Global Moonsighting

The early jurists of the Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali, and some Sha'fai' schools of Islamic jurisprudence held a firm belief in the concept of a unified horizon (global sighting or wahdat al mata’lia’). According to their views, when the actual sighting of the moon occurred in any Muslim country, it obligated the entire Muslim community, known as the Ummah, to observe fasting during Ramadan (as well as celebrate Eid). In fact, these early jurists went as far as asserting that this obligation was rooted in the direct commandment of the Prophet Muhammad himself.

To elaborate on this perspective further, these jurists, including scholars like Imam Al-Qarrafi, held the position that there should be no consideration given to variations in horizons (ikhtilaaf al mata’lia’) when determining the commencement of the Islamic month of Ramadan. In their view, if the new moon was sighted anywhere in the world, it triggered a collective obligation for the entire Muslim world to commence fasting. This stance was consistent with the Prophetic tradition that instructed Muslims to begin fasting upon the sighting of the new moon. Importantly, this Hadith was considered to be addressed to the entire Muslim community.

Imam Al-Qarrafi, in explaining the Maliki and Hanbali positions, emphasized that Muslims around the world were obligated to fast based on reports of moon sighting, regardless of the geographical proximity or distance of the sighting location. Even when horizons differed, the act of sighting the moon in one place extended to encompass those who had not witnessed it themselves. This viewpoint aligned with the Prophetic commandment, emphasizing the universality of the practice.

Notably, the renowned Hanafi jurist Uthman bin Ali al-Zayla'ee reinforced the idea that the sighting of the moon in one city should be considered a valid sighting for all Muslims. Thus, it became incumbent upon the inhabitants of the Eastern hemisphere to confirm the start of the month based on sightings in the Western hemisphere. This view was so firm that the majority of early Hanafi scholars did not take into account variations in horizons to the extent that they mandated making up a day of fasting if one locality observed thirty days of fasting while another observed only twenty-nine days.

In sum, the prevailing perspective among a majority of early Muslim jurists, including notable figures like Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, and certain reports from the Shafai' school, was that global moon sighting was the norm, and it held a collective significance for the entire Muslim Ummah.