Relying on Astronomical Calculations for the Beginning and End of Fasting
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Fatwa No. ( 386 )
Q: Is it permissible for a Muslim to rely on astronomical calculations for the beginning and end of fasting, or is it necessary to see the crescent moon?
A: The Islamic Shari'ah is a lenient Shari'ah, and its rulings are general and comprehensive, covering both humans and jinn, across all their strata, whether scholars or unlettered, people of the cities or people of the desert. For this reason, Allah made the path easy for them to know the times of worship, establishing signs for the entry and exit of these times that they can all know. He made the setting of the sun and its deviation from the middle of the sky toward the west a sign for the entry of the time of
The setting of the sun marks the entry of the time for Maghrib and the exit of the time for 'Asr, and the setting of the red twilight is a sign of the entry of the time for 'Isha', for example. Making the sighting of the crescent moon after its disappearance at the end of the month a sign of the beginning of a new lunar month and the end of the previous one, and not burdening us with knowing the start of the lunar month by means that only a very few people know, namely the science of stars or astronomical calculation. In this manner, the texts of the Book and the Sunnah established the sighting and observation of the crescent moon as a sign for the beginning of the Muslims' fast in Ramadan, and breaking the fast by the sighting of the crescent of Shawwal. The same applies to establishing 'Id al-Adha and the Day of 'Arafah. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:185] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Baqarah 2:189] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 2138Sahih (Darussalam) So he (peace and blessings be upon him) made fasting contingent upon the establishment of the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan, and breaking the fast contingent upon the establishment of the sighting of the crescent of Shawwal, and did not link it to the calculation of stars and the movement of planets. This was the practice during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the four Imams, and the three centuries for which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) testified to virtue and goodness. Therefore, returning to the establishment of
the lunar months to the science of stars for the beginning of acts of worship and their conclusion without sighting is among the religious innovations that contain no good and have no basis in the Shari'ah. And the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is holding fast to what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the righteous predecessors did in establishing fasting, breaking the fast, festivals, and the times of Hajj and similar matters by the sighting of the crescent moon. All good is in following those who came before in religious affairs, and all evil is in the innovations introduced into the religion. May Allah preserve us and you and all Muslims from trials, both what is apparent and what is hidden. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q: Is it permissible for a Muslim to rely on astronomical calculations for the beginning and end of fasting, or is it necessary to see the crescent moon?
A: The Islamic Shari'ah is a lenient Shari'ah, and its rulings are general and comprehensive, covering both humans and jinn, across all their strata, whether scholars or unlettered, people of the cities or people of the desert. For this reason, Allah made the path easy for them to know the times of worship, establishing signs for the entry and exit of these times that they can all know. He made the setting of the sun and its deviation from the middle of the sky toward the west a sign for the entry of the time of
The setting of the sun marks the entry of the time for Maghrib and the exit of the time for 'Asr, and the setting of the red twilight is a sign of the entry of the time for 'Isha', for example. Making the sighting of the crescent moon after its disappearance at the end of the month a sign of the beginning of a new lunar month and the end of the previous one, and not burdening us with knowing the start of the lunar month by means that only a very few people know, namely the science of stars or astronomical calculation. In this manner, the texts of the Book and the Sunnah established the sighting and observation of the crescent moon as a sign for the beginning of the Muslims' fast in Ramadan, and breaking the fast by the sighting of the crescent of Shawwal. The same applies to establishing 'Id al-Adha and the Day of 'Arafah. Allah the Exalted said:
So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it
فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُThey ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, "They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj."
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّWhen you see it, then stop fasting, and it is obscured from you (too cloudy), then complete the count.
إذا رأيتموه فصوموا وإذا رأيتموه فأفطروا فإن غم عليكم فأكملوا العدة ثلاثينthe lunar months to the science of stars for the beginning of acts of worship and their conclusion without sighting is among the religious innovations that contain no good and have no basis in the Shari'ah. And the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is holding fast to what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the righteous predecessors did in establishing fasting, breaking the fast, festivals, and the times of Hajj and similar matters by the sighting of the crescent moon. All good is in following those who came before in religious affairs, and all evil is in the innovations introduced into the religion. May Allah preserve us and you and all Muslims from trials, both what is apparent and what is hidden. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.