Much ado about moon sighting

Question

In this modern era . we (NASA and other organizations) can very easily know the relative position of moon through modern setups. http://www.moongiant.com/

Like scientists predicts the solar and lunar eclipse and other planetary incidences almost accurately. They also knows the position of moon and from which place of earth it can be sighted at any given time.

Then my question is why we still depends on the head of local moon sighting committee to know if moon is seen or not. The funny thing is they mullah use binoculars to see the moon, which is also a scientific invention. Then why they don't take their help in knowing the new moon.

Answer 1

The whole issue of sighting the moon vs. astronomical prediction comes down to how literal you interpret hadith. In one hadith the Prophet says:

"If you see it (The moon) then fast, and if you don’t see it then do not fast"

How do you interpret the verb 'see'? Is it actual visual eyesight, or is modern technology a viable alternative?

In another hadith, he says:

"We are an illiterate nation; we neither write, nor know accounts. The month is like this and this (i.e. sometimes 29 days and sometimes 30)"

This is a direct ban on using calculation to predict the phase of the moon. But, at the time of the Prophet astronomical calculation was still in it's infancy and did not have the accuracy afforded to modern day calculations backed up by the latest of gravitational theories. So is that ban still in effect?

While the majority of Muslim scholars still stick to visual method of sighting of the moon, more and more scholars are beginning to accept a more modern approach.