Asslamo Allaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
Recently, there is a loud noise amongst certain sections that it is possible that moon is being sighted in Saudi Arabia before sunset and since the astronomical calculations are based on sunset; the calculations are to be rejected and testimony of the sighting accepted.
There are a few fundamental issues with accepting extraordinary sightings from Saudia.
Bedouins with extraordinary eye sight:
Islamic Shariah doesn’t concern itself with the exceptional but deals with ordinary, matter of fact and normal circumstances. Imam Subki (RA) writes about people with extra-ordinary vision!
وقال أيضاً : والعبرة برؤية معتدل البصر ، لأنه هو الذي يشترك فيه الناس ويرتفع به الخلاف ولا عبرة برؤية حديد البصر وحده ، لأنه من العالم بالحساب ، فلا يكـون مناطاً عاماً ولا يمكن معه اتفاق وليس فيه قطع ولا ظن غالب إلا في حالة الإغمام مع عدالة الشهود ، وعدم مخالفة شهادتهم للعلم القطعي . ص 392
“Consideration is for the sighting of the person with normal sight, because this [factor] is that in which people are common and difference can be alleviated. No consideration is given to the sighting of only the very sharp-sighted, because [such people] are rarer than astronomers. Therefore, [their sighting alone] will not be a rule of thumb [for establishing the crescent]. Agreement upon [such people's sighting alone] would not be possible, nor is there any certainty or [even] confidence therein except in the situation of cloudiness, combined with the judiciousness of the witnesses, while their testimony does not conflict with definite knowledge [achieved via definite calculations]” (p. 392)
Evidence of accepting sighting before sunset?
The following narration of Muwatta Imam Malik (RA) can be produced in evidence for accepting sighting which occurs before sunset.
وحدثني عن مالك أنه بلغه أن الهلال رئي في زمان عثمان بن عفان بعشي فلم يفطر عثمان حتى أمسى وغابت الشمس " - ص 224 -" قال يحيى سمعت مالك يقول في الذي يرى هلال رمضان وحده أنه يصوم لا ينبغي له أن يفطر وهو يعلم أن ذلك اليوم من رمضان قال ومن رأى هلال شوال وحده فإنه لا يفطر لأن الناس يتهمون على أن يفطر منهم من ليس مأمونا ويقول أولئك إذا ظهر عليهم قد رأينا الهلال ومن رأى هلال شوال نهارا فلا يفطر ويتم صيام يومه ذلك فإنما هو هلال الليلة التي تأتي قال يحيى وسمعت مالك يقول إذا صام الناس يوم الفطر وهم يظنون أنه من رمضان فجاءهم ثبت أن هلال رمضان قد رئي قبل أن يصوموا بيوم وأن يومهم ذلك أحد وثلاثون فإنهم يفطرون في ذلك اليوم أية ساعة جاءهم الخبر غير أنهم لا يصلون صلاة العيد إن كان ذلك جاءهم بعد زوال الشمس
Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that once in the time of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan the new moon was seen in the afternoon but 'Uthman did not break his fast until evening had come and the sun had set.
Yahya said that he had heard Malik say that someone who sees the new moon of Ramadan when he is on his own should start the fast and not break it if he knows that that day is part of Ramadan.
He added, "Someone who sees the new moon of Shawwal when he is on his own does not break the fast, because people suspect the trustworthiness of someone among them who breaks the fast. Such people should say when they sight the new moon, 'We have seen the new moon.' Whoever sees the new moon of Shawwal during the day should not break his fast but should continue fasting for the rest of that day. This is because it is really the new moon of the night that is coming."
Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "If people are fasting on the Day of Fitr thinking that it is still Ramadan and then definite evidence comes to them that the new moon of Ramadan had been seen one day before they began to fast and that they are now into the thirty-first day, then they should break the fast on that day at whatever time the news comes to them. However, they do not pray the 'Id prayer if they hear the news after the sun has begun to decline."
- There is no khilaf that when the moon is see in the "Ashiyya": time after zawal and before sunset, then this crescent belongs to the next night, i.e: fasting continues. The hadith about what happened in Uthman RA's time refers to that.
- There is khilaf about if the crescent appears before zawal; a saying of Umar RA related by al-Nakha'i has been narrated to that effect saying: "If you see the crescent after zawal then continue fasting, and if you see it before zawal do not break your fast unless it is confirmed by two righteous witnesses that they saw it the night before; i.e break your fast if you get confirmation of the fact that it is from the previous night" (somethign to that effect, I am writing this from memory of what I read).
However, there are two fundamental problems with this narration:
- Problem 1: It's Munqati' (interrupted): al-Nakha'i did not meet Umar RA.
- Problem 2: The person who narrated from al-Nakha'i is "Majhuul" = unknown.
وما نقلناه من هذه النصوص دال على ما قلناه من أن قولهم أنه للليلة المقبلة بمعنى أنه ليس للليلة الماضية لا بمعنى أنا نثبت دخول الشهر بهذه الرؤية وإلا ناقض قولهم لا أثر لرؤيته نهارا على أن الكلام فى رؤيته يوم الثلاثين من شعبان أو رمضان ولا شك أن الليلة التى بعده تكون من الشهر الآخر سواء رؤى نهارا أو لا. ص244 رسائل ابن عابدين
In conclusion, the crescent that is seen during the day (depending on the time) belongs to yesterday or tomorrow but doesn't say that the sighting before sunset is reliable and acceptable!
Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) that sighting in the east necessitates sighting in the west:
Let’s suppose that the sighting before sunset of Saudia is indeed valid then why is that crescent not sighed in the west as clearly stated by Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) & others?
قال ابن التيمية: أحدها: ان الرؤية تختلف باختلاف التشريق والتغريب، فإنه متى رؤي في المشرق وجب ان يري في المغرب ولاينعكس، لأنه يتاخرغروب الشمس بالمغرب عن وقت غروبها بالمشرق، فإذا كان قد رؤي ازداد بالمغرب نوراً وبعداً عن الشمس وشعاعها وقت غروبها، فيكون أحق بالرؤية، وليس كذالك إذا رؤي بالمغرب، لأنه قد يكون سبب الرؤية تأخرغروب الشمس عندهم، فازداد بعداًوضوءً، ولما غربت بالمشرق كان قريباً منها. (مجموعه الفتاوى جلد13 ص62)
“...One of them being that If the hilal has been sighted in the east then this will necessitate sightings in the west. However this is not true the other way round. This is because the time of sunset in the west is after the time of sunset in the east. If the moon has been sighted (in the east) then one will observe a much brighter and a more illuminated moon in the west...[Majmu‟ Al Fatawa Volume 13, Page 62]"
Shaykh Utaymeen (RA) has said:
ولهذا قال أهل العلم: إذا رآه أهل المشرق وجب على أهل المغرب المساوين لهم في الخط أن يصوموا؛ لأن المطالع متفقة، ولأن الهلال إذا كان متأخراً عن الشمس في المشرق فهو في المغرب من باب أولى؛ لأن سير القمر بطيء كما قال الله تعالى: {{وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلاَهَا *}} [الشمس].
"...It is thus that the people of knowledge have said: If the people of the East see it (the crescent) it is incumbent on the people in the West who are level with them to fast, because their sighting zone is the same. And because the crescent, if it is after the Sun in the East, it will be more so in the West, because the orbit of the Moon is slow, as He (Most High) said: ‘And the moon when it follows it’. (Al-Shams]...Shaykh al-Uthaymeen in his commentary entitled ‘Sharh al-Mumti‘ on the Hanbali fiqh text ‘Zad al-Mustaqni‘"
Why impose Saudi sighting on the world when their own Ulamah reject it?
Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz (RA) has said:
فأما قول من قال إنه ينبغي أن يكون المعتبر رؤية هلال مكة خاصة ، فلا أصل له ولا دليل عليه
"As for those who say that it is necessary to follow the sighting of Makkah, then let it be known to them, that there is no proof or basis for this in the Qur'aan and Hadith". (Sheikh Abdullah bin Baz RA AlBa'ath ul Islaaami Zil Hijjah 1399 Hijri).
Why impose global sighting on the world when the Sahaba (RA) decided against it?
What about the following Athar in Saheeh Muslim, did the Sahaba (RA) not understand unity?
حدثنا يحيى بن يحيى ويحيى بن أيوب وقتيبة وابن حجر قال يحيى بن يحيى أخبرنا وقال الآخرون حدثنا إسمعيل وهو ابن جعفر عن محمد وهو ابن أبي حرملة عن كريب أن أم الفضل بنت الحارث بعثته إلى معاوية بالشام قال فقدمت الشام فقضيت حاجتها واستهل علي رمضان وأنا بالشام فرأيت الهلال ليلة الجمعة ثم قدمت المدينة في آخر الشهر فسألني عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله عنهما ثم ذكر الهلال فقال متى رأيتم الهلال فقلت رأيناه ليلة الجمعة فقال أنت رأيته فقلت نعم ورآه الناس وصاموا وصام معاوية فقال لكنا رأيناه ليلة السبت فلا نزال نصوم حتى نكمل ثلاثين أو نراه فقلت أو لا تكتفي برؤية معاوية وصيامه فقال لا هكذا أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وشك يحيى بن يحيى في نكتفي أو تكتفي
Kuraib reported that Umm Fadl, daughter of Harith, sent him (Fadl, i.e. her son) to Sayyidina Mu'awiya (RA) 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. Sayyidina Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas (RA) asked me (about the new moon of Ramadan) and said: When did you see it? I said.: We saw it on the night of Friday. He said: (Did) you see it yourself? -I said: Yes, and the people also saw it and they observed fast and Mu'awiya also observed fast, whereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we would continue to observe fast till we complete thirty (lasts) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal). I said: Is the sightidg of the moon by Mu'awiya not valid for you? He said: No; this is how the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) has commanded us. Yahya b. Yahya was in doubt (whether the word used in the narration by Kuraib) was Naktafi or Taktafi. [Muslim]
Mixing Hanafi/Hanbali Madhabs and accepting Saudi sighting outside of Saudia?
The issue with accepting the sighting of the crescent from Saudi Arabia (outside of it) poses additional problems as follows:
- Hanafi Madhab (Global Sighting Preferred): If someone wants to apply the ruling of the Hanafi Madhab that sighting of any place on earth is acceptable then they must also apply the ruling that the sighting must be done by a large body of people when the horizons are clear
- Hanbali Madhab (Local Sighting Preferred): If someone wants to accept Saudi sighting done by 1-2 individuals based on the Hanbali Madhab then they must also take into account that Hanbali Madhab doesn’t call for the sighting of one location to be applied globally, rather local sighting is preferred.
Jazakullah Khairun