Verifying the Rise of the New Moon and Finding Witnesses for It

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ الْهِلَالَ فَلَا تَبْرَحْ وَ قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ هَذَا الشَّهْرِ وَ فَتْحَهُ وَ نُورَهُ وَ نَصْرَهُ وَ بَرَكَتَهُ وَ طَهُورَهُ وَ رِزْقَهُ وَ أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ مَا فِيهِ وَ خَيْرَ مَا بَعْدَهُ وَ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا فِيهِ وَ شَرِّ مَا بَعْدَهُ اللَّهُمَّ أَدْخِلْهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالْأَمْنِ وَ الْإِيمَانِ وَ السَّلَامَةِ وَ الْإِسْلَامِ وَ الْبَر

9. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ya’qub ibn Yazid from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Nawfaliy from al-Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “’Amir al-Mu’minin, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘When you see the crescent of the month of Ramadan, say this without fail,

إِنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ فَقَالَ هِيَ أَهِلَّةُ الشُّهُورِ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الْهِلَالِ فَصُمْ وَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُ فَأَفْطِرْ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the crescents (mentioned in the holy Quran). He (the Imam) replied, ‘It is a reference to the new moon of the months. When you see the new moon, begin fasting; when you see the new moon discontinue fasting.’”

كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ع يَقُولُ‌ لَا أُجِيزُ فِي الْهِلَالِ إِلَّا شَهَادَةَ رَجُلَيْنِ عَدْلَيْنِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), would say, ‘I do not accept a testimony about seeing the crescent if it is from less than two just witnesses.’”

لَا تَجُوزُ شَهَادَةُ النِّسَاءِ فِي الْهِلَالِ.

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘Testimony by women is not admissible in the case of seeing the crescent.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ‌ لَا تَجُوزُ شَهَادَةُ النِّسَاءِ فِي الْهِلَالِ وَ لَا تَجُوزُ إِلَّا شَهَادَةُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَدْلَيْنِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘Testimony of women about the crescent is not admissible, only the testimony of two just witnesses is accepted.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ لَيْسَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْقِبْلَةِ إِلَّا الرُّؤْيَةُ لَيْسَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ إِلَّا الرُّؤْيَةُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘People of al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) must see the crescent. The Muslims must see the crescent.’”

إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الْهِلَالَ فَصُومُوا وَ إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُ فَأَفْطِرُوا وَ لَيْسَ بِالرَّأْيِ وَ لَا بِالتَّظَنِّي- وَ لَيْسَ الرُّؤْيَةَ أَنْ يَقُومَ عَشَرَةُ نَفَرٍ فَيَقُولَ وَاحِدٌ هُوَ ذَا وَ يَنْظُرُ تِسْعَةٌ فَلَا يَرَوْنَهُ لَكِنْ إِذَا رَآهُ وَاحِدٌ رَآهُ أَلْفٌ.

‘When you see the crescent, then fast and when you see the crescent (again), then discontinue fasting. It is not by opinions and conjectures. If out of ten people only one says that there is the crescent but the rest cannot see, it is not seeing. If one can see a thousand can also see.’”

إِذَا غَابَ الْهِلَالُ قَبْلَ الشَّفَقِ فَهُوَ لِلَيْلَتِهِ وَ إِذَا غَابَ بَعْدَ الشَّفَقِ فَهُوَ لِلَيْلَتَيْنِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If the crescent disappears before al-Shafaq (redness), then it is its first night but if it disappears after al-Shafaq (redness) then it is its second night.’”

‌ إِذَا صَحَّ هِلَالُ شَهْرِ رَجَبٍ فَعُدَّ تِسْعَةً وَ خَمْسِينَ يَوْماً وَ صُمْ يَوْمَ السِّتِّينَ

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘If the crescent of the month of Rajab is established, then count fifty nine days and fast the sixtieth day.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ عُدَّ شَعْبَانَ تِسْعَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ يَوْماً فَإِنْ كَانَتْ مُتَغَيِّمَةً فَأَصْبِحْ صَائِماً فَإِنْ كَانَتْ صَاحِيَةً وَ تَبَصَّرْتَهُ وَ لَمْ تَرَ شَيْئاً فَأَصْبِحْ مُفْطِراً.[3]

‘Count of the month of al-Sha‘ban twenty nine days; if it is cloudy then fast, but if it is clear and you looked but did not see anything, you can remain without fasting.’”

إِذَا رَأَوُا الْهِلَالَ قَبْلَ الزَّوَالِ فَهُوَ لِلَيْلَتِهِ الْمَاضِيَةِ وَ إِذَا رَأَوْهُ بَعْدَ الزَّوَالِ فَهُوَ لِلَيْلَتِهِ الْمُسْتَقْبَلَةِ.

‘If they can see the crescent before Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime), then it is of the last night but if they see it after Zawal, then it is of the coming night.’”

إِذَا تَطَوَّقَ الْهِلَالُ فَهُوَ لِلَيْلَتَيْنِ وَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ ظِلَّ رَأْسِكَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ لِثَلَاثِ لَيَالٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that if the crescent forms a crown around it, then it is two nights old and if you can see the shadow of your head it is three nights old.’”

إِذَا غَابَ الْهِلَالُ قَبْلَ الشَّفَقِ فَهُوَ لِلَيْلَتِهِ وَ إِذَا غَابَ بَعْدَ الشَّفَقِ فَهُوَ لِلَيْلَتَيْنِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If the crescent disappears before al-Shafaq (redness) it is of the first night, but if disappears after al-Shafaq it is of the second night.’”