Rulings on Moon Sighting and Fasting on the Day of Doubt in Islamic Jurisprudence

Abstract

The Prophet ﷺ found the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura, so he asked them. They replied: "This is the day on which Allah saved Moses." He said: "We have more right to Moses than you." So the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions began fasting the 10th of Muharram, and they were keen on that, until the Qur'an was revealed making the fasting of the month of Ramadan obligatory. Thus the obligation of fasting Ashura was abrogated, and it remained a recommended act And Allah made fasting Ramadan obligatory, and made its fasting dependent on sighting the crescent moon, or completing thirty days of Sha'ban. However, the scholars differed regarding the criterion for establishing the new moons. Some of them said that what is considered is mere sighting or the testimony of trustworthy witnesses, while others went to the extent of relying on astronomical calculations to establish the beginning of the month or not Based on that, the issue of differing horizons arose. The majority of scholars held the view that if the crescent moon is sighted in one country, then fasting or breaking the fast becomes obligatory upon the rest of the countries, and this is the preponderant opinion.