{"_id":"668da0910b76658b4c233aa0","title":"What is the fiqh of moonsighting for Ramadan?","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"What is the fiqh behind moonsighting vs. calculations when determining when Ramadan begins or ends?\\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Moonsighting\"},{\"attributes\":{\"header\":1},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"All four sunni schools of fiqh unanimously agree that naked-eye sighting of the moon is how islamic months are determined. Then they differed on whether the sighting was global or local.\\n\\n\\nCalculations\"},{\"attributes\":{\"header\":1},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"Regarding calculations, within the Shāfiʿī school, there is a minority of scholars who said that if a person uses astronomical calculations to determine that the moon is in the sky whereby it would be visible to the naked eye if it were not for atmospheric conditions making it not visible, then this person can begin or end their fast based on their calculations. \\n\\nThen they disagreed on whether or not other people can follow this person and whether or not this person’s fast would fulfill the fast of Ramaḍān and not need to be made up. \"},{\"attributes\":{\"underline\":true},\"insert\":\"The strongest opinions regarding these matters in the Shāfiʿī school is that anyone who believes in this person’s calculation may follow them and their fast would be valid\"},{\"insert\":\". Again, this is a valid opinion in the Shāfiʿī school, even if it’s held by a minority of scholars, and even if a lot of Shāfiʿī scholars see it as problematic in the face of the Ḥadīths pertaining to moonsighting.\\n\\nAs the famous commentator on Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī Ibn Ḥajar al-Asqalānī, who was also Shāfiʿī, said: \"},{\"attributes\":{\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"“The prophet ṣalla-l-lāhu ʿalaihi wa sallam said that if we’re not able to see the moon, then we complete the month, he did not say to ask the people of calculations.”\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\nLastly, the Shāfiʿī scholars are all in agreement that the method of using calculations is only acceptable on a personal level, a Muslim government may not rely on calculations to determine the islamic months.\\n\\nPlease read this article for details on the difference between the age of the moon versus the age of the month and conjunction versus the first visible crescent. https://write.as/musabqazi/the-moon-is-too-big-so-our-eid-was-correct\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668d9fde0b76658b4c232774","tag":"Fasting: Ramadan","count":97},{"_id":"668d9fff0b76658b4c232b4b","tag":"Ramadan","count":8},{"_id":"668da0190b76658b4c232e19","tag":"Moonsighting","count":7}],"createdOn":"2024-07-09T20:41:53.052Z"}