Friday 19 Ramadan 1445 - 29 March 2024
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There is nothing wrong with sighting the moon by means of modern instruments

Question

Is it essential that the moon be sighted with the naked eye, or can we use telescopes and modern instruments?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

The shar’i evidence indicates that people should not go to great lengths to sight the moon with these instruments; rather it is sufficient to sight it with their eyes. But if a person seeks the moon with them and is certain that he has seen it by means of them after the sun has set, and he is a Muslim of good character, then I do not know of any reason why his sighting of the moon should not be followed, because it is still a visual sighting and is not calculation. End quote. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) 

Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah (15/68, 69)

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Source: Islam Q&A