Prayer TimesLunar months, as the name suggests, are months whose beginning and end are determined by the movements of the moon. Since the Ramadan fast is observed in the month of Ramadan, and since the month of Ramadan changes each year according to the lunar calendar, it is first necessary to determine when the month of Ramadan begins in order to start fasting. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Begin fasting when you see the crescent (of Ramadan) and break your fast (celebrate Eid) when you see the crescent (of Shawwal). If the sky is cloudy, then complete the month (of Sha’ban) as thirty days.” (Muslim, Sawm, 19-20 [1081]; see also Bukhari, Sawm, 5, 11 [1900, 1909]).
At first glance, this hadith may give the impression that fasting cannot begin and Eid cannot be celebrated unless the crescent is seen with the naked eye. However, when other related narrations are considered, it becomes clear that the purpose of these hadiths was to teach the most appropriate practice under the conditions of that time. Indeed, in another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “We are an unlettered nation; we do not know how to calculate or write. The month is either twenty-nine or thirty days.” (Bukhari, Sawm, 13 [1913]; Muslim, Sawm, 15 [1080]), indicating that calculation methods may also be used to determine the beginning of lunar months.
Whether or not it is seen with the naked eye, the moon continues its usual movements. The Qur’an states that the sun and the moon move according to a calculation (ar-Rahman, 55/5), that they are made as measures for calculation among their other functions (al-An’am, 6/96), that phases of the moon are appointed so that we may know the number and calculation of years (Yunus, 10/5), that when the heavens and the earth were created, a system was established so that there would be twelve months (at-Tawbah, 9/36), and that the moon’s various phases, starting as a crescent and appearing in different forms, serve as measures of time for people and for Hajj (al-Baqarah, 2/189).
Accordingly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not prescribe naked-eye sighting as the only method for determining the beginning of lunar months, but rather as the most reliable method under the circumstances of his time. The purpose of observing the crescent is to determine whether the month of Ramadan has begun. Therefore, it is also possible to use other methods that will help us achieve this goal besides naked-eye sighting.
Today, the technological advancements humanity has achieved allow us to observe even the finest details of the moon’s movements. It is now possible to prepare calendars showing prayer times for several years ahead through precise astronomical calculations. Therefore, it is permissible to determine the beginnings of lunar months by calculation methods.
Source: T.C. Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, Din İşleri Yüksek Kurulu
This content was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.