Combining the establishment of the month by the testimony of one person with the exit of the moon-sighting committees

The questioner:
The questioner says: I am confused about reconciling the reports that the beginning of Ramadan is established by the testimony of one person and its end by the testimony of two, with the practice of committees going out to sight the crescent moon.

The Shaykh:
What do they do?

The questioner:
Committees going out to sight the crescent moon.

The Shaykh:
There is no problem with that, my brother. The committees go out to sight the moon; they exert effort to see it and search for it. If there is more than one person, it is closer to seeing it, as they cooperate in that.
That is the intention. It is not necessary for the committee to see it. You are imagining that the entire committee must see it. No, if one person from the committee sees it—one who is trustworthy and just—his testimony is accepted. It is not necessary that only the entire committee sees it. No, if one of them sees it, that is sufficient, or if someone other than the committee sees it. If news comes from any part of the country that one person saw it, and it is established before the judge according to the Shari'ah that he saw it, this is accepted. Yes.