Understanding Moonsighting in Today’s World


As fasting the month of Ramadaan is a pillar of Islam, the criteria that mark the beginning and the conclusion of Ramadaan is set by Islam as well. Sighting the crescent to determine when the holy month of Ramadan begins is not the only moonsighting which concerns Muslims.

The crescent moon marks the beginning of each lunar month in Islam, as Allaah ﷻ stated in the Qur’aan in what may be translated as,

“They ask you [O Muhammad] about the crescent moons, Say, ‘They are measurements of time for the people and for hajj (pilgrimage).'” [Surat Al-Baqarah, verse 189]

The relevant committee continues to sight the moon towards the end of Ramadaan to sight the crescent that determines the beginning of the month of Shawwal and Eid al-Fitr and to later determine it’s the month of Dhu al-Qidah which Dhu al-Hijjah, that has to do with pilgrimage and Eid al-Adha, follows. These three months are what determine when Muslims fast, break fast and perform pilgrimage.

Is moonsighting essential?

Before now, Muslim scholars agreed on a certain method to decide the start and end of the month of Ramaḍaan. In the last few years, advancements in communications and media have turned the world into a small village creating a new context where matters concerning trans-national relations are involved. A second new context may also be related to the presence of many Muslims in countries that lack one single Muslim authority.

Although, it is not uncommon to find different Muslim countries beginning and ending of Islamic months on varying days. According to experts, this is because of the method they use to determine the month’s beginning and end. There are five main ways Muslims worldwide determine the Islamic dates:

  • Some countries go by actual physical sighting of the moon. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UK, the United States, Canada and the West Indies uses this method.
  • Some countries calculate different things about the position of the moon. Saudi Arabia, for example, calculates when is the new moon is born and then follow these calculations when deciding when an Islamic month begins and ends.
  • Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei determine Islamic events and dates by the calculation of the position of the moon at sunset in their country. If the moon is two degrees above the horizon and three degrees away from the sun then they consider that the new month has begun.
  • In Egypt, if the moon sets five minutes after sunset in their country, then they consider that the moon has been sighted. They do not require physical sighting.
  • Some countries follow the decisions of other Muslim countries. Syria, Turkey and Iraq often follow Egypt’s decision or Saudi Arabia’s. The Gulf countries and some European countries also follow Saudi Arabia’s decision.

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