Moon Sighting Criteria And Guidelines

On February 15, 2014, the ʿUlamā Council of Detroit held a meeting in which the following criteria and guidelines were agreed upon for determining the Islamic lunar calendar through sighting of the moon:

1. The date of crescent sighting must certainly be observed on the 29th eve of the lunar month.

2. In the light of aḥādīth (prophetic reports) and Fiqh (jurisprudence), the decision for all twelve Islamic lunar months, including Ramaḍān and both ʿĪds, be made based on the actual sighting of the moon with the naked human eye.

3. We will accept the crescent sighting from countries around the world where we have reliable communication and mutual agreement, provided it is not against external evidences and it falls within the parameters of astronomical data and scientific sighting possibility.

4. In the scenario where the horizon is clear, it is necessary to have khabr mustafīḍ (reports from multitudes of people). We will accept the testimony of those people that we are satisfied with, on the condition of not being against any external evidence. If the horizon is not clear, then the testimony of a minimum of two witnesses will be required to establish the new lunar month. The purpose for this clause is that in some countries, after the announcement of crescent sighting, the moon is not even visible the next day. Sometimes the claim is made of a moon aging up to 6 or 7 hours.

5. We will not accept the crescent sighting reports from places where sighting is [scientifically] impossible, unless the skies are clear and multitudes of people have actually observed the reported crescent sighting.

6. It is essential to note that when the crescent for ʿĪd al-Fiṭr is seen in other countries during our 29th day, we must complete the fasting of that day.

7. Based on the consensus of the members of the Council, Maulana Haroon Abdul-Adil will make the final decision of whether to confirm or reject a moon sighting report.

And Allāh Almighty Knows Best.

Signed by:

Qari Muhammad Ilyas (UCM President)

Maulana Muhammad Haroon Abdul-Adil (UCM Vice President)

Maulana Abdus Salaam (Secretary)

Maulana Abdul Ghani

Mufti Nayef Patel

Mufti Abdur Rahman Waheed

Maulana Altaf Kapadia

Maulana Sabirul Haq

Maulana Sohel Mangera

Maulana Abdul Qahhar

Maulana Abdullah Waheed

Maulana Hudhaifah Mangera