The confirmation of the month of Ramadan is through the sighting of the moon or completion of the month

The authentic guidance in regards to the sighting of the moon for the blessed month of Ramadan that Allah has blessed His sincere servants with in accordance to the Book and the Sunnah. 

In the name of Allah the most Beneficent the most Merciful, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his companions, and those who follow.

Worship actions are decreed (the act, the form, the time, etc.) from Allah praise be to Him, therefore, their beginning and their end are in accordance to the Islamic law.  Thus, the beginning of prayer is marked by opening takbeerah and its exit is marked by the salutation. And as such the hajj has its time and date, and the entrance of Ramadan and its exit are by the sighting of the moon. 

The pillar of fasting is an act of worship that Allah praise be to Him has made obligatory on us. It is obligatory upon the Muslim to know the rulings regarding the entrance of the month of Ramadan and it’s exit. So that he/she may fulfill this act of worship in the way it is requested.  

How is the entrance of the month of Ramadan affirmed or proved?

It is known that the religion of Islam is a religion of ease in its legislation and from its ease is: knowledge of the entrance of the blessed month of Ramadan and its departure. There are  two ways to know the entrance and departure of this month: 

-       The first: sighting the crescent of the month of Ramadan and the crescent of the month of Shawwal

-       The second: completing 30 days for the month of Sha’aban if a crescent is not sighted on the 30th night of Sha’aban

And this is proven in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet peace be upon him and among the knowledgeable scholars and among the four schools.

And the evidence for this is Allah the Almighty’s words: “So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must observe Saum (fasts) that month” Albaqara: 185

On the authority of Ibn Umar who said: The Messenger of Allah - may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him - said: “Do not fast until you see the crescent , and do not break your fast until you see it and if it is overcast for you, then complete the period of thirty .” Narrated by AlBukhari and Muslim and the wording is from Muslim. 

On the authority of Ibn Umar who said: The Messenger of Allah - may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him - said: “Do not fast until you see the crescent , and do not break your fast until you see it and if it is not clear for you due to clouds, then complete the month thirty.” Narrated by AlBukhari

On the authority of Hudhayfah may Allah be pleased with him who said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Do not fast (for Ramadan) before the coming of the month until you sight the crescent or complete the number (of thirty days); then fast until you sight the crescent or complete the number (of thirty days).” 

On the authority of Ibn Umar - may Allah be pleased with them - on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, that he said: We are an illiterate nation, we do not write or use calculation, the month is like this and so and so. I mean once twenty-nine, and once thirty. (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) 

The Prophet may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him said, "Start fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ramadan), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha'ban." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

And he, may Allah’s peace and prayers be upon him did not say: “ask the mathematicians and astronomers”  

This is what the prophet- may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him- has ordered, and he acted upon it as well. Ramadan has never entered or departed except with the stated two ways.  

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said; "A Bedouin came to the Prophet and said: 'I have sighted the crescent.' He said: 'Do you bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger?' He said: 'Yes.' So the Prophet gave the call saying: 'Fast."'

And on the authority of Abdullah ibn Omar: The people looked for the moon, so I informed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that I had sighted it. He fasted and commanded the people to fast. 

It was narrated that ‘Umair bin Anas bin Malik said: “My paternal uncles among the Ansar who were among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told me: ‘The new crescent of Shawwal was covered with clouds, so we fasted the next day. Then some riders came at the end of the day and testified to the Prophet (ﷺ) that they had seen the new crescent the night before. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded them to break their fast and to go out to offer the ‘Eid prayer the following morning.’”

The mentioned hadith above contain or include numerous benefits and rulings relating to fasting Ramadan and breaking fast from it:

1) The recurrence of the ahadeeth that command the fasting of Ramadan with the sighting of the crescent, and breaking fasting with the sighting of the Shawwal crescent, and to complete the period to 30 days if the crescent is not sighted or the sky is overcast.

