The sighting of the people of the East for the people of the West

Question

According to Hanafi fiqh, the sighting of the moon by the people of one city is a proof (hujja) for the people of another city, however great the distance between the two cities may be: if the moon is sighted in the far West and the news of it reaches those living in the far East by a reliable way, fasting on that day will become necessary for them (“al-Durr al-Mukhtar”, “Radd al-Muhtar”). What is meant by the sighting in the far West being a proof for the far East? (2)

Answer

The basic principle is that the people of each city are bound by their own horizon (matla‘), just as is the case with the prayer times; so too is the case with fasting and breaking the fast: [ar]صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ[/ar] “Fast upon its sighting and break the fast upon its sighting” (hadith). If on the day of doubt (yawm al-shakk)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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