{"_id":"687effd77f0c1438e61c79c4","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Can Shafi'is follow global moon sightings?\\n\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Do Shafi'i jurists consider global moon sightings valid, or must the crescent be sighted locally for someone living in a non-Muslim country to begin a new Islamic month?\\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"According to Shāfiʿījurists, moon sightings are not global. The school holds the principle of ikhtilāf al-maṭāliʿ (variation in moonrise zones). Hence,  a sighting in one region does not automatically apply to all other regions, especially those with different moonrise times.\\n\\nInstead, the Shāfiʿī school requires the sighting to occur:\\nLocally, or\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"In a region that shares a similar moonrise zone, technically defined as having the same rise and set times of the celestial bodies, particularly the sun and moon. This is measured by a deviation of no more than 8 astronomical degrees, which translates to approximately 32 minutes of moonrise difference between two locations.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"\\nTherefore, in a non-Muslim country, a Muslim must determine the start of the new month through:\\nA reliable local moonsighting, or\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"A valid sighting from a region that shares the same maṭlaʿ (moonrise zone),\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"Or complete 30 days of the current month if no valid sighting occurs.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668da0190b76658b4c232e19","tag":"Moonsighting","count":7}],"createdOn":"2025-07-22T03:04:55.440Z"}