2) The prohibition of fasting Ramadan and breaking fast from the month until the crescent is sighted, or for the completion of the 30-day period 

3) Negating the use of the book and mathematical or astronomical calculations upon the nation of the prophet (ﷺ) regarding matters of the crescent as the sighting of the crescent is sufficient or completing the 30-day period. And therefore Al-Nawawi said: he who says of astronomical calculations, then his saying is rejected with the prophet’s (ﷺ) saying: “We are an illiterate nation, we do not write or count”

-       Meaning we are a nation that relies upon the necessary knowledge that is acquired through the senses that an illiterate depends on. We also rely on the mind or brain to which it has the natural instinctive intuition that has no relation with being common or ignorant. We do not take pride in illiteracy, and we do not take pride in throwing knowledge or science behind our backs, however, this is a description of the nature of  the share’aa provisions, and from the side of eliminating the astronomical calculations and replacing it with what is more clear and concise which is the crescent.  

Therefore, entering and exiting Ramadan are completed in one of two ways, either you sight the crescent and you begin your fast, and if the crescent is not sighted, then Sha’ban is 30 days instead of 29.

And upon this, the above mentioned ahadith attest to it. 

Anything other than the prescribed methods described above to ascertain the entering and exiting of Ramadan, whether it is done through astronomical calculations or in other ways, is considered invalid for the following reasons: 

First: innovating in the deen

-       Allah the Almighty says: “ And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination.”

-       The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “ Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not of it will have it rejected” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). 

Second: opposing the confirmed evidence about the prophet (ﷺ) regarding the entrance of the month and its departure with the sighting of the crescent or the completion of the 30 day period if the crescent is not observed.

-       And a plethora of sufficient evidence has been mentioned to shed light into this matter and only those that are deprived will reject or oppose this evidence.

Third: embracing what the messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has prohibited upon his nation by acting upon the calculation to determine the beginning and the end of the month

-       And the proof for this is the prophet’s (ﷺ) saying: We are an illiterate nation, we do not write or count, the month is like this and so and so . I mean once twenty-nine, and once thirty. (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)  

Fourth: opposing the authentic and affirmed Sunnah of the prophet (ﷺ) in accepting the testimony of righteous witnesses among Muslims on observing the crescent when the month of Ramadan begins and ends and acting upon it.

-       And this is truly a serious matter as Allah the Almighty said: “So let those who disobey his orders beware, for an affliction may befall them, or a painful torment may overtake them.”

Fifth: upholding actions based on the calculations over actions ordered by the Sunnah

-       This entails the opposition and the rejection of the Sunnah of the prophet (ﷺ) and its punishment is deleterious and disastrous. We ask Allah to protect us all. 

Sixth: the assertion in their tongues and actions that acting upon the astronomical calculations is more accurate and precise and easier than what the prophet (ﷺ) has commanded

-       The prophet (ﷺ) said: “the religion is simple”

-       And Allah the Almighty legislated our religion in this manner and He the Almighty said: “Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you.”

Fear Allah O servants of Allah and know that you will all stand in front of your Lord the Almighty and upon your sayings and your actions you will be asked; Allah the Almighty said: “And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allah)”

And know that the first thing that a servant will be asked in his grave is was he upon the Sunnah of the prophet (ﷺ), following it or opposing it; the prophet (ﷺ) said about the believer at the time of questioning in the grave: “Two angels will come to him, make him sit up and ask him: Who is your Lord? He will reply: My Lord is Allah. They will ask him: What is your religion? He will reply: My religion is Islam. They will ask him: What is your opinion about the man who was sent on a mission among you? He will reply: He is the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). They will ask: Who made you aware of this? He will reply: I read Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true; which is verified by Allah's words: "Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true, which is verified by Allah's words: "Allah establishes those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world and the next."

Brother, do not purposefully oppose or reject the authenticated and affirmed ahadith about the prophet (ﷺ) for this is a dangerous matter as it encompasses contradiction and opposition of the prophet (ﷺ) and following a path that strays from that of the believers. Allah the Almighty has promised those that oppose the prophet (ﷺ) with the hardest of punishment as He the Almighty said: :“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination.”

Know servants of Allah: from the signs of obedience of Allah (عز وجل) is the obedience of the prophet (ﷺ)

اللهم قد بلغت اللهم فأشهد

O Allah I have conveyed, O Allah be my witness.