Lesson 1 – Sighting of the Moon
“Fast when you see the new moon, i.e., of Ramadhaan, and you stop fasting when you see the crescent, i.e., the new moon of Shawwal, and if the sky is overcast, which means you cannot see the moon then complete 30 days of Shabaan.” (Sahih Bukhari Vol.3 Hadith 1909) now lets start the dua of sighting the new moon of ramadan course now.
Introduction of Dua of Sighting The New Moon of Ramadan
Sighting the moon of Ramadan is an important process as the beginning of every new Islamic month is marked by the moon. There is a dua of sighting the new moon of Ramadan. When a new moon is spotted, Muslims start fasting. Today we will discuss the queries related to the sighting of the moon.
Ramadan Moon Sighting Dua
The dua of sighting the new moon of Ramadan is:
“O Allah, let the crescent moon appear over us with security and Iman; with peace and Islam; and with ability, for us to practice such actions which you love. (O Moon) your creator and my creator is Allah.”
The dua of sighting the new moon of Ramadan holds a high significance. Muslims should recite the dua of sighting the new moon of Ramadan when looking for the moon.
How to Sight the Moon for Ramadan?
Ramadan moon sighting Dua is important to sight the moon. If two witnesses give Shahadah about the sighting of the moon, we can start and end our fast. We have to sight the moon with our eyesight. Ramadan moon sighting Dua can help us sight the moon with the help of Allah.
Testimony
If two people testify, then we can start and end Ramadan. The next question is that what type of people are those whose testimonies are accepted? Holy Prophet (PBUH) said:
” If 2 just Muslims,” just Muslims, “if they site the moon then you can start fasting or you can stop fasting.” (Sunan Nasai Hadith 2118)
The condition for these “just Muslims” is that they must be Aadil. Aadil is an Arabic word that means upright and straight. It means that the people testifying perform good deeds and stay away from all the major sins. They must be trustworthy. Muslims should recite the Ramadan moon sighting Dua and look to spot the moon using their eyesight.
The question about whether women’s testimony is acceptable or not has different opinions.
Astronomical Evidence
Can we use astronomical evidence to sight the moon? It is totally wrong to use astronomical evidence to sight the moon of Ramadan. Astronomical evidence is never as accurate and reassuring as seeing the moon with your own eyes.
Prophet (PBUH) mentioned that we are an “illiterate” nation, and we don’t use astronomical evidence. The word “illiterate” wasn’t to devalue us. It was rather that our religion is so simple that we can sight the moon with our own eyes.
The use of astronomical evidence is also wrong because only a few people have a grip on astronomical education. If we give them the power to decide the beginning and end of Ramadan, simple men will not be followed. We cannot use astronomical evidence even to confirm the Shahadah as there will be doubts about the person who gave the Shahadah. The dua of sighting the new moon of Ramadan is enough, along with the eyesight to spot the moon.
Use of Telescope
The use of a telescope is allowed as while using a telescope, we are using our own eyes. The telescope just improves our visibility. It is just like wearing a set of binoculars to make eyesight better. Therefore, the use of a telescope is allowed.
To learn more about the Ramadan moon sighting Dua and spotting the moon, join our exclusive session with Dr. Zakir Naik.
