Is the mufti obliged to go searching for witnesses of the new-moon sighting?

Question

Is it incumbent on those who have seen the moon of Eid, of Ramadan or of any other month to come to the mufti and give testimony, or is it necessary for the mufti himself to go from quarter to quarter, from house to house, and even to the villages, and collect testimonies? Some people say that this is among the duties (fara’id) of the mufti himself. The mufti’s statement is that, since the obligatoriness (wujub) of testimony has been made known to people in general, it is now the duty (fard)

Answer

The mufti’s statement is correct. Indeed, even if only some woman who observes seclusion sees the moon, it is incumbent on her to come and give testimony: [ar]ويجب على الجارية المخدرة أن تخرج في ليلتها بلا إذن مولاها وتشهد[/ar] “It is wajib for the secluded (mukhaddara) slave-girl to go out that very night without her master’s permission and testify” (“al-Durr al-Mukhtar”).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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