Moonsighting is an essential act to mark the beginning of Ramadan. It’s a way to know if the holy month of Ramadan has begun or not. We already know that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said whenever you sight the new moon (of the month of Ramadan), observe fast. We have shared a dua for Ramadan moonsighting below!
Islam follows the lunar calendar. Therefore, Muslims search for the crescent moon of Ramadan in the night sky at the end of Shaban (the 8th Islamic month).
It’s important to note that there’s no specific dua mentioned by Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to recite upon seeing the Ramadan moon. However, He (ﷺ) used to say a dua whenever he would see a new moon of any Islamic month. This dua is very popular and can be used for this purpose. We find three different variations of the same dua in hadith books. You can pick any of the three.
1 Dua for Ramadan Moonsighting
اللَّهُمَّ أَهْلِلْهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالْيُمْنِ وَالإِيمَانِ وَالسَّلاَمَةِ وَالإِسْلاَمِ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللَّهُ
Roman/ Transliteration: allahumma ahlilhu `alaina bil-yumni wal-Iman, was-salamati wal-Islam, rabbi wa rabbuk Allah
Meaning: “Oh Allah, bring it over us with blessing and faith, and security and Islam. My Lord and your Lord is Allah.”
Source: Tirmidhi 3451; Grade: Daif (weak)
Ramadan Moonsighting Dua 2
“اللهم أهله علينا بالأمن والإيمان والسلامة والإسلام، ربي وربك الله، هلال رشد وخير”
Roman/ Transliteration: allahumma ahillahu ‘alaina bil-amni wal-iman, was-salamati wal-Islam, Rabbi wa Rabbuk-Allah, Hilalu rushdin wa khairin
Meaning: “Oh Allah! let this moon appear on us with security and iman; with safety and Islam. (Oh moon!) Your Lord and mine is Allah. May this moon be bringing guidance and good.”
Source: Riyad us Salihin 1228
For Ramadan Moonsighting Dua 3
اللَّهُمَّ أَهِلَّهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالأَمْنِ وَالإِيمَانِ ، والسَّلامَةِ والإِسْلامِ ، وَالتَّوْفِيقِ لِمَا تُحِبُّ وَتَرْضَى ، رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكَ اللهُ
Roman/ Transliteration: allahumma ahillahu ‘alaina bil-amni wal-iman, was-salamati wal-Islam, wat -taufeeki lima tuhibbu wa tardha, Rabbuna wa Rabbuk-Allah
Meaning: “Oh Allah, bring it over us with safety and faith, security and Islam, guidance to what You love and is pleasing to You. Our Lord and your Lord is Allah.”
Source: Sahih ibn Hibban 888; Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to him
When Should You Say This Dua?
You can recite this dua as soon as you see the new moon of Ramadan in the night sky on the 29th or 30th of Shaban.
Conclusion:
In this blog, we’ve shared a dua for Ramadan moonsighting with you. This dua is mentioned three times with different wordings in hadith books. Although these hadiths are either weak (daif) or not entirely from the 6 famous hadith books, they are acceptable according to the majority of Sunni scholars in terms of explaining virtues. It’s not obligatory for you to say this dua, but if accepted, it may bring many benefits. Nevertheless, dua is always appreciated by Allah almighty.