يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ

“They ask you about the new moons. Say: They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj.”
— Qur’an 2:189 (Surah Al-Baqarah)

The Islamic calendar is not symbolic — it is divinely structured around the sighting of the crescent (hilāl). Acts of worship such as fasting, Eid, and Hajj are tied directly to the visible phases of the moon.

Importance of Moon Sighting

The foundational evidence comes from the well-known hadith:

“Fast when you see it…”

From Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 1909, 1910) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1081)

صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ ثَلَاثِينَ

“Fast when you see it, and break your fast when you see it. If it is obscured from you, complete thirty days.”

This is the foundational hadith establishing that Ramadan begins and ends with physical sighting of the crescent. If visibility is blocked (clouds, dust, etc.), the previous month is completed to 30 days.

“We are an unlettered nation…”

From Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 1913) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1080)

إِنَّا أُمَّةٌ أُمِّيَّةٌ لَا نَكْتُبُ وَلَا نَحْسُبُ الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا

“We are an unlettered nation; we do not write nor calculate. The month is like this and this (29 or 30).”

This narration is central to the discussion of calculation vs sighting. Classical scholars understood this to mean that Islamic timekeeping is accessible to all — not dependent upon astronomical computation.

Importance of Shahādah (Testimony) — Even One Witness

Islamic law places significant weight on trustworthy testimony.

Hadith of Ibn ʿUmar (Single Witness)

From Sunan Abu Dawud (Hadith 2342)

Ibn ʿUmar said:
“People tried to sight the moon, so I informed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that I had seen it. So he fasted and ordered the people to fast.”

This hadith establishes that one trustworthy Muslim witness is sufficient for the start of Ramadan.

Hadith of the Bedouin

From Sunan Abu Dawud (Hadith 2340) and Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 691)

A Bedouin testified that he had seen the crescent. The Prophet ﷺ accepted his testimony and ordered Bilal (RA) to announce fasting.

This reinforces the principle that the new month is established through credible testimony, not mass observation.

How Wide Can the Testimony Be Accepted?

Hadith of Kuraib (Regional Difference)

From Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1087)

Kuraib reported that the people of Sham (Syria) sighted the moon on Friday. When he returned to Madinah, Ibn ʿAbbas (RA) said they had sighted it on Saturday and did not follow the Syrian sighting.

Ibn ʿAbbas said:

“This is how the Messenger of Allah commanded us.”

This narration forms the basis of the local sighting opinion (ikhtilāf al-maṭāliʿ) — that different regions may legitimately begin the month on different days.

How Nations and Organizations Follow Moon Sighting Today

Muslim-Majority Countries

• Saudi Arabia: Uses official moon-sighting committees under the Supreme Court. Public sightings are verified and announced nationally. The Umm al-Qurā calendar is used administratively, but Ramadan and Eid are declared based on reported sightings.
  https://www.saudimoon.org

• Pakistan: The government operates the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, which collects national testimonies and announces the beginning of Ramadan and Eid.
  https://www.moib.gov.pk
  https://www.pmd.gov.pk

• Iran: Operates the Estehlāl Headquarters, deploying observation teams across the country to confirm crescent visibility.
  https://www.leader.ir

• Turkey: The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) primarily uses astronomical calculations to pre-determine Islamic months.
  https://www.diyanet.gov.tr

• Tunisia: The Ministry of Religious Affairs verifies local sightings before announcing official dates.
  https://www.affaires-religieuses.tn

Organizations in the United States

There is no centralized authority in the U.S., leading to different methodologies:

• ISNA / Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA)
  Accept astronomical calculation as a valid method for determining lunar months.
  https://fiqhcouncil.org

• ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America)
  Historically supported North American sighting efforts while sometimes coordinating with national bodies.
  https://icna.org

• ISGH (Islamic Society of Greater Houston)
  Often follows coordinated announcements based on either national sighting councils or calculation policies.
  https://isgh.org

• Central Hilal Committee (North America)
  Advocates for physical moon sighting and organizes observation efforts across the continent.
  https://hilalcommittee.org

• Masjid-level decisions (e.g., Masjid Al-Noor and others)
  May follow local sighting, national calculation bodies, or Saudi announcements depending on their scholarly board.

Unity of the Local Community

Moon sighting is both a legal matter (fiqh) and a matter of unity (jamāʿah).

If your country has an official, widely recognized moon-sighting authority, follow it.

If you live in a place without centralized authority and the community is divided:

• Follow the masjid or body that adheres most closely to authentic Sunnah methodology (verified sighting or valid scholarly method).
• Do not create independent rulings without knowledge.
• Avoid causing division within your local congregation.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Fasting is the day you all fast, and breaking fast is the day you all break fast.”
— Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 697)

Preserving unity within the local Muslim community carries significant weight.

My Personal Approach in Such a Situation

If I am in a city where:

• Some masājid say it is Ramadan,
• Others say it is not,
• And there is no binding authority,

Then I would:

1. Follow the most reliable scholarly body available in my locality.
2. Avoid declaring others incorrect publicly.
3. Preserve unity within my immediate masjid community.
4. Not fast with the intention of nafl if the community has officially declared Ramadan — because public declaration establishes the ruling outwardly.

If my masjid and the majority of the local Muslim body declare Ramadan based on recognized scholarly methodology, I fast as Ramadan.

If there is legitimate ikhtilāf, I choose a position based on knowledge and stay consistent.

Final Principle

Moon sighting is important. Sunnah is important. But unity of the local Muslim community is also part of the Sunnah.

The objective is:

• To worship Allah correctly,
• To follow sound scholarship,
• And to avoid division (fitnah).

May Allah unite our hearts and guide us to sincerity and wisdom.