What is your opinion of one who relies on astronomical observatories as evidence for the permissibility of fasting and sighting the crescent moon?

The questioner : What is your opinion of one who relies on the sighting of the crescent moon by astronomical observatories as evidence for the permissibility of fasting?

The Shaykh : We do not consider that permissible.

The questioner : With evidence?

The Shaykh : In his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): meaning: 30 and 29, and his saying (peace be upon him) in this hadith and others: , and the command here is for its sighting by visual sight, not by calculation or by an instrument added to the sight that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created. So his saying: , it is as if (peace and blessings be upon him) wants this Ummah to remain upon visual sighting and not to assist it with astronomical calculations. And what is said that visual sighting may err, and some objections are raised against it, this is first: a matter excused by the Shari'ah. And with that, second: what comes of error to astronomical sighting also comes to visual sighting. And third and finally: since our Shari'ah is a general Shari'ah suitable for every time and place, such that he (peace and blessings be upon him) made this sign by which every person with sight can know the emergence of the crescent, its rising, the beginning of the month, and its end, whereas if the matter were tied to astronomical calculation, the determination of the Shari'ah month would be restricted to a group of people, whereas the Shari'ah determination is for all people. And therefore, it is not befitting that what was a general evidence in the Sunnah be transformed and restricted to a group of people without the general public. That is a facilitation from your Lord and a mercy, so it is obligatory to stand at this... As for 'Isha, when the sun sets, the red twilight appears. If you have ever seen that, the continuation of the red twilight means the continuation of the time of Maghrib. When the red twilight sets, the time of 'Isha enters. So they call the adhan for 'Isha now about an hour and a quarter after the adhan of Maghrib, yes, whereas the red twilight sets more than half an hour before that.

The questioner : You mean my estimate?

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : This timing is an estimate, but for the sake of estimation...?

The Shaykh : But my estimate may expose the prayer to invalidity. Here I said earlier that if they delay the prayer of 'Isha, that is better, , so the prayer of 'Isha is in the night. But hastening the prayer of Fajr exposes people to the invalidity of the prayer. The matter...

The questioner : Especially in Ramadan.

The Shaykh : This is not considered from the perspective of precaution and... as we said earlier, the important thing is that these Shari'ah timings today, no one observes them. The scholars of knowledge are occupied with drawing the attention of the Muslims, especially the people of authority and decision, that they must observe these Shari'ah timings, otherwise the prayer and worship, such as fasting, are exposed to invalidity.

The questioner : Okay; is there a book that details these matters, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : I have not learned of that.

The questioner : Okay; may Allah put blessing in you.

The Shaykh : By Allah, as you know, we are not sufficient.

The questioner : No, I mean—what Allah willed, Blessed is Allah!—it is as if you are a professor of geography...

The Shaykh : I said earlier that some of the nobles authored on that, like "Taqi al-Din al-Halali," and a Kuwaiti, I forgot what his name is... he has a printed thesis in Kuwait.

The questioner : Recently?

The Shaykh : Yes, it may be from a few years ago.

Another questioner : ... timings of the prayer.

The Shaykh : "Timings of the prayer."