the lunar crescent. This refers to minimum degree of elongation at which moonsighting is
possible. The Malaysian Professor Muhammad Ilyas is of the opinion that an elongation of 10.5 degrees or less will not
allow moonsighting. In another study at University of Durham, this has been agreed at 7.5 degrees. The result of the above
difference of opinion, a deduction that may be made, although not conclusive but very persuasive, is that the elongation
limit of visibility is at least 7 degrees.
2. The altitude of the moon in relation to the horizon can be calculated accurately to the hundredth of a degree. However, the
minimum altitude at which point moonsighting is possible is speculative. Experts have asserted that at an altitude of less
than 5 degrees, moonsighting is very difficult. This is due to various reasons such as environmental conditions and the
difficulty that dust and smoke in the horizon poses at a lower altitude is greater than at a higher altitude. Seasonal conditions
such as mist and cloudiness also pose a greater risk at lower altitudes. Similarly, at lower altitudes, the brightness after
sunset in the horizon will outshine the crescent making it difficult to sight.
3. Ones position on the globe also has a bearing such that if the moon is in the southern hemisphere, then as we move
northwards, the moon will draw closer to the horizon until such a point when it will be below the horizon. At this point it
will be impossible to sight the moon because its light will not reach you. Also, at higher altitudes the density is lower, making
moonsighting easier. It is therefore conclusive that the minimum altitude at which moonsighting is possible is speculative
and although experts have set the limit of 5 degrees, this may vary with changes in environmental conditions, seasonal
conditions, proficiency and strength of eye-sight.

Shariah conditions for accepting testimony

• The witness should be sane, adult and Muslim. Testimony of a non-Muslim, child or an insane person shall not be accepted.
• The witness should not be blind.
• The witness of the moon should be an aadil(reliable). An aadil is defined as a Muslim who refrains from major sins and
rarely indulges in minor sins. However, if a person with such characteristics is not found, then it must be ascertained that
he is not a liar or a deceiver (Royat e Hilal p46, Mufti Shafi Usmani)

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 • The witness of moonsighting must use the word “Shahadah” in his testimony, it should be like that “I give
testimony/Shahadah that I have sighted the moon”
• The witness of the moonsighting has sighted the moon by himself and should not merely be a narrator.
• He should present himself to the Qadhi or Hakim or their appointed personnel and give testimony, however in case of an
emergency, he must appoint 2 males or 1 male or two females to be present and give testimony on behalf of the witness.

Following are some of the important guidelines, which although may not be applied absolutely, are generally persuasive in ensuring
that the testimony is satisfactorily authenticated resulting in an accurate ruling:
• The witness should be reminded of the seriousness and repercussions of his testimony and his accountability to Allah.
• Generally, if a person sees the moon once, he will see it a second time with relative ease. If he didn’t see it the second time,
the possibility that he might have been mistaken is increased.
• One who has seen the moon will be able to show another with relative ease. If this second person was unable to see it,
despite the witness pointing it out to him, it will create doubt in the testimony of the witness.
• The witness should not merely give an account of his experience but should use the words of testimony thereby sensitizing
him of the seriousness of his action.
• The body language and the facial expression of the witness should also be observed. He should not seem pressurized to give
a testimony.
• The pertinent point to bear in mind is that the one taking testimony is not obliged to accept the testimony merely on the
basis that there are witnesses present who are prepared to testify. If the testimony is not convincing due to outside factors
or inconsistencies, then the testimonies may be rejected, and the resultant ruling will be binding.
• The direction and the shape of the moon should be verified from the witness. For example, if the witness verifies that the
moon was sighted in north and astronomical data indicates that moon is in the west, then the testimony will not be accepted.

Nisab-e-Shahadah(testimony)
It must be noted that the Nisab(threshold) of the Shahadah(testimony) for moonsighting in different months with respect to different
sky conditions differ. Below is a tabular analysis of this.
For the Months of Ramadan, Shawwal and Zhul-Hijjah
Based on Astronomical Data Sky Condition Witness Required
No Chance of Sighting the Moon Clear Sky A large number of witnesses required
No Chance of Sighting the Moon Sky not clear A large number of witnesses required
Minor Chance of Sighting the Moon Clear Sky A large number of witnesses required
Minor Chance of Sighting the Moon Sky not clear A large number of witnesses required
Fair Chance of Sighting the Moon Clear Sky A large number of witnesses required
Fair Chance of Sighting the Moon Sky not clear Witness of 2 Males or 1 Male and 2
Females is required for Shawwal and
Zhul-hijjah
For Ramadan, one witness will be
sufficed

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For other 9 Islamic Months
Based on Astronomical Data Sky Condition Witness Required
No Chance of Sighting the Moon Clear Sky Witness of 2 Males or 1 Male and 2
Females is required
No Chance of Sighting the Moon Sky not clear Witness of 2 Males or 1 Male and 2
Females is required
Minor Chance of Sighting the Moon Clear Sky Witness of 2 Males or 1 Male and 2
Females is required
Minor Chance of Sighting the Moon Sky not clear Witness of 2 Males or 1 Male and 2
Females is required
Fair Chance of Sighting the Moon Clear Sky Witness of 2 Males or 1 Male and 2
Females is required
Fair Chance of Sighting the Moon Sky not clear Witness of 2 Males or 1 Male and 2
Females is required

Jamme Ghafir(Large Number)

It is reported that Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad required a large number of witnesses (for a town) when the sky
was clear. Hanafi jurists refer this requirement to “Jamme Ghafir” or a large number. Imam Abu Yusuf is reported to have required
50+ in Baghdad of his time when he was the Qadhi. He required a group from each mosque in town. (such a large number that it is
difficult to discredit them) Hazrat Umar (RA) as Khalifa did not accept the claim of sighting by some if the moon was not visible to
others, including him at the same spot. It is to this that Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has also mentioned that, in those also,
meaning where the astronomical data has indicated the impossibility of moon sighting, we need to insist on having a large number
of witnesses, i.e., apply the hukm of clear weather in the astronomical impossibility case as well (even when weather is not clear). It
must also be noted that there is no specified number for this, but scholars such as Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has mentioned
between 20-40 people as a general guideline. This could vary in different countries in relation to the environment and as agreed upon
by the local Hilal committee.

