من أقوى الأسباب الموجبة للريبة: إخبارُ من يوثق به علماً وديناً من أهل الحساب وعلم الهيئة: أن الهلال لايُرى. ومَن مارس هذا العلم عرف أن أهله يدركون ذلك لامحالة.

غير أنه على مراتب: منها ما يقطع فيه باستحالة الرؤية، ومنها ما يحتمل الرؤية احتمالاً بعيداً، ومنها ما يحتمل احتمالاً قريباً، ومنها ما يكون إمكان الرؤية فيه راجحاً، ومنها ما يكون الإمكان جلياً واضحاً.

ونعني بالاستحالة هنا: الاستحالة العادية، لأن الإمكان العقلي موجود، وإنما المستحيل عادة كالمستحيل عقلاً في ذلك، ومتى حُكم باستحالة الرؤية امتنع قبول الشهادة بها.

Great suspicion is caused if the crescent is reported to have been sighted after those of reliable knowledge of religion and astronomy state that it cannot be seen, those engaged in this field are inevitably aware of this.

The levels (of visibility) are: total impossibility of visibility, remote possibility of visibility, close possibility of visibility, the possibility of seeing is more likely, and finally, possibility is evident and clear.

The ordinarily impossible might be rationally possible, but what we mean here by impossibility is that it is ordinarily and rationally impossible. When the visibility is ruled impossible, witness for it is not accepted. [1]

As mentioned above by the great scholar of the 14th century Taqi al-Din al-Subki “When the visibility is ruled impossible, witness for it is not accepted” based on this we are seeing it as part of our present-day moon-sighting criteria: 

“If reliable Muslim astronomers confirm that on a particular day sighting the first crescent is impossible, based on the observation of astronomy that day shall be accepted as a day the first crescent shall not be visible.” [2] 

Impossibility of the crescent visibility can be divided into two, total impossibility and not possible. 

Total impossibility: this can occur under two instances on the 29th day of the lunar month: 

1. Conjunction occurs after sunset or with the sunset.

2. Moonset before sunset. 

The not possible visibility is when the crescent is below the Danjon limit. Danjon limit is the minimum angle between the Sun and the Moon from which the Moon can be seen shortly after the conjunction, this limit will vary from the observation methods and the instruments used. [3]

Even though these matters are explicit and well established, I wonder why the authorities cause confusion among the public requesting them to sight while knowing that the visibility of the crescent is impossible. It would be much clearer if they could inform the public in advance about completing the month with 30 days and announcing the commencement of the next month.

Example:

29th of Ramadān 1445 (09/APR/2024)

The crescent was sighted and the month of Shawwāl commenced on 10/APR/2024, so the 29th of Shawwāl 1445, falls on 08/MAY/2024,