#moonsighting

New Article: "If the Moon (Hilāl) of Ramadān is Sighted in a Land, Does Everyone Have to Follow? Or Should Each Land Have its Own Moon-sighting?"

If the moon is seen in one land, is everyone obligated by the sighting of that land?

It is possible that people in different lands will begin their fasting on different days in accordance with their own regional sighting of the moon or complete the thirty days of Sha’bān due to cloud cover. This happened in the time of the Sahābah yet that did not lead them to be divided or disunited, because…

When your eyes fall on the new moon, you must not point to it; rather you should turn yourself towards the kiblah, raise both your hands towards the sky, and address the new moon with the following words:

رَبّي وَرَبّكَ اللّهُ رَبّ العَالَمِينَ. Your and my Lord is Allah; the Lord of the worlds.

اللّهُمّ أَهِلّهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالأَمْنِ وَالإيمَانِ O Allah: (please do) cause this crescent to carry with it for us security and faith

وَالسّلامَةِ وَالإسْلامِ And safety and Islam

وَالمُسَارَعَةِ إلَى مَا تُحِبّ وَتَرْضَى. And expedition to whatever You love and please.

اللّهُمّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي شَهْرِنَا هذَا، O Allah: (please do) bless us in this month,

وَارْزُقْنَا خَيْرَهُ وَعَوْنَهُ، And confer upon us with its goodness and aid,

وَاصْرِفْ عَنَّا ضُرّهُ وَشَرّهُ وَبَلاءَهُ وَفِتْنَتَهُ. And save us from its harm, evil, ordeals, and sedition.

Imam Ja`far Sadiq (a.s) is also reported to have said: When you see the new moon of Ramadhan, you may say the following:

اللّهُمّ قَدْ حَضَرَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ O Allah: the month of Ramadan has commenced,

وَقَدِ افْتَرضْتَ عَلَيْنَا صِيَامَهُ، And You have made obligatory upon us to observe fasting during it,

وَأَنْزَلْتَ فِيهِ القُرْآنَ And You revealed the Qur'an in it,

هُدَىً لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيّنَاتٍ مِنَ الهُدَى وَالفُرْقَانِ. As guidance for people and clear proofs of true guidance and distinction (between the right and the wrong).

اللّهُمّ أَعِنَّا عَلَى صِيَامِهِ، O Allah: (please) help us observe fasting in it,

وَتَقَبّلْهُ مِنَّا، And accept it from us,

وَسَلّمْنَا فِيهِ، And keep us safe during it,

وَسَلّمْنَا مِنْهُ، And help us observe it adequately,

وَسَلّمْهُ لَنَا فِي يُسْرٍ مِنْكَ وَعَافِيَةٍ، And keep it sound for us with easiness and good health from You.

إنّكَ عَلَى كُلّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، You verily have power over all things.

يَا رَحْمنُ يَا رَحِيمُ. O the All-beneficent, O the All-merciful

It has been narrated that when the Holy Prophet (a.s) would see the new moon of Ramadhan, he would turn his face to the kiblah direction and say the following:

اللّهُمّ أَهِلّهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالأَمْنِ وَالإيمَانِ O Allah: (please do) cause this crescent to carry with it for us security and faith

وَالسّلامَةِ وَالإسْلامِ And safety and Islam

وَالعَافِيَةِ المُجَلّلَةِ وَدِفَاعِ الأَسْقَامِ And encompassing good health and repulsion of ailments,

وَالعَوْنِ عَلَى الصّلاةِ وَالصّيَامِ وَالقِيَامِ And assistance on praying, observing fasting, and doing acts of worship,

وَتِلاوَةِ القُرْآنِ. And on reciting the Qur'an.

اللّهُمّ سَلّمْنَا لِشَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ، O Allah: (please do) keep us sound for the month of Ramadan,

وَتَسَلّمْهُ مِنَّا، And accept our deeds during it,

وَسَلّمْنَا فِيهِ And save us during it,

حَتَّى يَنْقَضِيَ عَنَّا شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ Until the month of Ramadan will not elapse

وَقَدْ عَفَوْتَ عَنَّا وَغَفَرْتَ لَنَا وَرَحِمْتَنَا. Except that You have pardoned us, forgiven us, and had mercy upon us

It is recommended, at the sight of the new moon of Ramadhan, to say the supplication number forty-three of the al-Sahifah al-Kamilah al-Sajjadiyyah. Sayyid Ibn Tawus narrated that Imam `Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abideen (a.s), once, gazed at the new moon of Ramadhan while he was walking. He therefore stopped and said the following:

أَيّهَا الخَلْقُ المُطِيعُ، O obedient creature,

الدَّائِبُ السّرِيعُ، speedy and untiring,

المُتَرَدّدُ فِي مَنَازِلِ التّقْدِيرِ، frequenter of the mansions of determination,

المُتَصَرّفُ فِي فَلَكِ التّدْبِيرِ، moving about in the sphere of governance!

