How the Beginning of the Hijri Month is Established

Question

Peace be upon you. I would like to ask about the crescent moon of Ramadan concerning Belgium, if you please.

Answer 1

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

Ayatollah Khamenei (may Allah protect him):

- The beginning of the month is established in five ways:

1. The sighting of the crescent by the individual themselves.

2. The testimony of two just witnesses, provided that a large group does not deny the sighting and there is no strong suspicion of error regarding these witnesses.

3. A widespread acknowledgment that leads to knowledge or certainty.

4. The passage of thirty days from the beginning of the previous month.

5. The ruling of a religious authority.

- There is no difference between naked eye observation and using instruments for sighting the crescent. Just as the beginning of the month is established by naked eye sighting, it is also established if the sighting is done through binoculars or a telescope. However, establishing the beginning of the month through seeing an image of the crescent reflected on a computer screen—where the authenticity of the sighting is uncertain—is problematic.

- If the beginning of the month is established in one city, it suffices for the residents of other cities that share the same horizon. By 'shared horizon,' we mean places that are equal in terms of the possibility of sighting the crescent or not.

Source: Message on Prayer and Fasting, Fasting, Ways to Establish the Beginning of the Month

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Ayatollah Sistani (may Allah protect him):

- The crescent is established through knowledge gained from sighting, consensus, or other means, and through certainty gained from widespread acknowledgment or other rational sources. It is also established by the passage of thirty days from the crescent of Sha'ban to establish the crescent of Ramadan, or thirty days from the crescent of Ramadan to establish the crescent of Shawwal, and by the testimony of two just witnesses. It is not established by the testimony of women, nor by the testimony of one just witness even with an oath, nor by the claims of astrologers, nor by its disappearance after twilight to indicate it was for the previous night, nor by the testimony of two just witnesses if they did not witness the sighting, nor by sighting it before noon to indicate that the day of sighting belongs to the following month, nor by the crescent being encircled to indicate it was for the previous night. It is also not established by the ruling of the authority even if its correctness or the correctness of its basis is unknown; however, if its ruling or establishment provides certainty regarding the sighting in the country or its equivalent, it can be relied upon.

It is required for the sighting to be with the naked eye; if the crescent is seen through a telescope, for example, and cannot be seen without it, it is not sufficient for entering the new month.

- If the crescent is sighted in one country, it suffices for its establishment in another country that shares the same horizon, meaning that the actual sighting in the first country is concomitant with the sighting in the second country, barring any obstruction such as clouds, fog, mountains, or the like.

Source: Minhaj al-Salihin, Vol. 1, Establishing the Crescent

May you be successful in all good.