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Is it permissible to reject testimony of sighting the Shawwal crescent if it remained visible for 27 minutes, on the pretext that it contradicts astronomical calculations, knowing that the crescent has been sighted before after remaining visible for 24 minutes?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If the sighting of the crescent moon is confirmed by the testimony of trustworthy individuals, then it is obligatory to act upon it, and the Eid will be according to the sighting. No consideration is given to the opinion of astronomers if it contradicts the testimony of trustworthy individuals, because the duration they stipulate for the visibility of the crescent moon before its setting is disputed, and the testimony of trustworthy individuals is not refuted by it. The issue of the possibility of seeing the crescent moon after its birth involves multiple factors, and verified experts in astronomy agree that the sighting cannot be precisely determined by calculation. Furthermore, a study by Dr. Ayman Kurdi showed that the concordance rate between astronomical calculation and actual sighting is 67%, and anything of this nature does not refute the testimony of trustworthy individuals.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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