Should Muslims Follow Moon Sighting or Astronomical Calculations for Ramadan?
During Ramadan of 2021, the scholars of SeekersGuidance Arabiyya held daily lessons on various topics throughout the month. The lessons have been translated for the benefit of our English-speaking audience. Shaykh Moayad Khalifa gave the second lesson.
Different Approaches
There are several approaches to whether or not Muslim experts in the field should accept the calculations. Some said that the scholars of fiqh initially rejected the statements of astrologers (not astronomers). Some contemporary scholars say that those scholars rejected the statements of astrologers who relied on calculations and jinn. However, today’s astronomers have developed a nearly certain science. The chance for the error therein does not exceed a fraction of a percentage. It’s pretty much certain.
The main point is that there are different approaches to this issue. The four main schools, except for an extremely rare minority, say that astronomical calculations are not to be relied upon, even if done by experts and even in their own personal practice of the religion. This is because the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) tied the start of the month to sighting only.
He (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Fast when you see it, and end your fast when you see it. If it is cloudy above you, then estimate it to be thirty.”
The Lawgiver also invalidated the practice of calculation when the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“We are an unlettered nation; we do not read, and we do not calculate.”
Other Opinions
The second opinion is that we may depend on the calculations, but not to mandate any actions. It is permissible, but does it make any action mandatory? No, it does not. This is the opinion of Qadi Abdul Jabbar.
The third opinion is that they are relied upon for the practice of the astronomer alone. This is the opinion of Ibn Surayj, one of the significant Shafi‘i scholars.
The fourth opinion is that their calculations can be relied upon if they are a large group of astronomy experts. This is the opinion of Muhammad ibn Muqatil al-Razi. The condition is that the majority of them agree.
The fifth opinion is that their calculations may be relied upon unrestrictedly, and this is the opinion of the great Imam Subki, one of the significant Shafi‘i scholars, who defended this position. Mustafa al-Zarqa (Allah have mercy on him and raise his status) is a contemporary scholar who held and defended this opinion.
The View of Shaykh Ahmed Shakir
The great scholar Ahmed Shakir also authored a work on establishing the new moon by calculation. In this book of his, in which he addressed the matter extensively, his opinion summarizes that it is valid to set the start of the month by the astronomical calculation based on the fact that the ruling for establishing it through sighting is conditional.
This is a beautiful angle from Shaykh Ahmed Shakir. He said that the ruling for establishing it through sighting is conditional. The condition is that which the hadith mentioned explicitly. They were an illiterate nation at that time, overwhelmingly unable to read and calculate. He said, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) attached the ruling of the sighting to a condition,” certainly, there is extensive back-and-forth in this discussion, but I am just quoting what he said. I am not claiming it to be the standard, as it is also problematic to make the ruling conditional.
He said that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) attached the ruling to a condition: they were illiterate people who did not read nor calculate. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not want us to remain a nation that does not read or calculate. Rather, the first action that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) took was that he commanded some captives to teach the Muslims how to read as a ransom for themselves. Thus, the ruling is tied to a condition. It is known that a ruling is affirmed when its conditional cause is present and is removed in its absence.
He then held that we should rely on the astronomical calculations by a trustworthy and large group of experts, as the ruling tied to the condition that the hadith itself stated clearly is now absent. That cause is that they were an illiterate nation who did not read or calculate. Now, we are a nation that calculates and precisely knows the moon’s phases. Astronomy is now taught in non-advanced settings as well – at intermediate levels. Now, we have scholars who are astute experts and righteous and God-fearing.
Thus, he says that the ruling is eliminated when the conditional cause is eliminated, as a ruling is tied to the presence and absence of its conditional cause.
Solitary View
This is also the opinion that Shaykh Qaradawi holds as well. But he said their calculations are to be taken in denying a possibility only (and perhaps we can take this as a new opinion), not in affirming the moon, as we should remain dependent upon confirming the moon through sighting only. And so, Qaradawi combined the two views. He did not negate the sighting, as Ahmed Shakir did, but he did not choose to rely on it entirely.
He says that if it is certainly confirmed that it is impossible to see the new moon on a particular day, but witnesses come to confirm that they did see it, we would reject their claim. So, we take the calculations of astronomers when it comes to negation. We can confirm that this day is “not” Ramadan, but we cannot act upon their calculation to confirm the start of the month. He cites as proof for this hadith, “If it is cloudy above you, then count it,” without any addition of the words “as thirty.”
Shaykh Ahmad Shakir attempted to act upon both narrations, as why should we say that one narration is an explanation for another when we can say that the hadith that instructs to count it as thirty is meant for a population without access to astronomical calculations. The second narration that only says, “count it,” means to count it according to the moon’s phases, and so it means “calculate the phases of the moon and the new moon.” They said that we should understand the first narration to apply to a population with no access to scholars, while the second narration, which states, “count it,” without any addition, is for those who know the calculations of the moon’s phases. This is an address to experts in that science.
Other than Shaykh Qaradawi, they said that the calculations may be relied upon with two conditions:
- A large group of them agree and are trustworthy and
- This is only when the sky is cloudy. If the sky is clear, then their calculations are not accepted.
The Point of This Discussion
I spoke at length on this issue to reach a conclusion. This is a matter that is discussed and disagreed upon at great lengths. And many countries have adopted the third opinion: they rely on astronomical calculations. This is especially the case in Europe and Turkey, where they rely on astronomical calculations. Turkey even founded a large organization, including the most respected astronomy experts who are trustworthy and have reached extensive degrees of precision in their calculation skills. This organization includes many scholars from many different Islamic countries. There are many people of knowledge in this organization who are trusted and pious.
And – here is the point – Turkey depends on this calculation and chooses it as its standard. They adopted the opinion of some scholars, even if their opinion contradicts that of most scholars. As the principle states, “The judge’s decision eliminates disagreement.” If a judge chooses an opinion that is disagreed upon, the choice of the ruler and the judge becomes the standard. It is to be as if there is no other opinion other than that one after that.
The issue then becomes as if there is only one opinion after the judge chooses it. This is more conducive to preserving the executive power of the state and preserving its respect and is more conducive to the unity of the Muslims, allowing them to stay together and avoid dispersion. It cannot be fathomed that after the official judge makes a decision, any other opinion will be entertained, or each group will take a different opinion.
In Turkey, for example, if some were to take the opinion of the Shafi‘is and some the opinion of the Hanafis, chaos would ensue everywhere. And so you would have Eid on one day in Fatih, for example, while the people in Gebze are fasting. This would be chaos! This is unacceptable according to the Sharia.
Elimination of Confusion
One of the most beautiful principles of Islam is that which states that a judge’s decision eliminates disagreement and removes confusion. Based on this, if the ruler chooses any of the aforementioned opinions (either the opinion of the overwhelming majority that the new moon is only established through the two standard methods, or the minority opinion that the new moon can be established through calculation as held by Muhammad bin Muqatil, Ibn Surayj, and Subki, and more contemporary scholars), then the Muslims must follow what the judge and ruler of their locale have chosen. This is stronger and more conducive to the unity of the Muslims, helps avoid dispersion, and helps silence the noise and useless discussions.
As I said, it would not be accepted within Islam, which calls the Muslims to be one nation in all of its matters, for people to take different opinions, resulting in some fasting while others are celebrating, each of them refuting the other and creating a mess at which our enemies would laugh. This is how the tenants of a nation are dissolved, and its reverence is lost, and the Muslims show themselves in an unbefitting light. And so a judge’s decision eliminates all disagreement, and we are to follow what the official judges and rulers choose in our countries.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all creation.
