A Series of Reminders About The Month of Ramaḍān – No.11

Astrological Calculations Are Not Depended Upon For The Start Of Ramaḍān

Sh. Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān حفظه الله إيمانه stated: “And it is not permissible to fix the commencement of fasting for Ramaḍān upon astrological calculation because it is the work of man in which one may be correct or mistaken, and it is not something that everyone can perform.

Rather, he commanded us to fast based on the sighting of the crescent. And this sightings, regardless if it is with the naked eye or a magnifying mechanism such as telescopes in observatories or other magnifying tools, does not remove this from the realm of being a ‘sighting’.

Instead, it is a sighting via an object (used to magnify) and as such, there is nothing prohibiting the usage of magnifying tools and observatories to sight the crescent. However, using these tools is not an obligation.”

● [شرح الزاد المستقنع ج ٢، ص ٣٣٧]

اللهم بلغنا رمضان بالصحة والعافية