Moon-Sighting at Ramadan

There is a debate among the Muslim community on just how to calculate the beginning of the month of Ramadan (or indeed any month, but Ramadan takes on special importance).

VISIT HERE FOR MORE BENEFITS ON ISLAMIC ISSUES

 The traditional method, mentioned in the Qur'an and followed by the Prophet Muhammad, is to look to the sky and visibly sight the slight crescent moon (hilal) that marks the beginning of the month. If one sees the hilal at night, the next day is the first day of Ramadan and thus the first day of fasting.  At the end of the month, when the community sights the hilal again, the Festival of Fast-Breaking ('Eid al-Fitr) begins.

Questions and debates have arisen around the following questions:

What if people in one area sight the moon, but those in another area don't? Is it okay for them to start and end the fast on different days?

Should we follow the moon-sighting in Saudi Arabia (or any other area of the world), or should we in our local community sight it ourselves?

What if our location is overcast and cloudy, and the moon is not visible to us?

Why do we even bother looking for the moon, when we can astronomically calculate when the new moon is born, and thus when the crescent should be visible? That eliminates human error, right?

Over the years, various scholars and communities have answered this question in different ways. The prevailing opinion is that one should commit to a local moon-sighting, i.e. begin and end Ramadan based on the sighting of the moon in your local vicinity. Astronomical calculations can help us predict when the moon should be visible, but Muslims still tend to follow the traditional method of looking at the sky themselves and physically "sighting" the moon. Thus, the exact day of the beginning of Ramadan is not generally known until the night before the fast begins, when the moon is actually sighted and confirmed.

SOURCE: CLICK 

Hadiths related to the Moon sighting & Ramadan

NARRATOR AbuHurayrah

SAHIH MUSLIM

HADITH_No 2378

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Whenever you sight the new moon (of the month of Ramadan) observe fast, and when you sight it (the new moon of Shawwal) break it, and if the sky is cloudy for you, then observe fast for thirty days.

NARRATOR AbuHurayrah

SAHIH MUSLIM 

HADITH_No 2379 

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: 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 number (of thirty).

NARRATOR AbuHurayrah

SAHIH MUSLIM

HADITH_No 2380

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Observe fast on sighting it (the new moon) and break it on sighting it. But if (due to clouds) the actual position of the month is concealed from you, you should then count thirty (days).

NARRATOR AbuHurayrah

SAHIH MUSLIM

HADITH_No 2381

The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) made a mention of the new moon and (in this connection) said: Observe fast when you see it (the new moon) and break fast when you see it (the new moon of Shawwal), but when (the actual position of the month is) concealed from you (on account of cloudy sky), then count thirty days.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas

SAHIH MUSLIM

HADITH_No 2391

Kurayb said: Umm Fadl, daughter of Harith, sent him (Fadl, i.e. her son) to Mu'awiyah in Syria. I (Fadl) arrived in Syria, and did the needful for her. It was there in Syria that the month of Ramadan commenced. I saw the new moon (of Ramadan) on Friday. I then came back to Medina at the end of the month. Abdullah ibn Abbas asked me (about the new moon of Ramadan) and said: When did you see it? I said: We saw it on Friday night. He said: (Did) you see it yourself? I said: Yes, and the people also saw it so they observed fast and Mu'awiyah also observed fast. Thereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we shall continue to observe the fast until we complete thirty (fasts) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal). I said: Is the sighting of the moon by Mu'awiyah not valid for you? He said: No; this is how the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) has commanded us. Yahya ibn Yahya was in doubt (whether the word used in the narration by Kurayb) was Naktafi or Taktafi.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas

SAHIH MUSLIM

HADITH_No 2392

AbulBakhtari reported: We went out to perform Umrah and when we encamped in the valley of Nakhlah, we tried to see the new moon. Some of the people said: It was three nights old, and others (said) that it was two nights old. We then met Ibn Abbas and told him we had seen the new moon, but that some of the people said it was three nights old and others that it was two nights old. He asked on which night we had seen it; and when we told him we had seen it on such and such night, he said the Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had said Verily Allah deferred it till the time it is seen, so it is to be reckoned from the night you saw it.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas

SAHIH MUSLIM

HADITH_No 2526

Hakim ibn al-Araj reported: I went to Ibn Abbas and he was reclining using his mantle as a pillow near the fountain of Zamzam. I said to him: Tell me about fasting on Ashura. He said: When you see the new moon of Muharram then count the (days) and observe fast on the 9th. I said to him: Is it how the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) observed the fast? He said: Yes.

NARRATOR AbuHurayrah

SAHIH MUSLIM

HADITH_No 2635

We were talking about laylat al-Qadr in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and he said: He who amongst you remembers (the night) when the moon arose and it was like a piece of plate (at the fag end of the month in a state of waning).

NARRATOR Anas ibn Malik

SAHIH MUSLIM

HADITH_No 6868

We were with Umar between Mecca and Medina so that we might begin to look for the new moon. I was a man with sharp eyesight, so I could see it, but none saw it except myself. I began to say to Umar: Don't you see it? But he could not see it. Thereupon Umar said: I shall soon be able to see it (when it shines more brightly). I lay in bed. He then mentioned to us of the people of Badr and said: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) showed us one day before (the actual battle) the place of death of the people (participating) in (the Battle) of Badr and he was saying: This will be the place of death of so and so tomorrow, if Allah wills. Umar said: By Him Who sent him with truth, they did not miss the places (of their death) which Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) had indicated for them. Then they were all thrown in a well, one after another. Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) then went to them and said: O, so and so, the son of so and so; O so and so, the son of so and so, have you found what Allah and His Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) had promised you? I have, however, found absolutely true what Allah had promised me. Umar said: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: How can you talk as bodies without souls in them. Thereupon he said: You cannot hear more distinctly than (they can) what I say, but with the exception that they have no power to make any reply.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Umar

AL-MUWATTA

HADITH_No 18.1.1

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, once mentioned Ramadan and said, "Do not begin the fast until you see the new moon, and do not break the fast (at the end of Ramadan) until you see it. If the new moon is obscured from you, then work out (when it should be)."