آمَنْتُ بِمَنْ نَوّرَ بِكَ الظّلَمَ، I have faith in Him Who lights up darknesses through you,

وَأَوْضَحَ بِكَ البُهَمَ، illuminates jet-black shadows by you,

وَجَعَلَكَ آيَةً مِنْ آيَاتِ مُلْكِهِ، appointed you one of the signs of His kingdom

وَعَلامَةً مِنْ عَلامَاتِ سُلْطَانِهِ، And one of the marks of His authority,

فَحَدّ بِكَ الزّمَانَ، So, He identified time through You,

وَامْتَهَنَكَ بِالكَمَالِ وَالنّقْصَانِ، And humbled you through increase and decrease,

وَالطّلُوعِ وَالأُفُولِ And rising and setting,

وَالإنَارَةِ وَالكُسُوفِ And illumination and eclipse.

فِي كُلّ ذلِكَ أَنْتَ لَهُ مُطِيعٌ، In all of this you are obedient to Him,

وَإلَى إرَادَتِهِ سَرِيعٌ، And prompt toward His will.

سُبْحَانَهُ مَا أَعْجَبَ مَا دَبّرَ مِنْ أَمْرِكَ! Glory be to Him! How wonderful is what He has arranged in Your situation!

وَأَلْطَفَ مَا صَنَعَ فِي شَأْنِكَ! How subtle what He has made for Your task!

جَعَلَكَ مِفْتَاحَ شَهْرٍ حَادِثٍ لأَمْرٍ حَادِثٍ، He has made You the key to a new month for a new situation.

فَأَسْأَلُ اللّهَ رَبّي وَرَبّكَ، So I ask Allah, my Lord and Your Lord,

وَخَالِقِي وَخَالِقَكَ، my Creator and Your Creator,

وَمُقَدّرِي وَمُقَدّرَكَ، my Determiner and Your Determiner,

وَمُصَوّرِي وَمُصَوّرَكَ my Form-giver and Your Form-giver,

أَنْ يُصَلّيَ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ، that He bless Muhammad and his Household

وَأَنْ يَجْعَلَكَ هِلالَ بَرَكَةٍ لا تَمْحَقُهَا الأَيَّامُ، and appoint You a crescent of blessings not effaced by days

وَطَهَارَةٍ لا تُدَنّسُهَا الآثَامُ، and of purity not defiled by sins;

هِلالَ أَمْنٍ مِنَ الآفَاتِ، a crescent of security from blights

وَسَلامَةٍ مِنَ السّيّئَاتِ، and of safety from evil deeds;

هِلالَ سَعْدٍ لا نَحْسَ فِيهِ، a crescent of auspiciousness containing no misfortune,

وَيُمْنٍ لا نَكَدَ مَعَهُ، of prosperity accompanied by no adversity,

وَيُسْرٍ لا يُمَازِجُهُ عُسْرٌ، of ease not mixed with difficulty,

وَخيْرٍ لا يَشُوبُهُ شَرّ، of good unstained by evil;

هِلالَ أَمْنٍ وَإيمَانٍ، a crescent of security and faith,

وَنِعْمَةٍ وَإحْسَانٍ، favor and good-doing,

وَسَلامَةٍ وَإسْلامٍ. safety and submission!

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنْ أَرْضَى مَنْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْهِ، place us among the most satisfied of those over whom the crescent has risen,

وَأَزْكَى مَنْ نَظَرَ إلَيْهِ، the purest of those who have looked upon it,

وَأَسْعَدَ مَنْ تَعَبّدَ لَكَ فِيهِ، the most fortunate of those who have worshiped You under it;

وَوَفّقْنَا اللّهُمّ فِيهِ لِلطَّاعَةِ وَالتّوْبَةِ، give us the success during [the new month] to repent,

وَاعْصِمْنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الآثَامِ وَالحَوْبَةِ، preserve us within it from misdeeds and exposition to punishment,

وَأَوْزِعْنَا فِيهِ شُكْرَ النّعْمَةِ، allot to us within it thanksgiving for Your favor,

وَأَلْبِسْنَا فِيهِ جُنَنَ العَافِيَةِ، clothe us during it in the shields of well-being,

وَأَتْمِمْ عَلَيْنَا بِاسْتِكْمَالِ طَاعَتِكَ فِيهِ المِنّةَ، and complete for us Your kindness by perfecting therein obedience to You!

إنّكَ أَنْتَ المَنَّانُ الحَمِيدُ، Surely You are All-kind, Praiseworthy.

وَصَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِهِ الطّيّبِينَ، And bless Muhammad and his Household, the good, the pure.

وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا فِيهِ عَوْناً مِنْكَ عَلَى مَا نَدَبْتَنَا إلَيْهِ And grant us aid from You to carry out that which You have ordered us to do in it;

مِنْ مُفْتَرَضِ طَاعَتِكَ Such as the obedience to You which You have made incumbent upon us,

وَتَقَبّلْهَا إنّكَ الأَكْرَمُ مِنْ كُلّ كَرِيمٍ، and accept them from us, for You are the most Generous of all those who show generosity

وَالأَرْحَمُ مِنْ كُلّ رَحِيمٍ، and the most Merciful of all those who show mercy.