Breaking the fast and observing 'Id on a radio report

Question

Here many people, in accordance with a radio report, today, 23 January 66 AH, Sunday, broke their fast at seven or eight o'clock in the day and also performed the 'Id al-Fitr prayer; but neither here nor anywhere in the surrounding area has any reliable news of the moon being sighted been heard. From every place the news is that the fast is being kept as before and that the 'Id al-Fitr prayer will be performed on 24 January.

Answer

To break the fast and perform the 'Id prayer merely on the basis of a radio report that it is 'Id in such-and-such a place is not correct. But if a moon-sighting committee or a Shari'a qadi duly takes testimony valid in the Shari'a and announces, or has it announced, that the moon has been established in the Shari'a manner and that it is therefore announced that such-and-such…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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