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Umar

AL-MUWATTA

HADITH_No 18.1.2

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A month has twenty-nine days in it. Do not start the fast or break it until you see the new moon. If the new moon is obscured from you, then work out (when it should be)."

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas

AL-MUWATTA

HADITH_No 18.1.3

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, once mentioned Ramadan and said, "Do not start the fast or break it until you see the new moon. If the new moon is obscured from you, then complete a full thirty days."

NARRATOR AbuUmayr ibn Anas

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 1153

AbuUmayr reported on the authority of some of his paternal uncles who were Companions of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him): Some men came riding to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and testified that they had sighted the new moon the previous day. He (the Holy Prophet), therefore, commanded the people to break the fast and to go out to their place of prayer in the morning.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Umar

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 2312

The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The month consists of twenty-nine days, but do not fast till you sight it (the moon) and do not break your fast till you sight it. If the weather is cloudy, calculate it thirty days. When the twenty-ninth of Sha'ban came, Ibn Umar would send someone (who tried) to sight the moon for him. If it was sighted, then well and good; in case it was not sighted, and there was no cloud and dust before him (on the horizon), he would not keep fast the next day. If there appeared (on the horizon) before him cloud or dust, he would fast the following day. Ibn Umar would end his fasting alone with the people, and did not follow this calculation.

NARRATOR Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 2318

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to count the days in Sha'ban in a manner he did not count any other month; then he fasted when he sighted the new moon of Ramadan; but if the weather was cloudy he counted thirty days and then fasted.

NARRATOR Hudhayfah

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 2319

The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Do not fast (for Ramadan) before the coming of the month until you sight the moon or complete the number (of thirty days); then fast until you sight the moon or complete the number (of thirty days).

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 2320

The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Do not fast one day or two days just before Ramadan except in the case of a man who has been in the habit or observing a fast (on that day); and do not fast until you sight it (the moon). Then fast until you sight it. If a cloud appears on that day (i.e. 29th of Ramadan) then complete the number thirty (days) and then end the fasting: a month consists of twenty-nine days.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Umar

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 2331

Husayn ibn al-Harith al-Jadli from the tribe of Jadilah Qays said: The governor of Mecca delivered a speech and said: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) took a pledge from us that we should perform the rites of hajj after sighting the moon. If we do not sight it and two reliable persons bear witness, we should perform the rites of hajj on the basis of their witness. I then asked al-Husayn ibn al-Harith: Who was the governor of Mecca? He replied: I do not know. He then met me later on and told me: He was al-Harith ibn Hatib, brother of Muhammad ibn Hatib. The governor then said: There is among you a man who is more acquainted with Allah and His Apostle than I. He witnessed this from the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). He then pointed with his hand to a man. Al- Husayn said: I asked an old man beside me: Who is that man to whom the governor has alluded? He said: "This is Abdullah ibn Umar, and he spoke the truth. He was more acquainted with Allah than he. He (Abdullah ibn Umar) said: For this is what the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) commanded us (to do).

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 2333

A bedouin came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: I have sighted the moon. Al-Hasan added in his version: that is, of Ramadan. He asked: Do you testify that there is no god but Allah? He replied: Yes. He again asked: Do you testify that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah? He replied: Yes. and he testified that he had sighted the moon. He said: Bilal, announce to the people that they must fast tomorrow.

NARRATOR Ikrimah

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 2334

Once the people doubted the appearance of the moon of Ramadan, and intended neither to offer the tarawih prayer nor to keep fast. A bedouin came from al-Harrah and testified that he had sighted the moon. He was brought to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). He asked: Do you testify that there is no god but Allah, and that I am the Apostle of Allah? He said: Yes; and he testified that he had sighted the moon. He commanded Bilal who announced to the people to offer the tarawih prayer and to keep fast.

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Umar

ABU DAWUD

Hadith_No 2335

The people sighted the moon, so I informed the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) that I had sighted it. He fasted and commanded the people to fast.

NARRATOR AbuRazin al-Uqayli

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 4713

I asked: Apostle of Allah! will each one of us see his Lord? Ibn Mu'adh's version has: "being alone with Him, on the Day of Resurrection? And what sign is there is His creation?" He replied: AbuRazin! does each one of you not see the moon? Ibn Mu'adh's version has: "on the night when it is full, being alone with it?" Then the agreed version goes: I said: Yes. He said: Allah is more great. Ibn Mu'adh's version has: It is only part of Allah's creation, but Allah is more glorious and greater.

NARRATOR Qatadah

ABU DAWUD

HADITH_No 5073

When the Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) saw the new moon, he said: "a new moon of good and right guidance; a new moon of good and right guidance; a new moon of good and right guidance. I believe in Him Who created you" three times. He would then say: "Praise be to Allah Who has made such and such a month to pass and has brought such and such a month."

NARRATOR Abdullah ibn Abbas

MISHKAT AL-MASABIH

HADITH_No 1230r

The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Do not anticipate Ramadan. Start the fast with observing the new moon and terminate it with observing it. If the sky is overcast let the month run to thirty days.

NARRATOR Talhah ibn Ubaydullah

MISHKAT AL-MASABIH

HADITH_No 1233r

On seeing a new moon, the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) would supplicate: Allah, do Thou cause the appearance of this moon to be a harbinger of peace, faith, security and Islam for us. Thy Lord, O moon, and mine is Allah. May this be a moon presaging guidance and good.

SOURCE: CLICK