This a translation for a question posted at this link:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/show_fatwa.php?main_id=57

Determining Ramadan

Question text:

With the end of the month of Ramadan... We are still suffering from the issue of determining the beginning and end of Ramadan. As is well known, almost all Muslims rely on Hadith attributed to the Prophet peace be upon him, which is “Fast upon seeing it, and break your fast upon seeing it”. So what is the truth on this subject, as we see this difference and contrast at the beginning of the month of Ramadan, even among contiguous small states, as well as sometimes the difference in determining the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr.

Ahmed Subhi Mansour’s reply:

As a manifestation of Muslims’ backwardness , is this false Hadith (fast upon seeing it), still adhered to by backward Sunnis up until today. With astronomical calculations there is no conflict in determining Ramadan after fifty years from now or sixty years ago, because it is based on astronomical spreadsheets to track the uniform movement of the moon around the earth in the lunar calendar and the movement of the earth around the sun and its spinning around its axis in the solar calendar.

It is a wonder that the Quran refers to astronomical calculations, in both solar and lunar calenders and the difference between them.

I leave it to you to contemplate and digest the following verses where you would not even take ready-made opinions:

6: 96  (He is) the Cleaver of the daybreak and has made the night for rest and the sun and the moon for calculation. That is the determination of the Mighty, the Knowing.

17: 12  And We have made the night and the day two signs; and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day full of light that you may seek grace from your Lord and may know the count of years and calculations. And everything We have explained in details.

55: 5  The sun and the moon are made punctual.

18: 25  And (it is said) they tarried in their Cave three hundred years, and add nine