Understanding the Fiqh of Moonsighting

The International Centre for Advanced Islamic Research (ICAIR) has published a new translation titled An Analytical Introduction to the Fiqh of Moonsighting by Ayatollah Sayyid ʿAlī al-Sīstānī, offering English readers access to the evidentiary basis underlying his legal position on the beginning of lunar months.

Questions surrounding moonsighting arise repeatedly throughout the Islamic calendar, particularly when determining the beginning of important occasions such as the month of Ramaḍān, the days of Eid, and the start of the Hajj season. How is the beginning of a lunar month legally established, and what constitutes reliable proof that the crescent has appeared? Differences of opinion regarding telescopic sighting, naked-eye observation, and conflicting reports often generate confusion within communities.

In this analytical introduction, Sayyid al-Sīstānī examines the jurisprudential evidences governing the establishment of lunar months, outlining the reasoning behind his position, drawing on transmitted reports, legal methodology, and the hermeneutical principles of Islamic jurisprudence. The translation aims to make these discussions accessible to an English-speaking audience seeking a deeper understanding of the fiqh of moonsighting.

Alongside this publication, ICAIR has also released an educational Instagram carousel summarising the four recognised methods for establishing the beginning of a lunar month, based on Sayyid al-Sīstānī’s Tawḍīḥ al-Masāʾil Jāmiʿ. These include naked-eye sighting, widespread reports that produce certainty, valid testimony, and the completion of thirty days of the previous month. View the carousel on ICAIR’s Instagram page.

Together, the translation and the accompanying educational post aim to clarify the legal principles that underpin discussions surrounding moonsighting and the establishment of lunar months, which determine key moments in the Islamic calendar, including the beginning of the month of Ramaḍān, the days of Eid, and the Hajj season.

Read the Translation

View the Instagram Post below:

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