What is your opinion on announcing fasting based on astronomical calculations?

The questioner : The issue is that if some or many countries now announce the end of fasting and the start of fasting based on calculations, a month or two before Ramadan begins?

The Shaykh : Yes, and this happened in America. In America, there was a man, seemingly a Pakistani astronomer, and there are Islamic groups there, as you know. They said that three Muslims came and testified that they saw the crescent moon. The astronomer stood up and rejected their testimony based on his astronomical knowledge. He said that the first witness stated, "I saw the moon in such and such a direction," naturally specifying it relative to the country. He said, "Astronomically, it is impossible to see it in that direction," and the same for the second and third witnesses, and so on, thus rejecting the testimony based on astronomy. By Allah, I am fully convinced that when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) legislated what He legislated for the Muslim community, it contained guidance and light first, and ease and the removal of hardship and difficulty second. So when He said: He addressed Muslims who are on their natural disposition, even if they are illiterate, uneducated, and unlearned. This is from the Lord of the Worlds affirming the universality of Islam and that it is suitable to be applied in every time and every place. So every people can apply it, whatever their culture, whatever their illiteracy, because He returned the matter to visual sight. But if the matter is returned to scientific visual observation, this matter will become dependent on certain individuals, on certain individuals. And then, are these individuals required to possess what all jurists require of a witness if he claims to have seen the crescent, that he be righteous? Must he be an astronomer! Who is going to judge whether you accept his testimony or not, especially since his testimony is based on knowledge he claims, and the entire public cannot participate in it with him? And I understand, and Allah knows best, that the truth is that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: it does not mean that he is imposing on the Muslim community that they remain ignorant of writing and reading and the like. Rather, it is their characteristic of illiteracy regarding this ruling concerning visual sight. He said: meaning sometimes thirty days and sometimes twenty-nine. Here, in reality, there is a lesson. What is the goal that these people strive for when they raise their heads with their clamor that we must rule by astronomical science because visual sight may err? What is the goal? They say: eliminating the disagreement occurring among the peoples of Muslims. I believe that in this request, which is to make astronomical science the judge, the disagreement will remain, at least it will be said that the moon is seen in such and such a country and not seen in such and such a country, and they agree on such matters. So what is the solution? There is no solution except returning to the ruling of the Shari'ah. Then there is a terrible boldness regarding the status of Prophethood and Messengership. He says to us: You come and say, "No, I write and I calculate and I know astronomical science, and therefore the crescent should be established for entry or exit by astronomical science." I bring this matter close to you, Professor, that if we introduce astronomical science into the rulings of the Shari'ah, we will be afflicted with what afflicted the Jews and the Christians before us.
I had read in some of the scientific magazines I read a theory that does not occur to the minds of us who are not afforded the opportunity to study modern astronomical or geographical sciences. But in the past of my life, I had leisure for reading in various sciences as far as I could. So I learned from these readings that when the sun rises and we see it on the peak of the mountain, knowing that it has not yet risen here at the mountain, and it is here, the disk of the sun, science says: it is still here in the back, but the light rays have reflected so that we see the sun above the peak, and it is when it rises above the peak. So now we fall into a "hivsa bayisa" (a state of confusion). Ordinary sight says the sun has risen, science says: no, it has not risen and it is still behind the mountain!

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes? At that point, when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says: , it means that there is a complete contradiction here when we see the sun on the peak of the mountain at sunset, in their claim that it has set, but it is the rays that are reflected, and the opposite is exactly the opposite. Therefore, guidance and peace are in following the Shari'ah, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad, who said: . You, perhaps, you received the answer in the middle of the conversation? Did you see how the people of kashf (unveiling) are? That is it, he took the answer.

Another questioner : Regarding what we have in America, sometimes it happens, for example, 'Id al-Adha, as the brother mentioned, that in a year some groups announced it as 'Id and some groups did not announce it as 'Id. So some distances become very long, and we are a very small group. So we perform it again, we go together, we gather, and we perform it with a sermon and we apply the Shari'ah. Is it permissible for a small group to perform the 'Id? 'Id al-Adha, of course.

The Shaykh : The answer of one who is incapable like me in this matter is that it is not permissible for you to settle in those countries.