Crescent Sighting FAQs
Notes Regarding our Advance Eid Announcement:
1. Since Baitul Ilm's establishment in 2003, we have made an advance announcement regarding Eid to assist our community members in planning their work, school, and personal schedules. The announcement is made for the benefit of those who rely on our expertise and on the basis of the relevant religious rulings and scientific data.
2. Baitul Ilm independently applies the relevant fiqhi rulings for the crescent sighting, unless there is a direct announcement from the marji's office that applies to the United States.
3. Although the advance announcement is made with a high degree of confidence, a final and definitive announcement is only made once confirmation of crescent sighting is received.
4. Baitul Ilm's community members follow a number of different maraji'. Although it is not possible to mention the rulings of all qualified mujtahids, Baitul Ilm strives to provide guidance according to the rulings of those maraji' who have a following in our community. Baitul Ilm holds all of our maraji' and their followers in equal esteem and strives to facilitate their religious observance.
Article on Moon Sighting in Islamic Jurisprudence
FAQ on Moonsighting
Do the Islamic months begin from when the crescent becomes visible, or from when there is an actual sighting?
In general, the maraji' agree that actual sighting of the crescent is not required, and that certainty about its visibility is sufficient. In some cases, such certainty is difficult to attain unless there is a confirmed sighting.
The main difference among the maraji' pertains not to whether visibility is sufficient, but to what is meant by "visibility." For example, some require visibility by the naked eye, while others permit visibility with optical aids. However, in both cases, certainty about visibility according to the relevant standard is sufficient, and an actual sighting is not required.
Can visibility of the crescent be determined with certainty in advance?
Unlike the birth or position of the moon, the visibility of the crescent is a matter of probability and depends on numerous factors. For this reason, the place of first visibility can not be scientifically pinpointed with certainty.
However, for the majority of places on earth, the probability of crescent visibility can be determined scientifically and well in advance with a high degree of confidence. In some places, the crescent is certain to be invisible. In other places, it is certain to be visible to the naked eye. And in other places, the probability of visibility will vary.
Is "religiously valid" testimony required in order to establish the sighting of the crescent?
The sighting of the crescent can be determined by several methods. If a person has certainty (yaqin or itminaan) that a particular sighting report is valid, it is not required to have the testimony of a bayyinah (two religiously just, believing men). Detailed rulings about ascertaining the validity of a reported sighting can be found in books of religious law.
Should all believers follow a single marji` in their taqlid so as to have unity with regard to the day of Eid?
The diversity of opinion and rulings among maraji' is a source of strength and vitality for the Shi'i school. As both a matter of principle and a matter of practicality, it is not possible for all believers to follow a single marji' or to assume all maraji' will agree on a single ruling.
Baitul Ilm believes that efforts to impose a single marji' al-taqlid or to promote a "default" marji' for the community can actually lead to more divisions and ill will. As a result, we affirm that each individual's taqlid is a matter of personal conscience, and Baitul Ilm strives to facilitate the religious observance of the followers of the various maraji'.
Why are there sometimes differences about the beginning of the month even with regard to the ruling of the same mujtahid?
In Islam, a mujtahid's ruling gives the standard for the religious ruling. The application of that standard is the job of the individual believer, and not the mujtahid. Depending on their knowledge and experience, it is possible that people may differ with regard to the application of a particular ruling.
For example, Sayyid Khoei and several other maraji' consider a crescent sighting to be valid for all places that share the same night, even if they are outside the visibility curve of the original sighting location. This is the "standard," or "ruling," which is given by the jurist. The application of this ruling depends on the actual sighting, and it is possible that some people will have access to and will trust the validity of a particular sighting while others will not. The first group will consider the new month to have started for all places sharing a night with the sighting location, while the second group will not.
