Saudi Scholars on Saudi/Makkah Sighting not binding for those outside of Saudi Arabia
Moon Sighting of Makkah and it’s legal Status:
Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz (RA)
فأما قول من قال إنه ينبغي أن يكون المعتبر رؤية هلال مكة خاصة ، فلا أصل له ولا دليل عليه
“As for those who say that it is necessary to follow the sighting of Makkah, then let it be known to them, that there is no proof or basis for this in the Qur’aan and Hadith”. (Sheikh Abdullah bin Baz RA AlBa’ath ul Islaaami Zil Hijjah 1399 Hijri).
Shaykh Salih al-Uthaymeen (RA)
Shaykh (RA) was asked about those who call for the ummah to be united in fasting and for the moon sighting to be based on its sighting in Makkah. He said:
هذا من الناحية الفلكية مستحيل ؛ لأن مطالع الهلال كما قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله تختلف باتفاق أهل المعرفة بهذا العلم ، وإذا كانت تختلف فإن مقتضى الدليل الأثري والنظري أن يجعل لكل بلد حكمه
This is impossible from an astronomical point of view, because the sighting of the new moon, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, differs, according to the scientists who are well-versed in this field. Because it differs, then each country should have its own ruling, according to the reports and according to science.
Shaykh Saud Al-Shuraim (Imam of Makkah)- Friday Khutbah on 22nd of July 2011:
The sheikh said sighting the moon is established in the Sharia, and this principle does not preclude benefiting from modern science and technology as these do not violate the principle nor contradict it. Examples of this include the usage of binoculars and mathematical calculations which assist in realising the sighting of the moon, or tahqeeq al-ru’yah. By this means, conflicting points of view can be unified and disputation lessened. He then quoted the following Hadeeth from Saheeh Muslim in favour of following local sighting:
عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ أَنَّ أُمَّ الْفَضْلِ بِنْتَ الْحَارِثِ بَعَثَتْهُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ بِالشَّامِ قَالَ فَقَدِمْتُ الشَّامَ فَقَضَيْتُ حَاجَتَهَا وَاسْتُهِلَّ عَلَيَّ رَمَضَانُ وَأَنَا بِالشَّامِ فَرَأَيْتُ الْهِلَالَ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ ثُمَّ قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فِي آخِرِ الشَّهْرِ فَسَأَلَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْهِلَالَ فَقَالَ مَتَى رَأَيْتُمْ الْهِلَالَ فَقُلْتُ رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْتَ رَأَيْتَهُ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ وَرَآهُ النَّاسُ وَصَامُوا وَصَامَ مُعَاوِيَةُ فَقَالَ لَكِنَّا رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ السَّبْتِ فَلَا نَزَالُ نَصُومُ حَتَّى نُكْمِلَ ثَلَاثِينَ أَوْ نَرَاهُ فَقُلْتُ أَوَ لَا تَكْتَفِي بِرُؤْيَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَصِيَامِهِ فَقَالَ لَا هَكَذَا أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَشَكَّ يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى فِي نَكْتَفِي أَوْ تَكْتَفِي
Kuraib (RA) reported that Umm Fadl (RA) [daughter of Harith] sent him (Fadl, i.e. her son) to Sayyidina Mu’awiya (RA) in Syria. Fadl said: I arrived in Syria, and did the needful for her. It was in Syria that the month of Ramadhān commenced. I saw the new moon (of Ramadhān) on Friday. I then came back to Madina at the end of the month. Sayyidina Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas (RA) asked me (about the new moon of Ramadhān) and said: When did you see it? I said: We saw it on the night of Friday. He said: (Did) you see it yourself? I said: Yes, and the people also saw it and they observed fast and Mu’awiya also observed fast, whereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we would continue to observe fast till we complete thirty (days) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal). I said: Is the sighting of the moon by Mu’awiya not valid for you? He said: No, this is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has commanded us. [Muslim]
