How does one define the local region that the sighting of a new moon applies to?

Questioner: Assalamu Alaikum

Huzoor (rh): Walaikum Assalam

Questioner: I have a question about the sighting of the new moon.

Huzoor (rh): Study of?

Questioner: Sighting of the new moon.

Huzoor (rh): Sighting of the new moon, right

Questioner: If the new moon is seen on, for example, the night before Ramadan is supposed to start, all those people who have the same “matla” are supposed to start the fasting. How do we define the region that has the same matla, which is translated as horizon?

Huzoor (rh): You see, previously, in older days, the horizon was determined by the people who lived together in one country, in one group, where news could travel. That determined the horizon. For instance, if in Mecca the moon was sighted, and in Medina it was not sighted, although (the) geographical horizon was the same, yet the horizon of Medina would be different from that of Mecca. Because it was essential that if all of you have not seen, at least two reliable persons have seen the moon. So how could people from Mecca who had sighted the moon travel that fast to reach Medina within a few hours and tell them the moon is sighted? There is no other way of communication either. So the question of horizon changes from situation to situation.

I am talking of the situation as prevailing at the time of Hadhrat Muhammad ﷺ ‎فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ refers to such people who have the sighting of moon and who can share this knowledge among themselves. That was the horizon. But now, geographically, we can fix the horizon because the news can travel very fast. The horizons have broadened, but not become unlimited. Now when you study geography, you can see that in certain areas, in certain longitude and latitudes, the moon can be sighted in one single night. But all the people living in that large area, because the news can travel quickly, so that would become the horizon. For instance, the western region, like in America, has this horizon which is different from the eastern region that is, for instance, Europe, Russia, etc. If you go further east, then another horizon would appear. So the horizon of moon is divided over three days or three nights.

In the whole world, there are at least three horizons for the moon and because in the almanacs published annually by the experts on these things, meteorologists, etc., everything is published. So it’s no problem at all. You can determine exactly when the moon will be sighted, sightable, here in Washington, even many years ahead of time, because scientifically they have (been) discovered. But the only problem is, that to be sighted or to be sightable are two different things. Now, when the Holy Qur’an speaks of (2:185) فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ, it means the moon had to be sightable, otherwise it would not be seen. So just for the moon to be above the horizon is not enough. It’s essential that it should also be sightable. So that the sightable means if the weather is clear, there is no obstruction, then people with healthy sight should be able to see it. That means sightable. But to be above horizon is not enough.

Now, we made investigations and we found out that for the moon to be sightable, it has to remain above horizon at least for 15 minutes and above an angle of 6 degrees and it should be older than 20 hours. Only then such moon can be sightable. But some other Muslims who go to these observatories etc. and say, is the moon above horizon? They say yes. They don’t know these details and say tomorrow is Eid. Or the day after it is Eid. This is what has caused so much confusion in England and people have been celebrating Eid on 2-3 different days.

So it is the Ahmadiyya community which made full investigations and we have published the instructions with the grace of Allah. Now most of the Muslim community in England have started following us. They have understood. So this is the principle of the sighting of moon. The moon, if it is sightable, will be seen by some if there were no clouds, if there were no obstruction and if it can be seen, then the Eid is of course the next day. So we go by the sightability of moon. Not by its being above horizon. You understand?