Procedures of taking testimony of a physical sighting

The responsibility of taking testimony on moonsighting and making announcement on the commencement of the respective months
accordingly lies with the Qadhi or Hakim. In non-Muslim countries or countries with Muslim minorities, the Muslim may adopt
any one of the following to facilitate this function.
1. Appoint an Ameer or Leader
2. Setup Hilal committees
3. Each locality appoints any Aalim as an authority

After the testimonies are taken and an announcement is made accordingly, then the decision reached by any of the above 3 is binding
upon its area of jurisdiction.

Magnified Crescents and the Confusion: Signs of the Last Days

According to our Prophet(‫)ﷺ‬, one of the signs of the latter days is the magnification of crescent moons and people stating upon
seeing a new moon that it is actually two days old. In a hadith related by Imam al-Ṭabarānī, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “Among the signs
of the End of Time is the swelling of the crescent moons (intifākhu l-ahillah),” and also that people will see a first-day crescent moon
and re- mark, “It is clearly two days old!”
In a similarly extraordinary hadith, the Prophet(‫ )ﷺ‬said, “Among the signs of the End of Time is that the crescent will be seen with
the naked eye, and it will be said, ‘This is two days old.’” In another variant, the narration states, “Among the signs of the end is the
hopping of the crescents (intifāju l-ahillah).”
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Because people no longer see the crescent, they cannot understand how a first-day crescent can show up so high in the sky. However,
some new moons are born over thirty hours after the conjunction and, depending on where it shows up on the earth and in the
various time zones, it will indeed differ in size. But our Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬did not leave us without guidance. Imam Muḥammad b.ʿAbd
al-Rāziq writes:
No consideration should be given to the relative size whether large or small or to the time in which the crescent sets. The Ṣaḥīḥ of
Imam Muslim relates the following from Abū al-Bakhtarī, “A group of us had set out to perform ʿUmrah [just before Ramadan], and
we alighted upon the valley of Nakhlah. We all saw the crescent moon [of Ramadan]. Some of us said, ‘O, it is at least three days
old,’ and others said, ‘No, it is only two days old.’ When we arrived, we met Ibn ʿAbbās and told him that we had seen the crescent.
He asked, ‘On which night did you see it?’ We replied, ‘On such and such a night.’ To this, he responded,
‘The Messenger of Allah‫ ﷻ‬said, “Allah‫ ﷻ‬has extended the period [in which the crescent is seen] in order that it be seen (Inna
Allāhamaddahu li l-ru’yah).” It was, in fact, the first night in which you saw it. Imam Abū Bakr says about the phenomenon of a
larger crescent on the first day, “Our scholars have said that no consideration is given to either the crescent’s largeness or its slimness.
Indeed, it is related that ʿUmar said, ‘Some new crescent moons are bigger than others, so if you see one after the meridian, consider
it for the following night.(Caesarian Moon Birth p76, Hamza Yusuf)

Conclusion
There is no doubt that having the knowledge of moonsighting and physically sighting it is critical if one wants to accurately determine
the Islamic months. This is important because two of the pillars of Islam, fasting and hajj, amongst other acts of worship relies on
accurate moonsighting. One cannot deny that astronomical data are very persuasive in this day in age. Using this data as an aid to
physically sight the moon will avoid many problems that are currently faced by Muslims. Astronomical data are widely used for other
Islamic calculations such as prayer times.
The importance of an authentic sighting, which is then validated using the strict shariah conditions and the Nisab-e-
Shahadah(testimony) will ensure that the task of moonsighting is accurate, and to the best of our abilities. This will also put an end
to the ambiguities that may arise within the community.
Islamic organizations that have Hilal committees and they undertake this task for its members, are duty bound to ensure that such
committees comprise of professionals who have technical information in the field of astronomy. They must also ensure that their
scholars are in constant touch with their seniors and teachers, so that they are aware of new developments in the field. Such
organizations must also be affiliated with other like-minded organizations for knowledge sharing. Being proactive in this field will
ensure that we are more accurate in our sighting of the moon, InshAllah.

Reference
1. Usmani, Mufti Muhammad Shafi. (2007): Ma’ariful Qur’an
2. Bukhari, Muḥammad ibn Ismail.(1966):Sahih Bukhari.
3. Ibn al-Hajjaj, Imam Abul Hussain Muslim(1970):Sahih Muslim.
4. Usmani, Mufti Muhammad Taqi. (2014): Buhoos ul Qazaya.
5. Usmani, Mufti Muhammad Shafi. (1980): Royat e Hilal.
6. Desai, Mufti Ebrahim. (2006): Moonsighting and Following Neighboring Countries: Conference England.
7. Anwar, Imam Tahir. (2007): Moonsighting Conference USA.
8. Shaikh, Dr Salam. (2001) Hilal Sighting & Islamic Dates: Issues and Solutions.
9. Ahmad, Imam Dr. Shabbir (2007): Moonsighting in Australia.
10. Yusuf, Hamza (2011): Caesarean Moon Births.