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What is the method of confirming the
beginning of every lunar month? Is there a certain length of time that the new moon has to
be in the sky?
Praise be to Allaah.
The saheeh ahaadeeth reported from the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) indicate that when the new moon is seen by a trustworthy
person after the sun has set on the thirtieth night of Sha’baan or the thirtieth
night of Ramadaan, this sighting is considered to be valid, and the first of the month is
established without any need to consider the length of time that the moon stays in the sky
after sunset, whether twenty minutes or more or less. There is nothing in the saheeh
ahaadeeth to indicate how long it should take for the moon to set after the sun has set.
