salaams to all
حدثنا يحيى بن يحيى ويحيى بن أيوب وقتيبة وابن حجر قال يحيى بن يحيى أخبرنا وقال الآخرون حدثنا إسمعيل وهو ابن جعفر عن محمد وهو ابن أبي حرملة عن كريب أن أم الفضل بنت الحارث بعثته إلى معاوية بالشام قال فقدمت الشام فقضيت حاجتها واستهل علي رمضان وأنا بالشام فرأيت الهلال ليلة الجمعة ثم قدمت المدينة في آخر الشهر فسألني عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله عنهما ثم ذكر الهلال فقال متى رأيتم الهلال فقلت رأيناه ليلة الجمعة فقال أنت رأيته فقلت نعم ورآه الناس وصاموا وصام معاوية فقال لكنا رأيناه ليلة السبت فلا نزال نصوم حتى نكمل ثلاثين أو نراه فقلت أو لا تكتفي برؤية معاوية وصيامه فقال لا هكذا أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وشك يحيى بن يحيى في نكتفي أو تكتفي
Kurayb narrates that Umm al-Fadl sent him to Mu‘āwiyah in Sham for something. Kurayb says, "I went to Sham and finished the job. I was in Sham when the month of Ramadān began and we saw the moon the night of Friday. When I reached Madinah at the end of the blessed month, Ibn ‘Abbas asked me about Sham. (After answering him) He then asked me when we saw the moon. I said, 'We saw the moon the night of Jumu‘ah.' He asked, 'Did you see it as well?' I said, 'Yes, I saw it too and many others saw it and we all kept fasting and so did Mu‘āwiyah (that is according to that moonsighting).'
Ibn ‘Abbas said, 'But we saw the moon on Saturday night, therefore, we will keep fasting for thirty days according to that unless we sight the moon on the 29th.' I asked, 'You don’t think the moonsighting of Mu‘āwiyah and his fasting is enough for you?' Ibn ‘Abbas replied, 'No, this is how the Blessed Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught us.'
(Muslim H.1819, Tirmiðī H.629, Nasa'i H.2084, Abū-Dāwūd H.1985, Musnad Ahmad H.2653 Dar-qutni H.2234)
then there is this:
Shaykh ‘Uthaymīn states in his fatwa:
It is well known amongst astronomers that the time the moon rises differs from place to place. The moon might be seen in one place and not in another. Therefore, according to the verse, whoever does not see it is not obliged to fast. . . . If, therefore, each place has its own ruling due to the variation in the time that the sun rises and sets, the same also applies due to the variation in the time that the moon rises and sets. . . .
Therefore, the answer to the question is clear. It is obligatory for you to follow the sighting of the new moon in the place where you are. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymīn
al-Aqalliyāt al-Muslimah - Page 84, Fatwa No.23
Shaykh Adil Salahi:
http://archive.arabnews.com/?page=5&...=12&m=9&y=2006
the point is that its sunnah to determine whether the next month has begun by sighting the moon & NOT through calculations.
another point is that if the Shawaal moon is sighted in one country, the poeple of that country/land should celebrate Eid the next day- NOT people who live in another land/country that DID NOT see it.
for them, they need to search for the moon themselves & if they fail to see it, they should fast for 30 days.
and Allah ta'ala knows best
jazakallah