Establishing the sighting of the new moon through modern devices

Question

(1) Mount Mansuri is at a distance of fourteen miles from our city of Dehradun; from its height it is naturally easy to see the moon. So if the imam of the congregational mosque of Mansuri, together with other Shari‘a-observant Muslims, having seen the moon on the 29th of Sha‘ban, the 29th of Ramadan and the 29th of Dhu al-Qa‘da, informs by telephone that the moon has appeared, should the members of the moon-sighting committee of Dehradun, regarding their sighting of the new moon as authentic, announce the…

Answer

(1) Announcing the report of the sighting of the new moon upon receiving information by telephone — even if it was the imam of the congregational mosque who gave the information — is not correct according to the Shari‘a. (2) Acting on this too is not correct. If that member is trustworthy (thiqa) and of accepted testimony (maqbul al-shahada)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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